Training Plan

Structured week-by-week schedule building toward a race goal with progressive volume and intensity.

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Understanding Training Plan

A training plan is a structured, progressive schedule that builds fitness toward a specific race goal. Good plans organize weekly workouts by type (easy runs, tempo, intervals, long runs) and progressively increase volume and intensity over 12–20 weeks while including recovery weeks and a taper.

Most training plans follow a similar structure: 3–5 running days per week, one long run (building toward race-specific distance), one speed or quality session (tempo or intervals), and the remaining days as easy runs. Cross-training and rest days fill the gaps. The plan should match your current fitness level, weekly time availability, and goal race.

The best training plan is one you can actually follow consistently. A 50-mile-per-week plan is useless if your life only allows 30 miles. Start with a plan that feels manageable, complete it, then step up for the next training cycle. Consistency over weeks and months matters more than any single workout.

Key Facts: Training Plan

Key facts and insights about training plan that every endurance athlete should know.

Typical marathon plan

Typical marathon plan: 16–20 weeks, 4–6 runs/week, peak mileage 40–55 miles/week

Typical 5K plan

Typical 5K plan: 8–12 weeks, 3–5 runs/week, peak mileage 25–40 miles/week

Progressive overload

Progressive overload: increase weekly volume by no more than 10% per week

Recovery weeks

Recovery weeks (reduced volume by 25–30%) every 3–4 weeks prevent overtraining

Pro Tips: Training Plan

Choose a plan based on your CURRENT fitness, not your goal fitness

Skip a run rather than skip a rest day — rest is where adaptation happens

The long run is the most important weekly run for any distance above 10K

If you miss a workout, don't try to make it up — move forward with the next scheduled session

Frequently Asked Questions About Training Plan

Free plans (Hal Higdon, Nike Run Club) are excellent for most recreational runners. A coach adds value when you've plateaued, have specific performance goals, injury history, or limited training time. For your first race at any distance, a free plan from a reputable source is absolutely sufficient.

Skip training until you're healthy — trying to stay on schedule while sick or injured almost always makes things worse. When you return, drop back 1–2 weeks in the plan and rebuild. Most plans have enough training stimulus that missing a week won't ruin your race. Missing a month means adjusting your goal, not panicking.