Planning your running season is a real art. Training for your next running goal? Wondering when to start a specific training plan for your race? Here’s everything you need to know before kicking off your training plan for road running or trail running.
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What shape should you be in before starting your training plan?
Before asking yourself when to start your training plan, it’s worth asking in what conditions you should start it, and especially when you should not.
The goal is to begin your training plan feeling good. You need a minimum fitness base so you’re not “starting from zero” or too far back. On the flip side, you also need some freshness. Don’t begin feeling completely cooked, otherwise you’re more likely to get injured and you may struggle to follow the plan all the way to race day.
So how can you be fresh and still ready to handle the training load? You can start with an adaptation phase. Run mostly in easy aerobic endurance, plus some steady endurance, to prepare your body for more structured training.
A training plan can be demanding and very time-consuming, especially if you’re new to structured training or if you’re preparing for an ultra or chasing an ambitious time goal. Before deciding when to start your training plan, make sure you also keep the fun in your running with a period of easy, enjoyable runs.
When should you start your training plan?
Once that first phase is done, it’s time to commit to your training plan. But when should you start, and how far ahead of your goal race should you begin?
It depends on your goal. The longer the race, the earlier you should start. Ideally, begin at least 3 months before race day. For example, for a 10K or a half marathon, the first month helps you adapt to the training load and build your key fitness qualities. Then you spend about 6 weeks working by alternating intensity and recovery. Finish with the final two weeks as a taper so you arrive at the start line feeling sharp and ready.
For marathon training, you can start your plan around 16 weeks before your goal race.
For a long trail race, and even more so for an ultra trail, it’s often recommended to begin a specific training plan as early as 6 months out. The goal is to increase your weekly volume progressively and safely.
During your build-up, you can also add séances de renforcement musculaire, which are very useful for improving muscular endurance and avoiding late-race blow-ups. Vélo is another great way to build endurance volume and strength without adding extra impact stress on your joints.
How to manage training plans when you have multiple key goals
Over a running or trail season, plan for 2 to 3 main goals maximum. These are the races where you want to be in the best shape possible. To do that, it’s important to space them out so your body has time to recover.
This also gives you time to follow a specific training plan for each key goal. That plan should include a post-race recovery phase to reset and transition, a specific training phase, and then a taper.
For example, you could schedule your main goals like this: one in early spring, one in summer, then one in autumn. Ideally, leave at least 2 months, and ideally 3 to 4 months, between each main goal, depending on the distance.
You can also add intermediate races within your training plan, they become part of the build-up. Just make sure your tune-up race is at least 2 weeks before your next main goal. If you’re looking for your next races, check out WeRun for trail races or Finishers for road races.
You now have everything you need to know to decide when to start your training plan and get ready for your next races. If you haven’t downloaded RunMotion Coach yet, do it right now!
With the RunMotion Coach personalized training app, you can enter your goal no matter when your race is. So you don’t have to wait for the classic 16 weeks or 12 weeks before your event like with fixed plans. And if you need it, you can even choose to start with two easier weeks.
Have a great build-up for your next goals!