Building an Aerobic Base: Simple, Enjoyable, and Critical
When some runners get their hands on a running program, they can be tempted to skip over the base-building weeks to get to speedwork and threshold running. This is a profound mistake.
Foundational to almost every training program in the distance running world, the aerobic base phase is the most valuable phase for runners for a number of reasons: Efficiency of your cardiovascular system, ability to burn fat for fuel ability to hold a faster pace while still able to hold a conversation during a run, strengthening of connective tissues, and– for those with racing goals — “the biggest determining factor in performance. Since all events over 2 minutes are primarily aerobic, the oxygen processing ability of the athlete sets the parameters for both training capacity and speed development.” T
The above quote comes from the Arthur Lydidard Foundation, and it’s why a thorough base phase is not to be taken lightly and should not be skippped over. Speedwork is great stuff — it optimized your race potential — but the amount of performance speedwork can deliver you is strictly limited by the depth of your aerobic capacity. The next few months of the year are an ideal time to enjoy working through this phase.
The image below offers a classic approach to building your aerobic base. I’ll be posting specifics about how to go about it properly throughout this week. Whether your goal weekly mileage is 25 miles per week, 40, 60 or more, each mile is in investment in health, aerobic capacity, and a strong chassis. The definition of an aerobic run is one that feels comfortable and you can hold your end of a conversation with a running buddy.
