Many runners increase their mileage during the summer in preparation for the winter cross country season but the reality is that the type of miles run are as important as the number of miles you are clocking up. The goal is to build a solid aerobic foundation with miles that are run at a slightly faster pace than recovery but a little way short of lactate-threshold; roughly looking at 70% of maximum heart rate.

Steady efforts at this intensity are often referred to as Base Miles because they form the foundation of a runners training programme and should make up the vast bulk of overall training; roughly equating to 80% of this. Base miles are important in the physiological framework as they:

• Boost aerobic conditioning
• Develop slow twitch muscle fibres
• Increase blood flow volume
• Increase glycogen storage
• Create neuromuscular memory
• Strengthen connective tissue
• Enhance fat burning rates

If the Winter Cross country series is not on your agenda then there is little point in waiting for the summer and take the benefits of base training in this period instead. Winter is the ideal time and conditions actually really favour the building of base mileage. Races are few and far between allowing freedom of time to build slowly rather than ensuring correct race preparation and then recovery during the event calendar. Colder temperatures and often tricky conditions lends to slower, steady paced runs. There is no better reason however than reaping of the rewards come springtime and leading into the summer season ahead. Base miles and the established aerobic foundation set solidly in winter will provide the catalyst for good performance in the early season and beyond. Low intensity repetitive base miles will provide inner strength and stronger muscles, ligaments and tendons, which will help you to avoid the threat of injury when the higher intensity and speed work ramps up; as the daylight and weather improves.

Core stability work can be added to bolster the whole process and habits gained now when, circumstances dictate, can become very useful for future progression.

Get to know yourself

Make a point of knowing what your stats are. Height, weight, Personal bests are easy enough to take and keep a record of, so what would your base pace be? What is 70% of your maximum? Well you need to know your resting heart rate and maximum before you can accurately judge what 70% is. Ask at your club or seek other professional advice. A coach at your club may be able to do fitness tests to work out this information or indeed point on the direction of a personal trainer or professional in performance testing (physiological testing) to achieve this. This way you can be clear on what your resting heart rate is and what your V0₂ maximum rate is. Then once in the know you can actually train rather than just run; to set parameters. Investing in a heart rate monitor is also then required to allow you to train more effectively. As an indication, base miles are performed at a comfortable pace; one at which conversation is able to take place throughout. This equates to roughly 60%-75% of maximum heart rate. Base pace could also be calculated at say 1 to 1½ minutes short of 10k pace for medium paced to faster runners.

Check your Diary

Or in other words have a plan. A Training Log can allow you to gradually build and train effectively. Ask questions to check your understanding. Once you know, you will know forever and can add snippets into a plan of training action, which will allow you to truly progress. Plan increases in intensity over a period of time on a plan, revisit the plan and be flexible. Re-test yourself and see base mile fitness advances happen. As a general guideline this new development in distance or speed should be maintained for a few weeks before any further development. Use the plan to take away uncertainty and allow good solid foundations to your training. Devote the winter or 3 months/12 weeks to base mileage foundation building.

Never Forget

Do still add in other training during base training periods. Speed sessions should continue periodically so that you are still fresh and aware, ready for the time to take it up a notch. Stride out at the end of some sessions or dedicate one run per fortnight to warm up, striding out and warming down. Warm up, down and stretch still, just because the intensity is lower does not mean that this can be neglected, and make this the norm rather than the exception or hindrance. Make a core stability workout part of your base mile regime. Do a foundation beginners course in Pilates or Yoga.

Put in the work now and reap the benefits in the Spring. Good luck from Wynsport.com