The Biggest Misunderstanding I See During Base Training
If you ask me what I see time and time again during base training, it’s this idea that base can only be easy running. Somewhere along the way it got repeated enough that people think anything fast during base is bad.
There’s some truth in it. If we build up a foundation of easy aerobic running, it allows us to do more later and do it with less injury risk.
But base is not just jogging slowly for two months.
Table of Contents
A lot of really smart coaches know how to layer things in that enhance base training and help us when we start getting into speed work or whatever the next phase is.
Strides
The most basic example is strides. I usually start with hill strides. Just small, manageable doses of something fast mixed in with the easy aerobic running.
That does a couple things.
Easy running is great. It does a lot. But it doesn’t do all of it. As we start to go faster later in the season, we’re recruiting different muscles and using them more aggressively. There’s more force. More neuromuscular demand. We want to be physically and neuromuscularly ready for that next phase.
There are shortcomings with only easy running.
So we layer in strides. Hill strides. Small bits of speed. That lowers injury risk because we’re not shocking the system later. It makes us faster when we get to that phase. And honestly, it makes base more interesting.
A lot of people find base boring. It can feel like a grind. Having something in there, even if it’s just a few strides, gives you something to focus on.
It’s almost a distraction, but it’s also purposeful.
And when we blend faster work with easy running, it increases our efficiency even in the base work itself.
We just don’t want to blanket two months of really slow running and then suddenly throw in hard workouts. We want to be preparing for those demands.
Base Is Not Just Aerobic
Another huge piece during base is strength.
This is the best time to attack weaknesses.
A lot of times we get into marathon training and suddenly it’s like, oh yeah, my calves are always a problem. Or my hips. Or downhills wreck me.
But once you’re in the heart of marathon training, it’s hard to attack those weaknesses. You’re always protecting tomorrow’s workout. You don’t want to lift too much because you’ve got a big session coming up.
During base, we have more freedom.
We can go a little harder with strength. We can focus more on mobility. We can build tissue resilience.
Because base is not just your aerobic system. Your base is your body. Your musculature. Your connective tissue. Your coordination. All of it.
If we neglect that and only think cardiovascular, we’re missing half the picture.
“If It Doesn’t Hurt, Did It Even Count?”
Another thing I see all the time is psychological.
Zone 2 running shouldn’t be that hard. But a lot of people only associate improvement with pain. If they don’t feel wrecked at the end, it doesn’t feel like real training.
So they get antsy.
Or they just came off a marathon running 50 miles a week and now we drop them to 20, and it feels like they’re not doing anything.
But that step back is often exactly what allows the next leap forward.
There are so many benefits from easy aerobic running that do not have to be painful.
One thing I reiterate a lot is stroke volume. We reach full stroke volume, meaning the heart is pumping out 100 percent of the blood it can per beat, at surprisingly low intensities, around 55 to 60 percent of max heart rate.
A lot of those aerobic adaptations are happening at very easy speeds.
Going faster does not improve that specific adaptation.
Now that’s more true for the cardiovascular system than the muscular system, which is why we still layer in strides and strength. But the idea that easy running only works if it hurts just isn’t true.
Why Rushing Base Can Shorten Your Season
Another big thing is people feeling good right now and wanting to push.
But if we don’t take time to build the base up, we shorten the amount of time we can spend in the specific phase later.
If we rush this, the season gets compressed. And sometimes your best running never lines up with race day.
Most people I work with have big goals. So I remind them, this isn’t just the safest way to do it. It’s the most effective way.
If we’re patient here, we can extend how long we handle big workouts later.
Sometimes people just need to hear that calmly and confidently reiterated.
You know your goals. I know your goals. We’re doing the right thing. We need a little patience right now, and then we’ll get back to the big stuff.
The Reality of Building Volume
For newer runners, especially those chasing Boston or other majors, base can be eye opening.
Most guys I coach who end up running BQs usually have at least a couple 50 mile weeks in their build. That’s five to seven hours of running, not counting strength or mobility.
And some people need half a year to a year just to build up to that safely.
A lot of runners I work with are four hour marathoners, 4:20 women, people in that range. And I’m honest with them. Sometimes it takes a year. Sometimes two. Sometimes three.
For a long time, the stat was that it took the average person three attempts to hit a BQ. It might be harder now.
It’s a big endeavor. It can feel like a part time job.
So if you’re going to do this for that long, you have to find ways to enjoy it.
Beginner Base Problems
With newer runners, one of the biggest issues is looking way too far ahead.
We’re trying to build up to 20 or 30 minutes consistently and they’re asking when we’re going to run 20 miles.
You have to be in the week you’re in.
Another big one is teaching easy running. A lot of people come to me and every run they’ve ever done was basically as hard as they could go.
Teaching them that running can be relaxed is huge.
And then there’s the sensations. New runners feel everything. Shin one day. Knee the next. Hip tightness. Random soreness.
Some of it is real adaptation. Some of it is just new sensations that experienced runners have learned to interpret.
Learning that difference is tough.
You never want to dismiss anything. Health and safety come first. But generally, if something warms up and feels better as you run, it’s less likely to be something serious. If it gets worse, that’s a red flag.
Sometimes we’ll take a day off and observe. Or try a short run and be very present in the first 10 minutes. If it’s still there, we shut it down.
Over time, that builds body awareness and confidence.
