Training plan for 30 minutes of running per day

Dude, wait until you get older. It takes 30 minutes just to get warmed up.

run two miles as fast as you can everyday. then 6-8 all out 100s. take sundays off. warm-up and stretch of course. if done properly you'll be in 10 minute 3k shape in no time.

Here's what I'd do:

If you're out of shape, I'd definitely start with 30 minutes of easy running every day, and gradually build up the long run on the seventh day.

As your fitness improves, I add some moderate/steady efforts, eventually approaching marathon pace. Run easy days between these.

After that, I'd try to cycle between the following types of runs:

Tempo: First 6-10 minutes easy, then progress into the next 20 or so minutes at threshold/tempo effort.

Fartlek: First 6-10 minutes easy, then progress into hard/easy portions. Hard is 10k effort, 5k effort, 3k effort or faster. Easy is easy. Keep the hard portions shorter at first (30-60 seconds) and eventually lengthen those to as long at 5 minutes.

Hills: Warmup 6-10 minutes easy enroute to a big hill. Hill should take 30-120 seconds to run up. Run up it hard, jog back down and a little at the bottom if necessary until you can go again. Repeat until your time is up.

Long Run: On the 7th day, I'd start at 30 minutes, and slowly build that up over the weeks until I get to 90-120 minutes. Then maybe alternate 90, 105, and 120 minute long runs each week. Keep these easy until you get your arms around the duration of the run. Then, start increasing the pace, or finishing the last 10-15 minutes of the run faster, uphill, etc. Seek out hilly routes.

Insert as many easy/recovery days as necessary between the above workouts. (30 minutes easy).

You can probably get in much, much better shape than you realize with your restrictions. Just be smart/patient getting back in shape before you add in too much intensity. And, take your time building up that long run.

Just thinking about this situation is a great mental exercise - just how good of shape could one get in with these restrictions? I would think since you're only working with 30 minutes most days, you'd eventually be able to handle much more frequent intensity than more typcial schedules. Just a guess though.

Here's an example of how little you need to train in terms of time to get SERIOUS results. This is research done at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the 1970's by R.C. Hickson. It is VERY intense, but resulted in what I believe is the largest increase in VO2max ever reported in a peer-reviewed study--almost 50% in 10 WEEKS!

Many on this site will probably not want to believe it.

Couple other ideas you might play around with:

7th day: Two runs, one easy, one more of a workout

Also, if you really wanted to get well prepared for a 10k race and didn't have quite enough time to do a longer workout on a 30-minute day (like 3 x 2-mile, etc.), you could always throw that longer 10k-specifc workout on the 7th day.

You really don't have to do either of these. I bet you could get quite good on something like the following:

Sunday: long run of 90-120 minutes

Monday: easy run of 30 minutes

Tuesday: Tempo run, start slowly build to top speed

Wednesday: Hill repeats up/down steep slope.

Thursday: Easy run of 30 minutes

Friday: Fartlek, hard portions 2-5 minutes each with recovery jogs long enough to attack the next one.

Saturday: easy run of 30 minutes, or rest if necessary.

Throw in an occasional competition, and you're good to go.

**(most of the above schedule is from Toby Tanser's book, More Fire, p. 285). It was the schedule recommended by top Kenyan stars for a runner with a full-time job (the easy runs they recommended were 40-60 minutes long, but you only have 30, so 30 it is).

of course we believe it. However after those 10 weeks the

increase will go to zero. Moreover, it is difficult to imagine

that you will above 80 in this manner.

The problem with this type of studies is that they are short term studies and therefore largely irrelevant to long-term

long distance training.

This also explains the _apparent_ disagreement between science and knowledge among coaches, namely the issue of

low mileage/high mileage.

I will convinced about the high-intensity approach when

researcher show that this kind of improvements can improve

your VO2max to 80+ and produce fast times (13 flat for

5000).

coach d wrote:

Here's an example of how little you need to train in terms of time to get SERIOUS results. This is research done at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the 1970's by R.C. Hickson. It is VERY intense, but resulted in what I believe is the largest increase in VO2max ever reported in a peer-reviewed study--almost 50% in 10 WEEKS!

[quote]

J Appl Physiol. 1977 Mar;42(3):372-6.

Linear increase in aerobic power induced by a strenuous program of endurance exercise.

Hickson RC, Bomze HA, Holloszy JO.

Abstract

. Four of the eight subjects attained Vo2 max levels approaching or exceeding 60 ml/kg per min.

Oh my goodness! Four of the eight subjects achieved vo2max values of your average hobbyjogger. This is a quantum breakthrough in the field of athletic training.

Let's see how they do in the marathon.

The day off, take it on a one of the days you can only train for 30 minutes. If you're out of shape you probably need that day off. So instead of taking it on the day you could train as much as you wanted, take it on one of the days you're limited to 30 minutes.

I would just do progression runs every day. If you could train for 5 more minutes - 35 total - you could get it a pretty good workout. Run 9 minutes at a real easy pace (basically a warmup) then after those 9 minutes pick up the pace for 8 minutes, etc. Going to 35 mins would get you 9,8,7,6,5 so that would be pretty solid, though you can adjust it to fit your schedule.