How long should base phase be?

frustratedmofo wrote:

My XC season is ending in 2 weeks and I was wondering how long I should do base (AKA doing little else other than long runs, easy runs, occasional speedworkout to prevent speed atrophy) in order to prepare for track in march ?

My coach says 1 - 1.5 months is enough while some people here say 2-4 months.

What is your event, when does your season start, and when is your biggest race?

frustratedmofo wrote:

My XC season is ending in 2 weeks and I was wondering how long I should do base (AKA doing little else other than long runs, easy runs, occasional speedworkout to prevent speed atrophy) in order to prepare for track in march ?

My coach says 1 - 1.5 months is enough while some people here say 2-4 months.

Don't worry about how long base phase should be, just do it until you hit that early pre-season timing and start slowing down as you hit more and more workouts.

John Kellogg says this about the base phase:

"The human body operates very nicely on a 6 month cycle, since it take about 20 weeks to go through the base phase (10-12 weeks), transition phase (4-6 weeks) and peaking phase (4-ish weeks), then you can hold your peak for 4-6 weeks before condition starts to deteriorate. I'd recommend only trying to hold a peak for 4 weeks, then taking a week off and having another week of very short runs (light jogging). Peaking twice per year will also prevent boredom, allow you to develop better, and allow you to run some

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good X-C races and track races. Don't do Summer track, though (unless you missed all or most of the Spring season) - that requires you to keep the anaerobic stuff going too long and it doesn't give you enough time to lay a base for the Fall."

wise words.

frustratedmofo wrote:

My XC season is ending in 2 weeks and I was wondering how long I should do base (AKA doing little else other than long runs, easy runs, occasional speedworkout to prevent speed atrophy) in order to prepare for track in march ?

My coach says 1 - 1.5 months is enough while some people here say 2-4 months.

Start slowly building your base in Dec and gradually increase through March.

10 years

It depends. You probably don´t have the base that more experienced runner might have, and 1-1,5 months is not even close to an optimum for sure. Your track season starts in march, so you have 4 months from now on. Do you have to be sharp starting from your first race or can you use first races as build-up races, how long is your racing season and what is your main goal etc. Pre-season training shouldn´t start much more than 6weeks before your main goal.

~6 weeks of base training will get you to some level, the following 6 weeks should be more demanding, and so on. You can build in this way as long as you can, even 6 months if you can. I would recommend MINIMUM of 3 months (~12weeks) base for you. Take especially the first part of the base phase without too intense work, fartlek/easy VO2 intervals, strides, short alactic sprints, strength training, progressive threshold runs and lots of easy base work is enough. Don´t add mileage/intensity before your body has fully adapted to the load. ~6 weeks is enough time.

I practically did my best races when I continued the base work and only added build up races, I did ZERO very hard high lactate sessions.

2 Years

Periodisation is outmoded

Your concept of base may differ from your coaches and others. The base that you are talking about probably should only last for one month. After that it is wise to begin tempos, fartleks, and hills. Really this is still part of an 8-12 week base phase you just may call it something else.

I run xc at a school that doesnt have track. would it be all right to run 70+ miles till the start of the next season, about 10 months? if not what should i be doing? and when?

football fan wrote:

I run xc at a school that doesnt have track. would it be all right to run 70+ miles till the start of the next season, about 10 months? if not what should i be doing? and when?

I don't know, you might want to start sooner. Some of the best runners I've known start base training during the previous season.

it's been 10 years... Now what

Did anyone help this guy yet?

Your base "phase" should really be how you train most of the year in general, and the only short term variations are a build towards a goal race or a recovery period of less training.

If you don't have a suitable base way or training, that's probably something you should work on.

It should be like a penis:

big enough to do the job

but not so big that it is difficult to carry around

No need for a base phase. Just train basically the same year around but have sharpening periods to prepare for track and XC. Coach J.S 🧙🏼‍♂️🇸🇪

Your magic Santa 🧙🏼‍♂️

is the base built now?