Set yourself up for Two Oceans success with a well-designed training programme broken into base, transition, peak and taper phases. Claire Cowan and David Leith of the Sports Science Institute explain why each block is critical to success, and how they work to build your aerobic system, speed and resilience over the next few months as you get ready to ace the race come April.
Whether for performance, leisure or social reasons, an increasing number of individuals of various ages, sizes, health and fitness levels are taking up running and participating in 5km, 10km, half-marathon or even longer-distance events. While this trend is positive and indicates a rise in physical activity and awareness of an active lifestyle’s importance, it raises the question: Are all runners adequately fit, healthy and conditioned for their target races? Completing any endurance event, such as a half, full or ultra marathon, places significant stress on all systems of the human body – including the cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, thermoregulatory, endocrine, neuromuscular, gastrointestinal and musculoskeletal systems, all of which work together to achieve the desired performance while ensuring safety.
Where to start when considering preparation
Many individuals underestimate the preparation required to compete in or complete an endurance event. Marathons, for example, place immense physical stress on the body, affecting both the skeletal frame and soft tissue structures. Even seasoned runners need to schedule or periodise their training to maximise performance gains and ensure their bodies are in peak condition to manage the event’s stress. If you are unsure how to construct your training plan, whether you are experienced or a novice, it is recommended to consult a professional in the exercise science field. Studies have shown that a strong predictor of injury in runners preparing for a half-marathon is the absence of a formal training plan. Following a friend’s program or that of an influencer or elite athlete is not advisable, as it may not account for differences in athletic abilities, running experience, health and injury history, time availability and goals. Meeting with a professional to discuss all factors influencing your training capacity can help set realistic goals and map your journey in an evidence-based and progressive manner.
THE BASE PHASE
December and January should see you doing your “base phase” of training as part of your preparation for TTOM 2025. Coined by running coach Arthur Lydiard, the base phase is typically a five- to 10-week period at the start of your training cycle that forms the foundation of your pyramid of training that peaks with race day.
Build your aerobic energy system
It consists primarily of frequent short easy runs and 1-3 long runs (athlete dependent) per week that build in time over the course of the base phase. The key is that these runs should be both subjectively and objectively easy – i.e. below your aerobic threshold (typically 65-75% max heart rate) and at an effort level you can sustain while holding a conversation. The primary intentions are to gradually build your aerobic energy system, increase the resilience and stamina of your legs and increase your ability to perform steady-state work for an extended period. This means that your body is then prepared to manage and perform better in the race-specific work that will come later in your preparations, and so enable you to perform better on race day.
Your “aerobic engine” involves the consumption and utilisation of oxygen to convert energy substrates (fat and carbohydrate) into energy (ATP) required by the muscle fibres to perform work. The base phase aims to build this capacity to take in oxygen and use it more efficiently to produce energy. Early adaptations to a new running training regime include an increase in red blood cells (oxygen-carrying capacity) and increased stroke volume (blood pumped out by the heart to circulation). This is followed by increased capillarisation around muscle fibres to better deliver oxygen to the muscles, increased number and size of mitochondria within muscle cells, as well as increased expression of key oxidative enzymes within the mitochondria. The net result is an increased rate of oxidative energy production (from carbohydrates and fat), increased glycogen-storing capacity (and simultaneously increased sparing of muscle glycogen stores), increased VO2max and running economy, and an increased capacity to clear lactate, thereby increasing your aerobic threshold. These adaptations will further benefit your subsequent phases of training by enabling you to perform your higher intensity interval work faster AND recover faster between these intervals and between sessions.
Build musculo-skeletal durability
A second key goal of the base phase is to build musculoskeletal durability or resilience. As described above, endurance running places a significant mechanical load on the body. It is thus crucial to build adequate strength and fatigue resistance in your muscles and connective tissues prior to engaging in high mileage and/or high intensity training.
The frequent exposure to easy running during the base phase aims to gradually and progressively challenge the musculoskeletal system to manage the stress of running. The lower intensity means it is easier for tissues to adapt while the gradually longer long runs build progressively greater stamina and fatigue resistance. This means that your muscles and connective tissues are stronger and better equipped to manage the demands of higher mileage and intensity work in subsequent training phases. The consistent easy runs in the base phase will set you up to achieve this in subsequent phases.
The base phase is also the most appropriate time to introduce or increase the amount of strength work in your training. Given that your running sessions are mostly easy, it is acceptable to have muscle soreness and fatigue from strength work without added injury risk. Specific strength work will also augment the adaptations of resilience and durability that you are seeking in the base phase and help correct weaknesses or imbalances before the more race-specific phases of training.
Mental preparation
A thorough base phase also benefits the mental aspect of running. For novice runners, a 5km run may initially seem daunting, with negative thoughts and emotions impairing performance and experience. Gradually progressing through a walk-run program over a few weeks can positively impact a runner’s perception of running and their body’s capabilities. Frequent short runs during the base phase help create a positive relationship with running, making it more manageable. Longer runs build mental toughness and resilience, crucial for more challenging training phases and race day. The base phase also helps develop a realistic perception of pacing, teaching runners to listen to their bodies and distinguish between easy and hard days, essential for setting a practical pacing strategy on race day.
Nutrition and hydration strategies
The base phase is an ideal time to identify effective nutrition and hydration strategies. Just as other organ systems are trained to cope with endurance running demands, so is the gut. Consulting a dietician can help determine the best nutrition and hydration practices for performance and recovery. This includes day-to-day nutrition plus pre-, mid- and post-run foods and drinks. Proper nutrition, hydration, sleep, stress management and other lifestyle factors are crucial for successful training and recovery.
Supplement your running with strength training
Running training can take a lot of time and lead to significant levels of fatigue. It may seem challenging to fit any other form of exercise into your routine. You may also be concerned about the strength work causing muscle soreness and fatigue that would hamper your subsequent sessions. However, the benefits of running-specific strength training warrant doing your utmost to fit at least one session in per week, introducing and progressing the strength work appropriately to avoid undue fatigue.
For most runners, the weekend is the best time for long, arduous sessions, while Fridays and Mondays are typically used as easy (active recovery) days or rest days. Therefore, Mondays may be the best time to squeeze in your (heavier) strength session focused on muscular endurance, strength and/or power with Thursdays being more suitable for a lighter strength session focused on proprioception, activation and stability. This will ensure you are still fresh for the long weekend sessions. Regardless, these would need to be appropriately planned and scaled in the context of your running periodisation, overall training load and individual weaknesses.
When considering the appropriate exercises to do in the gym to supplement your running it is always best to consider doing the basics well rather than trying to challenge yourself to do the flashy looking exercises. The goal of the strength training programme should be to develop your skeletal tissue capacity to manage the load associated with running and to support the various joint structures involved in running.
THE TRANSITION PHASE
Having completed the base phase, you should have steadily built up your mileage, aerobic capacity and endurance. You should feel stronger in your legs, more comfortable running uphill and more resilient to injury. Having built this foundation, you will now enter the transition phase. This should last about three to four weeks, and start at least eight weeks before race day so you have time for peak training and a proper taper. For TTOM 2025, you’d need to start around 3 February.
This phase is characterised by an increase in intensity work and longer long runs. You will perform hill and/or speed intervals more frequently and these will be longer in duration compared to the base phase. The primary targets are to develop your threshold speed, improve your ability to sustain a fast speed for longer and further increase your stamina and endurance. Expect long hill repeats, medium-long speed repeats and long weekend runs with race-pace work. Your strength work may mirror this transition by focusing less on heavy strength loading and more running specific power and speed development. This phase is typically accompanied by high levels of fatigue, which means that recovery modalities become of increased importance.
THE PEAK PHASE
The peak phase is a two-week block where you will perform your most race-specific sessions. For the early April TTOM, you will need to start this phase on 10 March.
The key sessions will be your long weekend runs, including the longest training run before race day. Ideally this should be performed on a route that closely resembles the profile and demands of the race. This gives you the opportunity to get a good feel of how your body may respond to that distance and loading on race day, what kind of pacing strategy may work best on the day, and how your body responds to different nutrition and hydration options. The peak phase will also incorporate the most race-specific speed and hill sessions, typically race-pace tempo efforts and long hill climbs that resemble the profile of the hills of your race. This short intense period exposes your body to the likely demands you will have on race day, with the idea that with adequate rest and recovery during the taper phase, your body will have recovered and adapted to be better equipped to face those demands on race day. It will also provide you with greater confidence in your abilities, so you are better mentally equipped to take on the race.
THE TAPER PHASE
At the end of the peak phase, your body will be tired and in need of rest. Tapering is needed to recover adequately from all your training, allow for the adaptations you were chasing to take effect, and to enable you to feel fresh and race ready when the big day comes. The taper phase should last for two to three weeks, so for this year’s TTOM, you should start your taper by 24 March at the latest.
Given that you have become accustomed to running a lot, you may feel like you should be doing more during this period. However, this is not the case. Training more than necessary during this period will cause undue fatigue, compromise your recovery and likely your race day performance. It is crucial that you avoid the urge to train more than prescribed, and that you trust the process. Both your total mileage and mileage of individual runs during this period will drop considerably from the peak phase. However, your frequency of runs should remain relatively similar. It is also recommended to maintain one or two speed sessions with short periods of faster-paced running and long recoveries. This helps to maintain leg speed and freshness and prime your nervous system for racing. It is recommended to maintain strength work too, but in the form of specific isometric exercises that load key muscle-tendon units of the lower limbs, as well as basic mobility and stability work.
Apart from these specific sessions, focus on getting more and better-quality sleep, eating well, staying well hydrated and keeping stress levels low. At the end of the day, the key is to arrive at race day feeling fresh, strong, healthy and ready to give your personal target a good go!
Proper Recovery
Recovery management should be a high priority for any athlete. While adequate stimulus is necessary for adaptation and increased fitness, the body has limited capacity to manage stress before injuries or overtraining effects occur. Overtraining can lead to decreased performance, lack of enjoyment, and increased injury susceptibility. Recovery needs to be managed alongside training load, with higher training loads requiring more recovery. Consulting a running coach or sport scientist can help you plan training and recovery periods based on individual factors. Proper nutrition, hydration, and sleep are fundamental to recovery, with no tool or strategy able to replace these essential aspects.
