- Running is such a versatile sport,
you can do it pretty much anywhere and any time.
But how much of it should you do?
Well, today, I'm here in Girona,
so I thought I better get the help of
GCN Espanyol's presenter, Maya.
Maya, thanks for joining us.
Now don't be fooled by the fact that Maya
might be labeled a cyclist,
'cause she's actually got many years of racing
as a pro-triathlete.
- Thank You, Heather, yes.
I've spent an amount of time cycling, swimming
and of course, running.
And I know that either, if you're new to running
or you want to increase the mileage of you run,
it's really tricky to find the perfect point to do that.
- Yeah, so today we're going to be giving you a guide
of how many times a week you should run.
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It's not as simple, as run more run faster.
If you're not careful you'll end up getting injured,
you might find that your performance plateaus,
and that's only if you've not already got bored
and thrown your running shoes away.
Yeah, running is great for your fitness,
as for your mental health.
It gives you a chance to disconnect and just to enjoy,
but you have to really be careful and not stress it out.
We're going to give you a guide,
but you really have to fit it in in your lifestyle.
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- If you're new to running and you're just starting out
then it's really important to build things up gradually
so that your body has time to adapt to this new stimulus.
So if you're brand new runner,
then just doing two a week is enough.
If you are doing run walks,
you could consider upping that to three times a week.
But it's important to make sure that you've got
at least a day after each run,
so your body has time to recover and adapt.
And as you start to increase this just make sure
that you always listen to your body.
- Yeah, and if you've been running for a while
and you're used to it and you use it to improve your fitness
or only to maintain it,
from three runs to four runs a week is just a target.
- If you're currently doing three runs a week,
but you feel like you've got the time and the energy
to fit in an extra one, then it's worth considering
shortening one of those current runs
and you've got the energy to add in fourth.
- Yeah, and try to make your runs at least 20-minute long.
But by adding one extra run a week, even if it's short,
it's going to be beneficial for your fitness.
- If you're running to compete then a great starting point
is actually day on, day off,
so your body always has a full day in which to recover.
Now admittedly, most of us function around a seven-day week,
so that's an odd number.
And, yes, you could carry on with that alternate day running
but realistically we have more time on the weekend,
so it makes sense to have your longer run
the same time each week.
- Yeah, and if you're going to start racing
you need more structure in your plan,
but that doesn't mean more running.
You can improve your performance by running
four times a week, but you have to do it smart,
cross-train and strength training.
- With that in mind here is a guide
to a weeks structure.
Sunday put your longer run, have a rest day on Monday.
Tuesday do a run and some conditioning work,
use Wednesday as a recovery day.
Thursday run and conditioning work,
Friday as recovery and then Saturday,
a run and optional conditioning work.
If you want to up your running to five times a week,
then you consider taking the Wednesday's recovery session
and swapping that and making it an easy run.
But make sure you keep the intensity nice and low.
And if you're on the other end of the spectrum
and you're finding four too many,
you can reduce it to three by swapping Saturday's
run for cross-training session.
- [Maya] Whatever the intensity, the speed,
the distance, this is a solid structure to build from
because it allows your body to perform really well,
in each session,
by allowing it to rest and recover in between.
- Yeah, rest and recovery really need to be respected,
but I want to point out
that there's a significant difference between the two.
Now I've included Monday as a rest day
and that really needs to be.
So it means, not only no running,
but no training or exercise at all.
And yes, I know you probably still need to walk to work
and I'm not saying you want to stay in bed all day,
but it's a chance for your mind and your body
just to have that complete day off.
And this is really important
to make sure that you stay healthy
and you reduce any chance of illness and over-training.
And after all, it's a good idea to just go
and enjoy that Monday because you're going to be working hard
the rest of the week.
- Recovering, it's similar.
It's giving your body a break from running
to allow it to adapt from the training load
from the days before.
But it is different because we're doing movement
and we're promoting circulation for healing our body.
- [Heather] Yeah, exactly.
Well you can mix things up on these days,
but you do need to stay away from running,
as it isn't training and therefore
it's not designed to improve your cardiovascular fitness.
It's purely there to help
your body get ready for your next run.
- Yeah, for example, you can go for a walk,
go into town on the bicycle, take a yoga
or even float in the local pool.
- Ah, nice.
Well it doesn't matter how many times
you're planning on running per week,
but if you are going to increase that
make sure you do so gradually.
And it's worth noting that the more running you do
and at the higher intensity,
it's naturally going to put more stress through your body,
so recovery becomes even more important,
as does that complimentary conditioning work.
As you've probably realized by now
there is no black and white rule as to
how many times you should run a week.
Only you can consider all of the factors in your life,
along with your own running goal.
So, yes, follow our guide,
but ultimately you have to listen to your body.
Well anyway, thanks Maya for joining us
and for your time today.
- Thanks, Heather, for having me
and I hope you enjoy this video as much as I did.
So remember to give it a thumbs up
and don't forget to subscribe on the globe.
And if you want to see our video
of how to run stronger off the bike, just click down here.
- And if you're having pain when running
and you want to know when to stop or when to push through,
you can find a video on that just down here.