Guides

Running guides

Plain-English running guides from the Runsense coaching team — training intensity, workouts, plans, race day, fueling, injuries, form, and gear.

Training Intensity & Zones

Heart Rate ZonesStart hereThe five heart rate zones Runsense uses, how to set them from your lactate threshold, how far 220 minus age misses and why the number can mislead.
The Aerobic SystemWhy most of your running is easy, what easy running builds in the muscle, how long it takes, and how to tell it is working.
Heart-Rate DecouplingWhat heart-rate decoupling is, what makes it larger (heat, dehydration), what marathon data show and how to read your own number over time.
Heart Rate, Pace & EffortHow heart rate, pace and perceived effort each measure intensity, how Runsense sets your zones from threshold, and how to read your own data.
Lactate Threshold: What It Is and What It PredictsWhat lactate threshold is, what it predicts about race performance, how to train it, and how runners estimate it without a lab.
Testing Your Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (LTHR)How the 30-minute field test for lactate threshold heart rate works, how close it came to a lab test in one study, and how Runsense places and reads it.
Polarized Training (the 80/20 Idea)What polarized and 80/20 training mean, what the evidence says about how runners split easy and hard work, and how to set the mix for your own history.
The Talk TestHow the talk test works, how speaking comfort lines up with the ventilatory threshold, where it is weaker than it sounds, and how to use it on easy runs.
VO₂maxWhat VO2max predicts, why the same training lifts it differently in different runners, and how to train it with intervals without overdoing it.

Workout Types

Types of Running WorkoutsStart hereThe workouts in a running plan: what each is for, how long and how hard to run it, how it should feel and how they fit together in a week.
Back-to-Back Long Runs (for Ultras)What back-to-back long runs are for, how long each day can be, how to size them safely and how to recover between the two days.
Easy and Recovery RunsHow easy an easy run should feel, why most of your running is easy, what it builds, and how recovery runs after hard days and races fit in.
Fartlek (Speed Play)What fartlek is, how to run surges by feel inside an easy run, how hard to run them, and where it fits in newer-runner, 5K, 10K and marathon plans.
Hill RepeatsWhat hill repeats do for your running, how to run them (grade, rep length, effort, the way down) and where they fit in your plan.
Hill StridesWhat hill strides are, why newer runners start on a hill, how many and how often, and how to use them in race week and after a long run.
Interval WorkoutsWhat interval workouts do for a runner, how hard to run the reps, how much hard running to do, how often, and where intervals fit in your plan.
The Long RunWhat a long run is for, how long it should be (it depends on your race, and most are 3 hours or less), how to run it, build it and fuel it.
Progression Runs (Start Easy, Finish Faster)What a progression run is, four ways to run one from easy to strong, and where it fits: fast-finish long runs for marathoners and a steady session for 5K.
StridesWhat strides are, how long and how fast to run them, how many and how often, and how to use them in a warm-up, in race week and the day before a race.
Tempo and Threshold RunsWhat tempo and threshold runs are, how hard to run them, how long and how often, and where they fit in half marathon, marathon, 5K and 10K training.

Training Structure, Plans & Who You're Training

PeriodizationStart hereHow a training plan is organized: planning back from a goal race, the base, build, race-specific and taper phases, hard and easy days, and building volume.
Training for the 5K and 10KHow to train for a 5K or 10K: an easy aerobic base, one sub-threshold and one fast session a week, strides, how a block is ordered, the taper and race day.
Base BuildingWhat a base phase is for, how long it lasts, what goes in it (easy running, strides, light hills, strength) and what progress looks like.
Starting to RunHow to start running: run-walk with planned breaks, easy effort, three runs a week, adding a little at a time, speed and strength later, and a first race.
Training for the Half MarathonHow to train for a half marathon: set a goal from short races, use a 12 to 16 week block, make threshold work the core, add goal-pace pieces and taper.
Training for the MarathonHow to train for a marathon: choose a plan from your current running, build easy volume first, add marathon-pace work, keep long runs to 3 hours and taper.
Masters RunningHow to train as a masters runner: more easy base, two hard days, easy set by effort, heavy strength, longer recovery, and what to check before blaming age.
Progressive OverloadHow to raise running load safely: size each long run to the running you do now, why the 10 percent rule is no safeguard, and what to do after a missed run.
Returning to Running After an InjuryHow to come back after an injury: the checks before the first run, a starting dose, how to build, when speed returns and what to do after a setback.
TaperingHow long to taper for a 5K to a marathon, how much to cut, what to keep, what to do in race week and what to do when the taper feels wrong.
Training Load & RecoveryHow to balance training stress and recovery: how fast to build, why load ratios are not a rule, lighter weeks, sleep and food, and time off.
SpecificityWhy training should come to resemble your race, how terrain changes the demand, and how to cross-train when you cannot run without losing the aerobic work.
Ultra TrainingHow to train for a 50K to 100-mile ultra: the weekly rhythm, long runs in hours, terrain, strength, race-food practice, pacing, taper and recovery.
Training Considerations for Women RunnersTraining as a woman runner: eating enough, missed periods and bone pain, your cycle, iron, pregnancy, coming back after birth, and perimenopause.

Race Day & Mindset

Race-Specific PreparationStart hereHow training changes in the last weeks before a race: race-pace work by distance, the taper, race week and pacing on the day.
Crew and PacersHow to use a crew, a pacer, aid stations and drop bags in a 100-miler: one crew chief, timed stops, written instructions, and race rules that differ.
Grade-Adjusted Pace (GAP)What grade-adjusted pace is, what hills cost a runner, where the number misleads on steep descents and rough ground, and how to pace hills by effort.
Staying MotivatedHow to keep running when motivation dips: decide the night before, lower the bar, give a habit two months, handle a missed run, and tell tired from fed up.
Cutoffs and Relentless Forward ProgressHow to plan around 100-mile cutoffs: plan to leave each aid station on time, budget a slower second half, keep moving, and decide about stopping early.
Race-Day FuelingHow to fuel a race: rehearse the plan for weeks, eat a familiar breakfast, take fuel by the clock past 90 minutes, and keep anything new off race day.
Race-Day PacingHow to pace a race: an even plan, a patient start, hills and hot days, shorter races, and what the size of a late slowdown tells you about what went wrong.
Race Goal-SettingHow to set A, B and C race goals from the training you can do now, check them with short races, adjust for course and weather, and hold them on race day.
Race PsychologyThe mental side of racing: confidence from the work, a settled race week, nerves, words to use when it hurts, a what-if list, and when to stop.

Fueling, Hydration & Nutrition

Fueling & Hydration for RunnersStart hereFueling in the order you live it: eat enough every day, train your gut, carb load the last day or two, then fuel by the clock past 90 minutes.
Carb LoadingCarb loading for races over about 90 minutes: how much coaches have runners eat in the last day or two, and which familiar low-fiber foods to lean on.
Carbohydrate During ExerciseHow much carbohydrate to take on a run: none under 90 minutes, then a rate that grows with duration and practice, from sugars your stomach tolerates.
Daily Nutrition for RunnersWhat to eat every day as a runner: enough for the training, carbohydrate that rises with your load, about 1.8 g/kg of protein, and food around runs.
Training Your GutHow to train your stomach to handle carbohydrate on the run: volume first, then rate, how long it takes, how fast it fades and how to match it to symptoms.
Hydration and Electrolytes for RunnersHow much to drink on runs and races, how to find your sweat rate, what to do about sodium and cramps, the danger of overdrinking, and racing in heat.

Injury, Health & Recovery

Injury Prevention for RunnersStart hereWhat raises running injury risk, what prevention trials found, the pain rule Runsense uses, and how to tell soreness from injury and what to do first.
Achilles TendinopathyWhat Achilles tendinopathy is, who gets it, why loading exercise is the first treatment, whether you can keep running, and when to see a professional.
Foot Care, Blisters, and ChafingHow to prevent and treat foot blisters and chafing: train your feet, break in shoes, pick padded socks, skip powder, and deal with hot spots early.
IT Band SyndromeWhat iliotibial band syndrome is, why stretching the band is unlikely to fix it, what hip strengthening studies found, and how to run while it settles.
Overreaching & OvertrainingWhat overreaching and overtraining are, the signs that show up across several days, how to back off and rebuild, and when to see a clinician.
Pain vs. SorenessTell muscle soreness from injury pain: the 3-out-of-10 rule on the run, how long soreness lasts, and the signs that mean stop and get it looked at.
Plantar Fasciitis (Plantar Heel Pain)What plantar fasciitis is, how long it can last, what the 2023 physical therapy guideline recommends, and how to keep running while your heel settles.
Rest DaysWhat a rest day is, how many a week you need, when to add one, what gentle movement adds, and how to rest and restart after a marathon.
Runner's Knee (Patellofemoral Pain)What runner's knee is, what research says causes it, why exercise therapy with education is the first treatment, and how to keep running while it settles.
Running and Knee ArthritisWhat reviews found about running and knee arthritis, what to do if you already have it, what a run does to the knee on a scan, and what raises the risk.
Shin Splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome)What shin splints are, who gets them, why managing load beats any single treatment, how to run with them, and when shin pain may be a stress fracture.
SleepHow a short night changes your running, which nights to protect, what to do after a bad one, and how caffeine and alcohol cost you sleep.
Stress Fractures (Bone Stress Injuries)What a stress fracture is, why runners get them, the first signs, why you stop running until it is assessed, and how the return to running works.

Form, Economy & Strength

Running FormStart hereWhy most runners should leave their form alone, what footstrike, step rate, landing and lean do, and the few changes worth trying.
Core Work for RunnersCore work for runners: what it is for, a 10 to 15 minute routine to do after runs, how often, and what studies found about injury and race times.
Core SnackCore Snack is a 2 to 3 minute, no-equipment core routine for runners: the three movements, how often to do it, and what to do about a side stitch.
Mountain LegsMountain Legs is a 3-minute routine of rear lunges and step-ups for trail and mountain runners: how to do it, how often, and what it does and does not do.
Muscle Fiber TypesWhat slow-twitch and fast-twitch fibers are, why runners differ, what training changes in them, and why you can train well without knowing your mix.
Running CadenceWhat cadence is, why 180 is not a target, what a higher step rate does for the knees, who might raise it, and how to change it with a metronome.
Running EconomyWhat running economy is and what improves it: heavy strength work, intervals and carbon-plate shoes do, altitude training and form changes do not.
Speed LegsSpeed Legs is an 8-minute, five-exercise routine for hamstring and glute strength: who it is for, how to start, where it fits and what to expect.
Strength, Mobility & Form for RunnersHow strength, form drills, warm-up and mobility fit a runner's week: heavy simple lifting, a short warm-up, form left mostly alone, and the MYRTL routine.
Strength Training for RunnersWhy runners lift, what kind works (heavy and simple), what to lift, how heavy, how often, and where strength fits in your week and season.
Ultra LegsUltra Legs is a 10-minute strength routine for ultrarunners: the 8 exercises, how often to do it, what to expect and what the research shows.

Gear, Terrain & Conditions

Choosing Running ShoesStart hereHow to choose running shoes: comfort over foot type, what trials found on cushioning, drop and rotation, how to break in a new pair, and when to replace.
Carbon-Plate "Super Shoes"What carbon-plate super shoes do: about 2 to 4% less energy, big differences between runners, less gain uphill, mixed injury evidence, and how to use them.
Running Downhill: Benefits for Your Quads and How to TrainThe benefit of running downhill is quads that hurt less on race day: one hard descent protects them for weeks. How to add descent, run it and when to hike.
GPS Watches and Running TechHow accurate running watches are for distance, pace, wrist versus chest-strap heart rate, VO2max, recovery and sleep, and how a watch reaches Runsense.
Heat Suit TrainingHeat suit training raised hemoglobin in elite athletes, has no proven running benefit and carries real risks. What to prepare for a hot race with instead.
Night Running for UltrasRunning through the night in a 100-miler: the slump after dark, lights and reflective gear, caffeine, short naps, a rehearsal run and sleep afterward.
Passive Heat TrainingSauna and hot tub sessions after easy runs: what the evidence says for hot and cool races and altitude, when they fit a build, and the safety limits.
Terrain & ConditionsHow slopes, wind, altitude, heat and cold change what a run costs, and how to adjust: effort over pace, acclimatization times, poles and safety.
Uphill TreadmillWhat an uphill treadmill session is, the easy and threshold versions, how steep and how long, why landings are softer, and where it fits.

One running guide a week.

Calm, useful, no spam. Plain-English coaching from the Runsense team, once a week.