Part of running is establishing a training program that works for you. For a running tragic like myself this normally encompasses running twice a day , every day,  minimum. Add in a progressive run with the boys Thursday morning, with the obligatory Yelo muffin as reward, a long run with the boys Sunday with a Clancys pancake as reward and at least one fartlek somewhere in the week and you have a routine.  Repeat this for a minimum of ten weeks and you have a ‘foundation stage’ which becomes the springboard for your target goal race distance.

Lydiard called this the base conditioning stage and was all about developing your aerobic capacity. Lydiard believed that although every runner has a limited anaerobic (speed-building) capacity, that limit is largely set by one’s aerobic potential—the body’s ability to use oxygen. Thus, the aerobic capacity that you develop determines the success of your entire training program.

The foundation of Lydiard-style base conditioning is three long runs per week. These are steady runs done at more than recovery effort. To determine your pace, choose a relatively flat course and run out at a strong pace for 15 minutes, then run back. The goal is to return in the same time or slightly faster. If it takes you longer for the return trip, you paced yourself too fast. The objective of these runs is to be “pleasantly tired,” says Lydiard. Running slower will produce positive effects, but the results will take longer. Do not run to the point of lactic-acid buildup.

An ideal training week during this period includes a two-hour run and two one and one half-hour runs. On the other days do short, easy runs; one run with some light picking up of the pace; and one 5K to 10K tempo run (below lactate-threshold pace). Decrease the times and distances if you don’t have the mileage base to start at such high volume, then build gradually.

The foundation stage needs to become routine and runners need to be able to go-through the motions daily, weekly and monthly to get through this stage before tailoring their plan to their goal race. As a runner you need to be able to know daily what is expected of you and reach each daily goal,  with the end goal always in sight. Personally I need to have a goal to work towards and as soon as I achieve that goal I’m onto the next one.

My year consists of normally 3-4 marathons,  (Perth, City to Surf, Rottnest , Bunbury (sometimes) ) 4-5 half marathons, 4-5 10k’s , a smattering of 5k’s (mainly park runs) and at least two ultra’s ( 6 inch marathon and the Australia Day Ultra). Having so many races in a year has two main benefits. First it helps me maintain my 80-20 Matt Fitzgerald training regime. The 20% running at pace is normally taken care off by adding a bib to my chest and racing. Secondly I always have a goal to work towards and it’s normally on the horizon pretty quickly. This helps keep me motivated, not that I need much encouragement truth be told.  Another benefit, or a curse?, is that I’m always training for a specific race which is normally on me pretty quickly. There really is no time for the odd day off or a down week when I just ‘wasn’t feeling it’.

This is when routine comes into play, when I can run though the sessions in a ‘zombie’ like trance and just ‘get them done’ . Ok maybe not quite as bad as zombie like trances but I have the ability to know what is expected, not hit the snooze button on the alarm, and just get out of bed and put on the trainers.  Adding group runs to the routine is a big motivator as you don’t want to let your fellow runners down and for me it’s the social side afterwards that make these runs more enjoyable than the solo run. (No one likes to eat muffins and drink coffee alone do they ?)

Another option is to join your local running club. As well as meeting like minded people you will also get to work with coaches who will help you be the best you can be. Here in sunny Perth we are lucky to have the Running Centre overseen by Ray Baugh, an ex-top duathlon  champion. ( http://therunningcentre.com.au )Raf has put together a team of coaching superstars  who live and breath everything running. Their passion is infectious and this certainly helps entice you from the bed to the track or park.

The last thing you could do of course is to meet runners over the years in changing rooms all around your local city, band together, get the same tops with a professional design and then run together every lunchtime. The St Georges Terrace Running club can normally be found outside the Woodside building most weekdays at midday. After the obligatory pre-run banter, normally involving either weight issues, injuries or the latest stock to lose money on, we scurry off on one of our many loved running routes before skulking back just before 1pm and returning to the pod where we busily upload our lunchtime run to Strava. Now that is a routine I look forward to every weekday….