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Training plans give our running structure and purpose. They tell us what to do each week and keep us focused on a goal. But once race day is over and the plan comes to an end, it can be surprisingly difficult to know what to do next.

Rather than jumping straight into another training block or letting your running become a bit hit and miss, this is the perfect time to focus on base training.

Base training is all about building a strong aerobic foundation through consistent, manageable running. It helps you maintain fitness, develop endurance and arrive at your next training plan in a much stronger position. Whether you’ve just finished a race or simply don’t have a goal on the horizon, a period of base training can be one of the most valuable things you do for your long-term running.

What is base training?

The easiest way to think about base training is to imagine a triangle, split into layers. The very bottom of that triangle is the widest part; the foundation. The other layers on top represent the other steps you need to take to build up towards your goal, which is the top point of the triangle. These other layers might be things like strength training or interval training. Basically, base training is training to be able to train for a race (try saying that 5 times fast!).

It might not be as exciting as ticking off big sessions on a training plan which has an exciting race at the end of it, but it’s an important part of your training year. After a big training cycle, professional athletes always take a recovery period and then enter a period of base training before their new training cycle starts. There are loads of benefits to base training, so even us not-quite-pro-athlete runners should do the same!

What are the benefits of base training?

The most obvious one is that it keeps us physically fit. No matter how dedicated we are, it’s easy to get out of good running habits between races. We’re then disappointed when we start training for the next big race and our pace is slower or we find the runs harder. Base training helps with that.

It also helps us to avoid injury, for the same reason. By running at a lower intensity, and consistently, you’re less likely to find yourself getting injured. It also helps us to avoid overtraining. It increases our aerobic capacity without the additional strain that often comes with intense race training.

Base training is great for keeping us feeling motivated, too. Many of us like to follow a training plan, and so can be left feeling a bit lost when the excitement of our last race wears off and there’s nothing taped to the fridge telling us when and how to run.

And then there are the mental health benefits. Running without race pressure or time goals is a really important part of enjoying exercise – and maybe even finding it relaxing! It can also open you up

How long should I do base training for?

The answer to this is personal to you. It depends on how much you’ve been running, how experienced you are and what the goal you’re training for is. A reasonable amount of time for a base training is anything from 4-12 weeks. If you’re new to running and have your first marathon or half marathon in your sights, closer to 12 weeks would be better to maximise your preparation.

How often do I need to run during base training?

What your own base training looks like depends on many things including how much training you’ve been doing recently, how much time you want to dedicate to running and what constraints you have. Base training might involve less volume and less intense running than usual, but it should still involve consistent running.

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How to do base training

1. Get on top of niggles

Before you even begin the running part, it’s a good idea to address any pain or issues you notice during or after running. When you’re training for a race, it’s tempting to push through these niggles because you don’t want to miss out on any runs. But the last thing you want to do is forget about them and have them turn into a nasty injury. Now is the time to get on top of them before your new race plan takes over. This might mean booking a physio or making sure that you’re actually doing any rehab exercises you were given for previous injuries.

2. Work out your base training pace

Base training is all about building your base aerobic fitness. The best way to do this is actually by slowing down – as unlikely as that sounds! Most of your runs should be done at an easy pace, or Zone 2.

Zone 2 is exercise that is done at an intensity that is below your aerobic threshold. It is roughly 60-70% of your maximum heart rate (MHR), or around a 4-6 on the Rate of Perceived Exertion scale (RPE). If this all sounds like a foreign language, we have loads of info on heart rate training and how to work out these numbers for you.

A really easy way to suss if you’re going too hard is to do the talk test. If you can’t hold a conversation while you run, you’re probably running too fast! If you’re finding it hard to stay in Zone 2, there are a number of things you can do to run with a lower heart rate.

Remember that you might need to adjust your pace from run to run. Your heart rate or perceived exertion numbers may change depending on things like if you’re running in the heat or if you’re running while on your period. Add in walking breaks if you need to, in order to keep your heart rate steady. This might feel like you’re giving up, but in fact this is exactly the point of base training.

3. Incorporate non-running training

There are lots of things that we know, as runners, we should be doing to help our running. Strength training, stretching, maybe even sorting out our sleep. If you’re anything like us, you start a race training plan with the best of intentions, but these things inevitably slip as life gets in the way.

Your base training period is a good time to concentrate on these areas while you have more time and your mileage is lower. This should help you get into some good habits for the future, too.

4. Try new training techniques

When you’re in the midst of race training, that will be your focus. You’ll only be doing the runs on your plan and sticking to routes that you’re familiar with.

Base training is a great time to try new things. If you’ve been thinking about trying out things like trail running or barefoot running, now is a good time to experiment. If you’ve always wondered about Fartlek training or finding out more about your VO2 Max, this is the ideal time to learn. These things may even help you to improve performance for your next race.

The same is true if you’ve ever thought about joining a running club or group. With less structure to your training, you can try out a few different sessions to see if they’re something you want to include in your training going forwards. And you might even find some new run buddies who are planning to train for a marathon too.

5. Follow a base training plan

An easy way to bring all of the above together is to follow a base training plan. It’ll give you some structure to your running week, but without the pressure of distance or pacing.

Base training plans will include lots of aerobic runs, with some speed or interval training sprinkled in for good measure. They also include lots of time for the cross-training that we talked about, too. We’ve got two marathon base training plans available to download and follow.

Ready to train for your next race? Don’t forget to strength train for running.