6 Week Endurance Challenge.

I came across an article on Pinterest on How to Double Your Endurance in 6 Weeks while running, from the Active website. Runners World has a similar plan. Both encourage running three days per week to avoid injury, utilizing different types of runs to increase speed and endurance.

I have a few races coming up this spring, including an 8k at the end of March, a 5k in early May, and a 10 mile race at the end of May. Completing a 6 week challenge is perfect timing to get ready for the 8k and build up a base of solid running to prepare for 10 mile race training. Most of these runs will be on a treadmill but I’m hoping to start running outside again in mid-March, once the sidewalks are clear of ice and we hit 40 degrees regularly {balmy!} This challenge makes me very excited for spring.

Compared to many other running / fitness blogs I’m a reader of, this looks like a conservative running plan. But, as a casual runner who does races for fun and motivation, it’s perfect for me. I’m planning to post progress from the previous week every Monday.

Runners World has a helpful explanation of different types of runs. These are the three I chose to focus on during this challenge:

Maintenance run – a run at your ‘regular’ pace, to maintain fitness.

Interval run – a run with short sprints followed by a slower recovery jog, to increase speed.

Long run – a slower paced run, to increase distance endurance.