The 3 Most Important Variables in a Training Plan
Run to the Top Podcast | The Ultimate Guide to Running
RunnersConnect: Coaching Community, Running Experts, Inspiring Runners, No Fluff Blog
4.5 • 936 Ratings
🗓️ 19 November 2021
⏱️ 16 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Perhaps the most common mistake runners make when writing their own training plans is trying to change or add in too many variables at once. This leads to overtraining and not being able to identify what is (and isn't) working.
When it comes to writing your training schedule or adjusting your plan to take your training to the next level, there are 3 main variables to take into account: frequency, duration, and intensity.
In this episode we'll discuss…
- What frequency, duration, and intensity mean and why they are important
- Show you ways you can alter each to positively impact your training
- Why trying to change more than one at a time is often a recipe for disaster
- And how to combine all 3 variables to take your next training block to the next level.
This is a must listen if you've plateaued in your progress or keep hitting injury or overtraining ruts when training for races.
Connect, Comment, Community
Follow RunnersConnect on Instagram
Join the Elite Treatment where you get first dibs on everything RTTT each month!
Runners Connect Winner's Circle Facebook Community
GET EXPERT COACHING AT RUNNERSCONNECT!
This week's show brought to you by:
AG 1
Ask yourself - do you get enough green veggies each day?
I'll admit, I don't. It's tough to fit all of those greens in with an active and busy lifestyle.
But getting in your fruits + veggies is SO crucial as a distance runner for recovery, digestion, and optimal performance.
That's where Athletic Greens is a gamechanger. One scoop has 75 bioavailable vitamins, minerals, and whole food-sourced ingredients including a multivitamin, multimineral, probiotic, green superfood blend, and more.
That means fewer stomach issues, more focus and energy throughout the day (because the workday matters just as much as the morning run), and overall ... just feeling healthier.
Look, if you're struggling to get those fruits + veggies in - or if you keep buying them but they always go bad in the fridge - Athletic Greens will make getting those micronutrients simple and delicious.
Get 5 BONUS travel packs and a year's supply of Vitamin D when you order at athleticgreens.com/rttt. Get yours now!
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hi there my running friend this is Coach Claire Bartholic, the Planted Runner, and this is the |
| 0:14.8 | Run to the Top Podcast, one of the first and only running podcast dedicated to making |
| 0:19.7 | you a better runner with each and every episode. We are created and produced by the |
| 0:24.6 | expert team of running coaches at runnersconnect.net where you can find the |
| 0:29.7 | best running |
| 0:33.3 | coaching plans to fit every runner and every budget. |
| 0:36.3 | If you're trying to get |
| 0:41.3 | if you're trying to get faster or stronger or just better at running, there are many ways to do it. |
| 0:47.0 | Having a plan or a schedule will certainly help you get there. |
| 0:50.5 | And if you have a coach, he or she can make most of the decisions for you. |
| 0:55.1 | But sometimes if left to our own devices we just wing it. In our natural impatience to get better |
| 1:00.8 | more quickly we throw everything at the wall just to see what |
| 1:04.1 | sticks. Maybe you see this cool new speed workout in your favorite newsletter so |
| 1:08.2 | you add that into the mix. And then there's that group tempo run that you've |
| 1:11.6 | always wanted to join. |
| 1:13.2 | And of course more running makes you a better runner, so let's bump up the mileage. |
| 1:16.6 | Tack on another running day and watch the progress flow. |
| 1:19.6 | Sadly, this is probably the worst recipe for improving your running. |
| 1:27.0 | In fact, changing and adding too many things at once is the quickest path to fatigue, plateaus, burning out, and injury. |
| 1:35.0 | On today's run to the top podcast, I'm going to go over the simple ingredients |
| 1:40.0 | that all runners can use to get better at running and how to put them together so that you can improve safely and happily. |
| 1:50.0 | When I design a training plan for an endurance athlete, I consider three basic components. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from RunnersConnect: Coaching Community, Running Experts, Inspiring Runners, No Fluff Blog, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of RunnersConnect: Coaching Community, Running Experts, Inspiring Runners, No Fluff Blog and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.