There is a number of causes of running injuries, but running too many miles and running with poor technique are the most common. Adding racewalking to your training program may be a way to limit both of these risks while improving your overall fitness.
By racewalking on your easy days instead of running, you can maintain or even increase the number of quality miles you run. And racewalking can develop coordination, increase upper body strength, and iron out muscle imbalances all of which can greatly improve your running technique.
Stress and adaptation are the keys to success in an endurance activity like running. To improve as a runner, you must stress all the physiological systems your body will use during a race. Then you need to allow those systems to recover from the stress so your body can build itself up again, becoming stronger than it was before the hard training.
But too many runners push too hard on their easy days, pounding the same muscles day in and day out so they never fully recover. Without full recovery, you wont be able to train as hard as you need to on your hard days.
Thats where racewalking comes in. With racewalking you get a great cardiovascular workout without banging up your running muscles. For faster times and fewer injuries, try the following programs for 5K, 10K, half-marathon and marathon training:
Typical 5K training schedule
Monday: Off or easy 30-minute racewalk
Tuesday: 2K warm-up, then 8 to 12 x 400m at 6 seconds faster than 5K race pace, 2:00 rests
Wednesday: Easy 45-minute to 1-hour racewalk
Thursday: 2K warm-up, then 30-minute tempo run
Friday: Easy 45-minute to 1-hour racewalk
Saturday*: 2K Warm-up, then 6 x 1K at 5K race pace, 2:00 rests
Sunday: Easy 10-mile run. Accelerate over the last 5K, or add a few 30-second surges
(*If racing, switch Saturday and Thursday workouts and cut the number of 1K repeats to 2 to 3.)
Typical 10K training schedule
Monday: Off or easy 30-minute racewalk
Tuesday: 2K warm-up, then 12 to 16 x 400m at 6 seconds faster than 10K pace, 2:00 rests
Wednesday: Easy 45-minute to 1-hour racewalk
Thursday: Warm-up, then hard 45-minute to 1-hour run, or accelerate through 1 hour start easy finish fast
Friday: Easy 45-minute to 1-hour racewalk
Saturday: 2K warm-up, then 3-4 x 2K (or 1 mile) at 10K race pace, 3:00 rests
Sunday: Easy 12 mile run. Accelerate over the last 5-8K, or throw in a few 1-minute surges
Typical 1/2 marathon training schedule
Monday: Off or very easy 30-minute racewalk
Tuesday: 2K warm-up, then 12-16 x 400m at 6 seconds faster than 1/2 marathon pace, 2:00 rests
Wednesday: Easy 1-hour racewalk
Thursday: Hard 60-90-minute run, or accelerate through 90 minutes. Start easy finish fast
Friday: Very easy 45-minute to 1-hour racewalk
Saturday: 2K warm-up, then 6-8 x 2K (or 1 mile) at 1/2 marathon race pace, 3:00 rests Sunday: Easy 12- to 15-mile run. Accelerate over the last 8K, or throw in a few 30-second surges.
Typical marathon training schedule
Monday: Off or very easy 30-minute racewalk
Tuesday: 2K warm-up, then 12-16 x 400m at 6 seconds faster than marathon pace, 1:00 rests
Wednesday: Easy 1-hour racewalk
Thursday: Hard 60 to 90-minute run, or accelerate through 90 minutes start easy finish fast
Friday: Very easy 45-minute to 1-hour racewalk
Saturday: 2K warm-up, then 8 x 1K at 1/2 marathon race pace, 2:00 rests
Sunday: On alternate weeks: Easy 12 to 20-mile run take 1:00- to 2:00-minute walk breaks as needed, or 12-mile run at marathon goal pace