What is Base Building?
When it comes to running, base building is often characterized by lots of easy running with some strides to maintain footspeed as a reintroduction into run training following a break. It is often incorporated at the beginning of a training cycle as a means to get back into the flow of training without doing too much too soon. Intensity stays low as the mileage gradually goes up. As a rule of thumb, mileage and intensity should rarely if ever be increased simultaneously as doing so can raise the risk of injury. Likewise, when starting a base building phase, one doesn’t immediately jump back to the mileage level they held at the peak or towards the end of their previous cycle. It is a gradual buildup that usually spans the course of a few weeks.
As the name suggests, base building is intended to build a base, or in the case of distance running, to build one’s aerobic engine. This is due to distance running being largely aerobic in nature. But while base building does principally seek to boost a runner’s endurance, it can also train your central nervous system and improve muscular strength. While one may feel inclined to boost mileage during this phase, this can often be counterproductive. If one feels the need to increase training load, implementing cross training and strength training could work better as you’re likely coming off a period of either active rest or complete rest.
Generally, more experienced runners can not only sustain higher mileage, but they can also get away with having a shorter duration for base building. This article will seek to not only dissect what base building is but also offer suggestions for how to do so, bearing in mind that not all runners are the same and thus, there is no cookie cutter, one-size-fits-all template.
Key Considerations
As mentioned in the intro, what base building looks like for one runner might not be what it looks like for another. While base building consistently calls for stacking easy, steady miles, it is imperative that all runners program it into their training cycle. It is the adaptations made in base building that help you absorb the harder training that is set to come. Base building isn’t necessarily sexy and can seem monotonous and boring at times, but it pays off in the long run as you embark on the goals you have set in the coming training cycle. Strides during base building can help break up the monotony while scratching the itch for some fast running as you maintain basic footspeed. These are all truths that can be applied to a runner’s base building phase, regardless of experience, PRs, and prior training history.
As for the differences, base building looks different depending on factors like prior training history, what goal events you’re training for in the upcoming cycle, and injury history. As you’d suspect, injury prone runners should be mindful of not using the lack of intensity to ramp up the volume. Running is a high impact sport and without proper preparation, you run the risk of not being able to handle that impact. With appropriate base training (running and strength training), the body can adapt to the impact by strengthening muscles, bones, and joints. Regardless of varying training histories, a runner who is planning to focus on the 5k in their upcoming training cycle won’t have the same base building phase as a runner who intends to focus on the marathon. This is due to the difference in demands and priorities for each event. Even removing special considerations for the marathon, having the target race as a longer distance calls for more training volume throughout the program, base building included. Also, it is never too early to factor in what type of course you’ll be running in your goal race and homing in on the specific training needs it presents. Is it on the trails or the roads? Hilly or flat? These are all questions that can be answered and applied early on in your training, even during the base phase.
How Long Should I Base Build?
When discussing training history, it dives deeper into the question of how long one should build a base. While experienced runners can get away with a shorter base phase, a minimum duration for all runners to consider would be to follow a base building phase for 4 weeks. McMillan Running even offers a suggestion of an even longer base phase, broken into two, 4–8-week increments. The first 4-8 weeks being the mileage base and the second 4-8 weeks comprising the workout base. The mileage base is exactly what everyone thinks of when they think of base building, where a runner is either going back up to a previous training load or building up to a new one. The workout base is a way to get prepared for the faster running that typically follows the base plan Likewise, if you’re coming off a lengthier break, say for an injury, then it would suit you best to have a longer base phase than if you had been healthy and taken a more standard break following the end of your last training cycle. Going back to the earlier point on goal events, the longer your goal event, the longer the base phase.
What does it all mean?
There are well known hallmarks to base building in distance running that apply to everyone. The stacking of mileage and strides to maintain basic footspeed to reiterate a couple, but it is in the differences that tell a runner what they really need to know. Nobody knows you or your needs as well as you do so you’ll be your own best judge as far as what the base phase will look like for you. Just because something worked well for you in the past doesn’t mean it’ll work as well again. Our bodies require change in order to adapt and grow and by doing the same thing over and over again, you may be stunting your growth as a runner. The distance you’re focusing on in the upcoming cycle might not be the same as the previous cycle or you may be coming off a longer break due to nursing an injury. These are all factors that should dictate how you proceed with building your running base in order to determine how to best build your foundation and tackle the goals you have set for the season ahead.
Brian Comer is a coach with Team RunRun. To learn more about him or to work with Brian, check out his coach profile.