I lived in Hong Kong for a few years and one day I joined a gym near where I worked. I wanted to be able to run sometimes during my lunch break to prepare for different races. I remember running the Hong Kong Marathon with endless suspension bridges and long tunnels, and then an incredible view of Hong Kong Bay before finishing at Victoria Park.

In this gym near my office, what struck me when I went to the discovery day was that they tested me on four dimensions before establishing a training plan. And I immediately understood that they were right to build a training plan on these 4 dimensions and I realized on this occasion that in France or in Europe, two or three of these dimensions were too often neglected or even completely ignored.

What are the key dimensions of a balanced running workout?

The notion of overall balance is much more deeply rooted in the Asian way of thinking than in the Western way of thinking. And it is likely from this key concept that the approach of this gym in Hong Kong came, which tested new members on 4 dimensions before establishing a training plan.

 The 4 tests they had me do during the discovery day were:

• Cardio & endurance test
• Muscle strength test
• Flexibility test
• Balance test

Hybrid training: combining cardio and muscle work

In France or Europe, most training plans focus on the first dimension, that is, cardio & endurance. Of course, this dimension is key. It is not possible to finish, for example, a marathon properly without regular training based on cardio and endurance, several times a week and over several months. But it is not this dimension that we neglect or sometimes ignore in France or Europe. It is rather the other dimensions such as muscle strengthening and flexibility that we often neglect or balance work that we can sometimes completely ignore.

I am not talking about the training of professionals or experienced competitors who will certainly integrate these dimensions into their training plans. I recently saw a video on a balance course with jumps and landings on unstable supports (foam or balls) with professional skiers. It was obvious when watching the video that they worked a lot on their balance (which can be understood of course for skiers).

I'm talking about training people like you and me, recreational runners who have a busy schedule and who have to compose, free up time to train. And often, the training plans we follow focus on the cardio & endurance dimension and do not insist enough on the other three dimensions (muscle strengthening, flexibility and balance work).

Before reviewing each of the dimensions to describe their role in a balanced training plan, I propose to add a fifth dimension that we can also neglect sometimes because we are passionate and therefore often a little addicted. This fifth dimension is recovery, which must occur during a busy training week and also between training blocks or just after races.

1st dimension: cardio & endurance

This is the most well-known dimension for all runners. I will not spend too much time on this dimension because there are a lot of training programs or apps for all distances (5 km, 10 km, half marathon, marathon, 100 km, etc.) and disciplines (road, trail or for the running part of a triathlon, etc.). The key concepts are the different paces and the corresponding heart rate zones as well as the types of sessions (from the recovery session to the speed sessions or more or less short and intense interval sessions to the long sessions). No need to dwell too much on this dimension since it is not normally the one that is neglected unless motivation is lacking along the way. The only key advice that I think is important to give for this dimension is above all to favor regularity and progression.

What training should I do to run longer distances?

It is better to train less in volume but have a very regular training than the opposite and you have to know how to be patient to 'climb' over longer distances: start with short distances in running like a 5 or 10 km, then move up to a half-marathon, then potentially a marathon, or even beyond towards the 50 or 100 km for the most enduring and motivated. The same logic applies to trail or triathlon with levels to be crossed gradually. And when we talk about patience and progressiveness, it is rather in years than in months before moving on to races with longer distances.

It is of course possible to find happiness on intermediate distances without 'climbing' to longer distances, or to run simply for pleasure. In any case, these are the same four other dimensions that should not be neglected, starting with muscle strengthening.

 

2nd dimension : muscle strengthening 

There are two main reasons to include strength training sessions in a balanced workout. The first applies to runners of all ages while the second is especially relevant to those over 30-35 years old.

Why include muscle strengthening sessions in a balanced workout?

The first reason is related to the nature of running. When we run, we gain speed through the coordinated movements of our legs, arms and the central part of our body. And muscular weakness in the legs, abdominals, back muscles, neck or even arms will make our movement less efficient. It is not about doing weight training to obtain more visible muscles but rather muscle strengthening to have greater tone, better motor skills, greater efficiency. Great runners like great swimmers always give an impression of great fluidity and efficiency. While they move very quickly compared to the running or swimming speed of amateur athletes, they give off great ease, with almost zero parasitic movements. It's oiled! But even if it seems easy, it hides great muscle tone (beyond their technical mastery especially in swimming) which allows them to effectively transform the energy deployed into speed. And also at our level as amateur runners, muscle strengthening work will help us build a more efficient, more fluid race and become more enduring.

The second reason why muscle building is important is related to age. As the years go by, we start to lose muscle mass. It is inevitable, it is written into our biological clock. It is an inescapable process but it is also a process that can be delayed. How? By making sure to include muscle building sessions to continually rebuild muscle mass and slow down the impact of the passing years.

What muscle strengthening exercises should you do to improve your running?

To summarize, you have to try to do a balanced workout between the legs (from the feet to the thighs), the middle of the body (abdominals and dorsal chain) and even the upper body with the arms, shoulders and neck. Everything is linked, all parts of the body are used when we start running. It is therefore necessary to vary the exercises to work on muscle strengthening from the bottom up with, for example, a third of a muscle strengthening session spent on the lower body (legs), a third on the middle (abdominals, dorsal chain) and a third on the upper body (arms-shoulders-neck).

 

The 3rd dimension : the relaxations

Flexibility is the perfect complement to muscle strengthening. Being muscular but stiff as a post or being very flexible but with little muscle tone is only half the battle or working on part of the equation. Muscles without flexibility will limit the possible range of our movements and therefore limit the efficiency of our propulsion. Conversely, great flexibility with low muscle density or tone will make it difficult to progress in speed. Watts, which cyclists are familiar with, is a measure of the power we deploy to generate movement with the pedals on a bike or via the movement of our legs when running. And flexibility associated with muscle strengthening helps to transform this developed power (which costs us energy) efficiently into a fluid movement, ideally almost with relaxation.

The third dimension of a balanced training plan is therefore flexibility work. And as with muscle strengthening, balanced flexibility work between the lower body (feet-legs), the middle (abdominals, dorsal chain) and the upper body (arms-shoulders-neck) is recommended. This flexibility work is also often beneficial beyond running. It can help us compensate for the many hours that many of us spend sitting in front of a computer and which can create tension and stiffness in the shoulders, back or neck in the long run, for example.

The 4th dimension: balance and proprioception

This dimension is probably the one that is most often neglected or even ignored. It is in a way at the crossroads between muscle strengthening and flexibility. This additional dimension is that of balance or our ability to quickly correct any imbalance. The search for balance is key in our daily life to simply avoid falling, to avoid falling. It is even more decisive when we are moving and finding or staying balanced requires coordination between the feet, ankles, legs and arms which serve as our natural balancers. Good control of our balance can also prevent injury, particularly at the ankles by effectively correcting any imbalance.

Having good balance is also a way to develop good support. And it is especially important to work on it if, like me, you may have one ankle that is more fragile than the other after one or more sprains. Balance work can easily be combined with muscle strengthening exercises such as single-leg squats. By going down on one leg even for a few centimeters and for several repetitions, we can easily work and strengthen our balance. It is also possible to use foam blocks, balls or boards placed on a cylinder to work on our balance from front to back or from left to right. Working on your balance in addition to muscle strengthening and flexibility work makes your running both more efficient and easier.

 

The 5th Dimension: Recovery

Finally, it is essential to take into account the notion of recovery in defining a balanced training plan. Without sufficient recovery time, the cumulative effect of training can become negative. This is the risk of overtraining and its possible corollary effects such as fatigue, performance degradation and, in the worst case, injury.

Recovery must be spread over several 'times':

• a short time over a week by spacing out the sessions, also avoiding placing demanding sessions over two days in a row,
• an intermediate time on a training plan of several months with blocks of 3-4 more intense weeks interspersed for example with a lighter week
• a long time over an entire year or an entire season by reserving one or more entire weeks of recovery with a total break from training.

Recovery has several other dimensions as well. Good recovery includes not only rest but also sleep, proper nutrition and hydration, and potentially active recovery techniques such as sports massage or cryotherapy.

 

Hybrid training program

The distribution of time between the 5 key dimensions of a balanced training plan

To conclude and connect all the dimensions of a balanced training plan, here is a summary of the time that can be devoted to the different training activities over a week:

• Cardio – endurance training: 70-80% of weekly training time
• For example, 2, 3, 4 or 5 hours spread over several sessions
• Alternating sessions between recovery, intervals, long outings, etc.

• Muscle strengthening – flexibility – balance training: 20-30%
• 30 min for 2 hours of cardio, 45 min for 3 hours of cardio etc…
• 2 or 3 sessions of 15 min, 3 sessions of 20 min etc…
• Sessions can be split between muscle strengthening/balance and flexibility or mixed with muscle strengthening/balance then flexibility

• Placement of at least 1 or 2 recovery days (without cardio training) each week.

For muscle strengthening/balance and/or flexibility sessions, you can adopt an exercise routine to ensure that you balance the work between the three dimensions and between the three major parts of the body (lower-middle-upper).

 

I hope that this approach to a balanced training plan with 5 key dimensions can contribute to a better running experience for each of you and will bear fruit in your daily life. And thanks again to this distant gym for making me aware of the importance of a balanced training with these multiple dimensions.

 

Good race to all.

Olive