Coach Nick Hunt / Blog / Aerobic base
Training
Even the mile is mostly aerobic.
Watch the best college distance runners and you'll notice something. The ones who can race well at everything from the 1500 to the 5K aren't winning on raw speed. They're winning on their engine.
Sports science research estimates that even the 1500 meters is roughly 80 to 85% aerobic.
That one number should change how every young distance runner and parent thinks about training. If even the mile is mostly aerobic, then the runner with the biggest aerobic engine usually wins, from the 800 all the way up to the 3200 and cross country.
What young runners should copy
- Most running should be easy. Easy, conversational running builds the heart, lungs, and muscles that do the work in every race.
- Consistency beats big days. Several steady runs every week, month after month, matter more than any single hard workout.
- Build gradually, over years. The pros got to their volume one season at a time. Young runners should too.
- Keep a little speed in the week. Short strides and some faster running keep the legs sharp while the engine grows.
What young runners should not copy
Elite college runners can handle huge weekly mileage because they have built up to it over many years. A middle schooler should not try to match that. Our middle school runners typically run somewhere around 15 to 25 miles a week, and that's the right range for where they are. Copying a pro's mileage is the fastest way to get hurt or burned out.
The lesson isn't "run as much as the pros." It's "build your engine the way the pros did": patiently, consistently, and mostly easy.
Why winter is the time to build it
December through February is the perfect window. There's no big championship on the line yet, so runners can stack up consistent weeks. That engine is what carries them through indoor meets in January and February, and it's the head start that shows up when spring track begins in March.
It's also how runners put themselves in position for big goals like a New Balance or Nike Indoor Nationals standard. See my indoor nationals guide for the dates and qualifying times.
How I coach it
Every runner I coach gets a plan built around this idea: a strong aerobic base, the right amount of speed for their events, and a meet schedule that lets them race when they're ready. I check their uploaded workouts to make sure the easy days stay easy and the hard days are done right.
Questions?
Ask Coach Hunt.
Send your question and I'll reply by email, usually within a day.