The Soggy Sock: Building From the Base

Written by Dr. Christina Schultz

In our last newsletter, we discussed building a base for your training. This is your foundation for the rest of your season, cycle, or year.

Generally speaking, no matter what is being built, the foundation itself won’t be distinct enough for you to know what’s going to be built there. Of course, it needs to be big enough to hold the building that will go on top of it, but that’s about it. Much like in construction, the base we build in our training should be rather vague, and only distinct by how big it is.

Now that the foundation is established, we can begin building. When construction starts, the process begins as a generic frame of lumber and slowly takes shape to look more like the intended building. Whether it’s a wide shopping mall, a tall townhouse, or a bulky apartment building, there will be vastly different components of the structure that start to take shape.

Your training at this phase transitions similarly. Assuming the base you’ve built is big enough for your intended goals, you’re now ready to transition your workouts to progressively become more race-like.

Determine the volume and intensity, and any other components specific to your goal, and begin to develop these. This doesn’t happen overnight; this phase takes time to transition and develop from general fitness to race-specific. Longer tempos become threshold runs and eventually intervals at 5k pace, and so on. Rest intervals lengthen, and work volume fluctuates to allow for recovery while maintaining intensity.

Remember

Be patient, and don’t skip steps. When construction is rushed, you can tell.

About the author: Dr. Christina Schultz

Dr. Christina Schultz graduated with a degree in exercise science from Florida Atlantic University, where she was a captain for the cross country and track teams. She went on to earn a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of St. Augustine, where she also served as a head high school cross country coach and distance track coach. During this time, she became a certified strength and conditioning specialist to enhance her ability to treat athletes and improve their performance.

Christina moved from Jacksonville, FL to Greer, SC with her dog Rosie to help keep the community active. She continues to run in her spare time and enjoys exploring the city and hiking.