Here’s how to deal with everything from nagging injuries and weight gain to feeling stuck and slow.
thomas hengge
Theoretically, base training should be pretty painless. The whole idea is to take it easy as you rack up slow-and-steady mileage. The hard stuff, like tempo runs and threshold intervals, comes later.
Yet, many runners struggle with aspects of this initial phase, and that negativity can overshadow an entire program leading up to race day.
To help you get through base training unscathed, we’re breaking down some of the most common pain points along with practical solutions and tips for enjoying yourself a little more.
A General Sense of Frustration
Racking up lots of slow, steady mileage requires a certain level of restraint. During base training, runners who want to be faster often get anxious and impatient because they’re not seeing or feeling any improvement.
Jason Fitzgerald, USATF-certified coach and the host of The Strength Running Podcast, assures runners this feeling of frustration is not only common, but it’s also a sign that your base training is on the right track. “You should be feeling like you’re not really going anywhere,” he says, noting that the purpose of easy runs isn’t about getting faster. It’s about building a solid foundation for the rest of your season.
You’ll start to see measurable signs of improvement later, during races and benchmark workouts. But at this phase, it’s best to measure your progress in terms of training adherence and consistency. So, instead of worrying about your pace, Fitzgerald recommends focusing on hitting your mileage goals, doing your weekly long run, and sticking to your strength training and mobility workouts.
Fighting Boredom
“A lot of people find the base phase pretty boring and hard to grind through,” says Will Baldwin, USATF- and VDOT-certified run coach. But because you’re less concerned with your pace, it can be a period of more adventurous and social running. “This is the time to go run with friends and go to the nice places,” he says. Base training offers the flexibility to hit scenic trails that may be too hilly for a tempo run or hop into a group run that would otherwise feel too slow. Just because your programming is a little repetitive doesn’t mean that all of your runs have to look the same.
Also, base training doesn’t need to be super easy 100 percent of the time. It’s a good idea to sprinkle in small amounts of speedwork, like strides and hill sprints. Adding variety can keep you interested, but it also gradually prepares your body for subsequent training phases that include more speed and intensity, Baldwin says.
Constant Hunger
If you’re ravenous between meals or having trouble sleeping because you’re hungry at bedtime, your fueling probably isn’t meeting the energy demands of your training, says Marie Spano, MS, RD, CSCS, CSSD, sports nutrition coach. “When I look at a runner’s intake, they’re often not consuming enough calories at mealtime. They’ve ramped up their mileage, but they’re still consuming, say, 400 or 500 calories at breakfast and lunch, and they’re like, ‘I’m starving,’” she says.
You can recalibrate your required calorie intake using an online calculator. (Spano recommends finding one that uses the Harris-Benedict formula, which factors in activity levels.) Or, just add 100–200 calories to your meals and see if you feel satiated, then add a little more, if necessary. If you have a fairly balanced diet, Spano recommends picking a carbohydrate source when adding extra calories to your meals.
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Weight Gain
Spano finds that many runners who gain weight during base training believe their increased activity levels will offset extra calories from what she calls “fun foods,” like packaged snacks and candy. “They think, ‘I’m training more, so I can eat whatever,’” she says. But calories can add up quickly, and highly palatable treats often crowd out the nutrients runners need to fuel their workouts.
While you may need to eat a little more than usual during base training, the difference may be less than a few hundred calories a day. And those calories, Spano says, should come from “high-quality, nutrient-rich foods rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, and long-lasting carbohydrates.”
Nagging Injuries
Nothing is worse than feeling the twinge of an old injury just as you’re beginning to train for a race. “Those recurring injuries tend to pop up in base training because you’re doing too much too quickly,” in terms of running volume or intensity, says Todd Buckingham, PhD, exercise physiologist at PTSportsPRO in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Aches and pains could also be signs that you’re skipping key components of a well-rounded training program, Fitzgerald says. “Most runners have a weak link, something that tends to get hurt if they push the effort and if they get sloppy with their training and they miss out on strength training or warming up properly,” he says.
Knowing your vulnerabilities and incorporating prehab into your training can help prevent injuries, as can gradually increasing your mileage with the guidance of a coach or a thoughtfully designed training plan. If you’ve ever seen a physical therapist for an injury, it’s a good idea to keep doing your prescribed exercises as part of your strength or mobility routines, even if you’re technically healed, Fitzgerald says.
Whenever a familiar pain creeps up on you, it’s a good idea to take a day or two off from training. If the pain returns when you resume training—especially if it gets worse the more you run—it’s worth getting checked out by a doctor or physical therapist.
Fueling and Hydration Struggles
For new runners, those initial long runs during base training may be their first experience with midrun fueling and hydration. And it doesn’t always go well. Some runners struggle with the mechanics of eating and drinking while running, while others experience gastrointestinal distress.
However, runners need to eat during runs that are 60 minutes or longer to make up for glycogen (glucose stored in the muscles) depletion. You should also consume electrolytes when running for an hour or longer, Spano says, and on even shorter runs in hot temperatures. She recommends starting with very small quantities, like a single gummy, one bite of energy bar, or one sip of electrolyte drink. “I start them off really small and then work them up [to a full serving],” she says.
Not Enough Time
Between weekly mileage, long runs, strength training, mobility, and recovery, following a well-rounded base training plan can feel like a full-time job. And because most runners already have full-time jobs (and families, social lives, and hobbies), fitting everything in can be logistically challenging and exhausting, both physically and mentally. Eventually, something’s gotta give, but how do you know what to cut?
When adjusting an athlete’s training plan, Fitzgerald considers their running history and current goals. “I think a little bit of sacrificing running is probably a good idea for new runners, injury-prone runners, and older runners,” he says. These athletes, for whom health is generally more important than competition, will benefit more from a well-rounded training program designed to prevent injury and overtraining. “If you eliminate a mile from every run of the week so that you can get in 10 minutes of strength and mobility work, that sounds like a pretty good compromise to me,” Fitzgerald says.
However, if you’re pursuing an aggressive goal, like qualifying for the Boston Marathon, you need to prioritize running. But be careful not to skip strength training and mobility. “All these ‘extras’ are incredibly valuable and help you stay healthy in the long term,” Fitzgerald says. You may be able to get away with a running-only approach for a little while, but ultimately, you’ll need to find a way to stick to a holistic training plan.
