Running is a good form of exercise, with many health and other benefits. A training plan will help you train systematically, and also easily track your progress. There are many running plans out there available for free or for purchase. Most of them will probably work, as long as they have consistency and a gradual increase in the work done during training and of course as long as you actually follow them. Ultimately, what plan you choose depends on your goals, the time you have and your personal preferences. Here are a few thoughts that may help you narrow down on the plan to pick.
1) Your goal. If your goal is to start running when you have not been running before, or have been sedentary for a while, then you will want to pick a beginner's running plan. This may also be called a walk/run plan or a Couch-to-5k plan. Such a plan will normally introduce you gently to running, by first letting you walk a while, then run a while, then walk again and so on. Do not pick a half-marathon training plan, unless it includes an introductory part.
If your goal is to take part in a particular race or run, then of course the distance of the race will determine the plan you choose. For example, generally, a 10K plan will help you prepare for a 10K race better than a beginner plan will.
2) Your current ability. Some plans, especially those for half-marathons and longer distances, will expect you to have certain levels of endurance before you start them. This will usually be the ability to run for at least 20 or 30 minutes without stopping, and/or a few months recent running experience.
3) Time Available. If you are preparing for a particular scheduled run, then you will normally need a certain minimum number of weeks to adequately prepare for it. For example, some half-marathon training plans may take 18 weeks, and some as little as 10 weeks. Generally, the more time you have to prepare, the better. More time will allow you to gradually increase your running distance and pace, and to get used to it. This decreases your chances of injury and of overtraining. Pick a plan that matches the training time that you have.
4) Time per week. Some plans will require you to run 5 days a week and some only 3 times a week. You will need to determine how many times a week your schedule can realistically allow you to run. Remember, there is no need to get a plan that you will not realistically be able to follow.
5) Level of detail. This is partly a matter of personal preference. Some plans will have instructions to simply run 3 miles on a particular day, with no further instructions about that day's run. Such a plan will probably help you simply finish the distance that you are aiming for. Other plans will have details such as 'Run [tempo] - 30 mins including 5 x (2 mins steady / 2 mins walk)'. Such a plan may be helpful if you plan to finish your target run within a certain time. Similarly, some plans have the same requirement for all the run days in a week, while others have different instructions for different days. Your goals and preferences will determine which kind of plan you want.
6) Variety. If you are training for a long-distance run, such as a half-marathon, then you may want a plan that includes specific preparation for the kind of terrain that you may encounter in the target run, such as hills. Other aspects that may be beneficial are speed training and of course endurance training (usually referred to as a long run).
7) Measurement units. Some plans give distances in miles and others do so in kilometres. Of course you can convert from one to the other, but you may not want that little extra work, so you may choose one in your preferred units. some plans also tell you the amount of time to run, rather than the distance.
8) Cost. Of course cost will come into play if you want to pay for a training plan. How much do you want to pay? Can you get a free plan instead? Is the plan good enough to justify the cost?
As a guideline, your training plan should not have an increase in training work of more than 10% from one week to the next. So if the total running distance you covered in one week was 10km, the next week's total distance should not be much more than 11km.
By Abraham Gumba
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