Understanding Your 80/20 Endurance Master Run Training Plan

by Matt Fitzgerald

The 80/20 Endurance Masters Run Plans were designed especially for the needs of older runners, as well as injury-prone younger runners. Similar to our flagship Run Plans in most respects--beginning with their 80/20 intensity balance--they are different in key ways that mitigate the risks of injury and overtraining in masters runners and less-durable runners. To get the most out of your Masters Run Plan, read the Understanding Your 80/20 Endurance Run Plan and Intensity Guidelines for Running documents in addition to this document, which details the special features of your Masters Run Plan, of which there are three: nine-day microcycles, cross-training, and frequent recovery days.

Nine-Day Microcycles
A microcycle is the shortest recurring pattern of training. Most runners use a default seven-day microcycle that looks something like this:

Seven-day microcycles work well for most runners, but they are not ideal for many masters runners. The reason is that runners over 40 don’t recover as quickly from intense or long workouts. The traditional seven-day microcycle packs three “hard” runs into seven days. In the example above, the hard runs are Tuesday’s interval session, Friday’s threshold run, and Sunday’s long run. That’s a bit too much stress in too little time for the typical masters runner.

Extending the microcycle is not the only way runners over 40 can accommodate their reduced rate of recovery. Alternatively, they can retain a seven-day microcycle and just do easier hard runs (e.g. fewer intervals, shorter long runs). This approach does solve the problem of applying too much stress in too little time, but it does so at the cost of fitness. You can’t get equal fitness from easier workouts. Most runners over 40 find that they can still handle very challenging workouts, just not as often, so there’s no need to make this concession. Retaining the hard workouts and extending the microcycle is the better way to go.

Athletes who extend the training week to nine days frequently report that the schedule has a comfortable, predictable rhythm. In a nine-day microcycle, harder workouts fall on every third day, ensuring equal recovery time for each, which is harder to achieve on a seven-day cycle. All of the 80/20 Endurance Masters Run Plans feature nine-day microcycles.

Cross-Training

Aerobic cross-training is proven to reduce injury risk and improve performance in runners. Incorporating aerobic cross-training into your running program will help you get fitter while staying healthy. The best aerobic cross-training activities for runners are those, such as outdoor elliptical biking and indoor slideboarding, that involve repetitive leg motions similar to running but without impact.

80/20 Endurance has partnered with leading elliptical bike maker ElliptiGO and premium slideboard brand Brrrn Board to offer special pricing for 80/20 athletes who wish to bundle their purchase of a Masters Run Plan with one of these recommended cross-training products. Use code 8020endurance at thebrrrn.com for $50 off a Brrrn Board or a Brrrrn Bundle (board + 1-YR Subscription of on-demand classes. For special pricing from ElliptiGO, email info@elliptigo.com and tell them 80/20 Endurance sent you.

Our Level 0 Masters Run Plans feature "flex" sessions that can be done either as Foundation Runs or as Zone 2 cross-training sessions. If you choose a Level 0 plans, it's best to go with the run option on days when you feel good, as nothing builds run fitness like running, and fall back on the aerobic cross-training option when you feel sore or tired, to avoid overtaxing your body. The Level 1 plans feature one to two cross-training sessions per nine-day microcycle and the Level 2 plans feature two cross-training sessions per nine-day microcycle. Our Level 3 Masters Run plans feature three optional cross-training sessions per nine-day microcycle. If you choose a Level 3 plan we recommend that you complete these optional training sessions when you have the time and energy and skip them when you don't.

Note that it's easiest to use heart rate to monitor and control intensity in aerobic cross-training activities. The upper limit of Zone 2 (i.e., the upper limit of your low-intensity range) will equal approximately 80% of your maximum heart rate in that specific activity (HRmax differs between exercise types). As an alternative or supplement to heart rate monitoring, you can use perceived effort (RPE) to regulate intensity. For this subjective metric, the upper limit of Zone 2 aligns with an RPE of 4 on a 1-10 scale.

Frequent Recovery Days

One feature that is included in the flagship 80/20 Endurance Run Plans but absent in our Masters Run Plans is recovery weeks. Also referred to as transition weeks, recovery weeks are characterized by a reduced training load that allows the body to full process fatigue imposed by recent training. Recovery weeks are only need in training plans where the training load is kept consistently high during non-recovery weeks. Our Masters Run Plans dispense with recovery weeks in favor of a recover-as-you approach where recovery days (which include both rest days and lighter training days) occur frequently enough that recovery weeks aren't necessary.