As a former marathon and triathlete competitor and coach, I have heard many debates about which kind of run is best. For canicross and canisports, there is a time and place for all run types! You will want to prioritize your base runs, long runs and recovery runs but the other types should be sprinkled into your routine and mixed and matched to get in the best possible canicross shape with your dog!
Incorporating all the different kinds of runs into your training routine also helps you to improve your overall form, endurance, speed and recovery as a runner!
Different types of runs will also help break the monotony of training and help you respect and work with any physical limitations by using different runs at different times depending on how you are feeling.
Types of Runs
Base Run-Maintenance
Your base run is the distance and pace you can comfortably run and regularly repeat. Your pace should be relaxed enough that you can carry on a conversation. This run will likely get longer as you go and will be slightly longer or shorter depending on how you feel that day but these are your easy breezy baseline runs to maintain your foundation ability as a runner. These runs need little prep, and are easy and enjoyable, especially with a friend or some music.
Benefits: Base runs improve your cardiac and aerobic capacity as a runner. They teach your body to maximize oxygen flow throughout a run and strengthen your heart health.
Downfalls: You could grow bored of your base runs.
Tip: Change up your route.
Canicross: Your base run will likely be between 1.5 and 3 km at least twice a week.
Recovery Runs-Stretch & Repair
Anytime you complete an ambitious run or other training activity, make sure to get a little recovery run in within 24 to 48 hours. While rest days when you do not run at all are also vital to your training, when your body is stiff and sore, it is better to move and stretch it a little with your shortest, easiest jog than rest too much.
Benefits: Recovery runs lower the risk of training-related injuries and repair muscles after overuse.
Downfalls: It is tough to motivate ourselves to do even a short slow
run when our bodies are tired.
Tip: Avoid hills, heat and anything difficult for a recovery run.
Canicross: You might follow a fast canicross 1.5 km with a slow 0.5-1 km recovery walk, jog or hike.
Long Runs-Endurance
Even if you are not training for an event, adding long runs to your running routine is very beneficial. The length of your long runs will depend on the individual runner and what you are training for.
Benefits: Long runs build endurance, strengthen your heart muscles and prepare you for events of similar lengths while also making your base runs that much easier. Your body memorizes how far you can go and will have an easier and easier time repeating a distance the more you do it.
Downfalls: Your long run is always going to be more challenging than your base runs and more time-consuming but the reward is worth the effort!
Tip: Long runs should be built up slowly and added upon every couple of times until the desired distance is reached. Try to be consistent about running a long run at least once a week. Remember, what you consider to be long for your body and abilities, is YOUR long run.
Canicross: Canicrossers need not run 12 km + for a long run. Your long run can be anything even a bit longer than your base run.
Tempo Run-Speed & Stamina
A tempo run will be slightly longer than and faster than your base run but shorter than your long run.
Benefits: Tempo runs increase your speed, stamina and pace and adapt your body to more challenging, longer runs. They test and improve your respiratory system and cardiovascular strength and push your running boundaries.
Downfalls: Tempo runs push past our comfort zones, exert effort and energy and can be hard on our bodies.
Tip: If you have to slow down, slow down. You want to run at a pace that feels slightly too fast to keep up a conversation. Try to follow a tempo run with a recovery run within a 24 window.
Canicross: If you run a 15-minute 1.5-kilometre base run, try for a 2-kilometre run in 15 minutes to practice a tempo run.
Interval Runs-Pace & Form
This is the start and stop run. Usually, these runs have a specific distance to be covered in equal intervals of walking between equal sets of time running.
Benefits: Interval runs are great for training for events, especially for amateur runners. It is much easier mentally to complete a long run, or even a base run, when your brain knows it gets a fun respite every 10 minutes. Because of this, you will improve your runs by practicing interval runs. You may also improve your pace knowing you get to take breaks. Interval runs can be also be a great time to focus on and improve your form.
Downfalls: For runners with mechanical, age or illness-related injuries and limitations, starting and stopping can aggravate these injuries.
Tips: If interval running hurts you, I recommend not running too fast during the run time and slowing down before walking. If that is not enough, I suggest never fully walking but slowing down instead during the walk intervals. Of course, interval running should not be included in your running routine if none of this helps and the side effects are severe.
Canicross: Interval running can be used for any type of canicross training or event as long as you and your canine partner are on the same page.
Hill Repeats-Strength and overall fitness
Yes, these are as awful as they sound but as important as they are difficult. For a set amount of time or for as long as you can tolerate it, you run up and down an incline practicing different speeds.
Benefits: Hill repeats will make hills you encounter on other runs easier to climb over time. They also greatly improve your leg and glute strength, running form and overall fitness.
Downfalls: These can be tough on the spine and knees.
Tip: Play that Rocky montage Eye of the Tiger theme song for motivation and keep the proper running form for ascending and descending inclines to prevent damage to knees and spine. You can read more about forms and running techniques here.
Canicross: This is a great run to practice with your dog as you can incorporate some dog training into your hill training while having fun together.
Progression runs-Speed & Stamina
These are my favourite runs because I find the first 5 minutes of any run to be the hardest while my body struggles to adapt. But then, as I run and it becomes easier, it is so much fun to try and go a little faster, faster, faster! For some people, this run is just a matter of increasing your pace as you go and having fun with it. If you prefer structure, you can time an increase for every 1 or 3 minutes or every .5 or 1 kilometres, whatever works best for you.
Benefits: Progression runs are great for improving stamina!
Downfalls: It is easy to start too fast and then not be able to build on that speed.
Tip: Start at a pace where there is lots of room to grow. If you have a run you are training for, it helps to imagine the finish line and how fast you would like to run crossing it as you speed up!
Canicross: Your canicross team can do a base run on a Saturday morning where you decide as a group to start slower and increase your speed as you go! Or you can progress on your long or base run on your own throughout the week. This is an easy one to do at any time.
Mix & Match for Canicross
Sprinkling other types of runs into your established canicross training routine is a wonderful way to improve as a runner, get the most out of your runs and have a blast at Canicross and beyond! And don’t worry, you don’t have to do one run per day, you can mix and match the other types of runs in with your usual runs which will be just as beneficial but less time-consuming and will make each run a little more interesting, challenging and fun!
For example, your weekly long run(s) can also be your progression run. Your interval run could have hill repeats added to it if you happen to run by a decent hill. And if you do a tempo run in the morning, you can do a recovery run later that same day. Mix & Match as you like, if it works with your schedule and makes sense to you, it will help you get into better running shape with your dog!
Try to stay flexible, you might find some of these runs aren’t serving you and decide to eliminate them. You might find that your body cannot handle some of these types of runs and you should always listen to your body. It is also worth trying a run a few times before deciding if it works for you.
Changing up your routine will lower the frequency of bad runs but, remember, bad runs happen to the most seasoned athletes and they do not have any meaning in terms of your progress. Your training is working even if you have a bad day! Just switch to a recovery run and remember that tomorrow is another day.
Don’t forget
Always stretch before and after any run and ice problem areas after. Never skip on hydration or a proper diet and try to avoid running in high heat. Be safe, have fun and don’t forget you can follow ZENFULdog Training on Facebook to stay connected to your like-minded dog-loving community every day!
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