When you finish your running conditioning you are going look leaner and feel stronger than you have in years. But with so many running options like long aerobic runs, short anaerobic runs, hill runs, etc getting from where you are today to a successful finish can seem daunting. To simplify things, I recommend a balance of first aerobic running and then anaerobic running periodized over a 16-week timeframe.
Periodization divides your time into smaller phases each with a specific goal in mind. To make sure you get your results in the allotted time map out each of the three phases on your calendar. First, focus on the anaerobic stamina building phase to build your endurance, and then increase the intensity to improve your aerobic capacity, and finally prioritize anaerobic runs to build a layer of speed.
Stamina Building
This period is all about easy aerobic miles, but it's not just fitness running. Your goal is to establish your base by increasing miles and adding some speed and strength work.
A huge discovery for me was that if you run below your lactate threshold, your effort is fueled primarily by fat.By staying in this zone you can run for a long time without getting tired. The more you run, the more economical your form becomes utilizing fuel and at preserving energy. But, because you are not running intensely, you do not really increase your aerobic capacity. When you practice, it's also very important to carry water while running.
Increasing Steady-State Aerobic Capacity
This period is all about the art of running comfortably hard. Keep putting in the miles but at a higher% of your max heart rate (65-75%). This increased intensity will improve your aerobic capacity and increase your lactic threshold. The benefit is that you will be able to go faster before going anaerobic which means you run more in the same amount of time.
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Anaerobic Training to Increase Speed
The last phase is all about building to fast running. You have created the cardiac efficiency, now it's time to increase your ability to withstand oxygen debt. You need to put in Like the three long runs in aerobic conditioning, you should run hard (anaerobically) three times a week during the anaerobic phase. The idea is to tire your legs, recover completely, and then tire them out again. It's really not important what the distances or speeds are, just run repetitions and intervals until you are exhausted.
For the best running conditioning, I recommend running periodization over 16 weeks to ensure you get the most out of every type of running exercise.