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Does your running training plan feel like it’s written in another language? From tempo runs and intervals to fartlek sessions and cross training, there’s plenty of jargon to get your head around.

We’ve broken down the most common training terms so you know exactly what your plan is asking you to do and can tackle every session with confidence.

What does it all mean?

Beginner runner training plans will often begin with a run/walk programme that asks you to measure your runs by the time on the clock. But once you move on from your first 5k, plans may can include various different training sessions that might seem confusing or daunting at first.

However, with a little decoding of what’s involved, you may find that you enjoy the variety that different training sessions bring to your week and your running will certainly improve.

Adding variety to your training

The best training plans will combine a mix of all of the different types of runs listed below. This is because each type of run conditions your body in a different way. The best way to get quicker over the distance that you’re training for is to run both longer AND shorter than that distance, as well as varying your pace over the week.

Every runner is different when it comes to the goals they’re aiming for, their ability and their previous running history. Because of this, the easiest way to distinguish between terms relating to pace on a training plan is to look at your Rate of Perceived Effort (RPE) – this is a measure of how you feel on the run. The RPE scale will most often go from 1-10, with 1 being incredibly easy and 10 being an all-out hard effort.

Why do you need a training plan?

Before diving into the nuts and bolts of a training plan, it’s essential to understand why having a structured plan is so important. Running might seem as simple as lacing up your shoes and hitting the pavement, but as you progress, the right training strategy becomes crucial. Here’s why you need one…

1. Injury prevention. Overuse injuries including shin splints, stress fractures, and plantar fasciitis are commonplace among runners, especially if you’re a beginner or coming back after a break. They can derail your running goals, but a well-structured plan will balance hard efforts with adequate recovery to keep your muscles, joints and tendons healthy and ready to work.
2. Improved performance. By progressively increasing your workload and incorporating different types of runs (like the ones below), you’ll improve your endurance, speed and running economy.
3. Mental motivation. A training plan provides daily or weekly goals that keep you motivated. It breaks down your big race or running goals into manageable chunks, making progress easier to track and enjoy. An added bonus is that you can also celebrate smaller milestones along the way.
4. Building confidence. A well-designed training plan sets you up for success. Each completed run boosts your confidence as you approach your race or milestone because of the self-belief the small wins bring.

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Training plans explained: key terms

Easy runs

Easy runs might be better termed ‘slow runs’ because you should be consciously slowing down your pace (and they don’t always feel that easy). During an easy run, you should feel relaxed and be breathing comfortably. Your Rate of Perceived Effort (RPE) should be around 3 to 5 out of 10. The best way to test this out is by making these runs sociable.

Head out with a running buddy or group and have a chat while you run. This is known as the ‘talk test’. If you can’t hold a conversation while on an easy run, then chances are, you’re running too fast and putting in too much effort.

It’s really important that you don’t worry too much about your pace on an easy run. A speed which might feel easy to you one day, may feel incredibly hard on a different day. So, instead of focusing on your pace for these runs, focus on both the talk test and your RPE.

Steady runs

These are a step up from easy runs. There is some benefit to steady runs, but the drawback is that a lot of runners will find themselves going out and doing all of their running at a steady pace because it makes them feel like they are working hard.

Realistically, though, steady is not focused enough to be of any major benefit and isn’t easy enough to promote recovery. For a true steady run, your RPE should be around 6 to 7 out of 10. It’ll be harder to talk during a steady run, compared to an easy run.

Tempo runs

Tempo runs come in different shapes and sizes, but the simplest way to think of them is as a sustained period of running (usually 2 miles or longer) run at a set pace. The pace you’re running will depend on your fitness but also the race you’re training for.

People often use the terms ‘tempo run’ and ‘threshold run’ interchangeably but there is a difference. Tempo runs can also be longer runs where you practise running at a certain pace, for example goal marathon pace, for up to an hour.

Effort-wise, tempo runs should feel like an 8 out of 10 effort. Put simply, tempo running is a hard effort, but not flat out. The easiest way to determine what your tempo pace is, is to run fast enough that you feel you could go just a little quicker at a push. British long-distance runner and Olympian Jo Pavey swears by tempo runs as a key component of her training for half and marathon distance running

The aim of tempo runs in your plan is to get your body used to a race pace speed that you can sustain for a decent amount of time.

Threshold

The term threshold refers to your anaerobic threshold, or the point at which the appearance of lactate in the blood accumulates faster than its rate of use. If you run at just below that pace, you help push that point up.

Threshold training runs are a type of tempo run, but they work at your threshold pace to improve your speed over longer distances. The pace of these runs will depend on your experience as a runner, but if you add 10-15 seconds per mile on to your current 10K pace, you’ll find your threshold pace.

Start off with time blocks run at your threshold pace and add walking or jogging recoveries in between. Then build up to running a longer block at that pace all in one go.

Interval training

Interval training is simply periods of running faster, and then recovering by either walking or jogging. Some sessions will measure your effort and recovery in time, while other will use distance.

Shorter, faster intervals of running can not only help you become fitter and faster, but offer an opportunity to work on your running form. And the mental strength you’ll build to get through each rep will help in the final miles of a race.

The effort you should be putting into your intervals is a 9 out of 10. This means really pushing hard to hit the maximum speed that you feel able to sustain over the distance of your interval. The pace of your interval will vary, depending on the distance. If you’re training for a marathon, it’s likely you’ll be doing some longer intervals, for example 1K or a mile. The pace you run these intervals will be a lot slower than if you’re doing 100 or 200 metres.

The key to a good interval session is consistency. You don’t want to go all-out on the first effort, which is commonly referred to as a repetition or ‘rep’, and then not be able to sustain that pace across the rest of your efforts.

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Progressive runs

A progressive run is a type of training run where the runner starts at a relatively easy or moderate pace and gradually increases their speed as the run progresses. The goal is to finish the run at a faster pace than the starting pace. For example, you might run 5K, with each kilometre faster than the previous one.

This type of run is designed to help improve a runner’s stamina, speed and overall fitness. By gradually increasing the intensity of the run, it simulates the fatigue that can be experienced in longer races or hard efforts. Progressive runs can be structured in various ways, with the speed gradually increasing over the entire duration of the run or with specific segments designated for faster paces.

Fartlek

Fartlek is the Swedish word for ‘speed play’. It is a completely unstructured form of intervals, featuring bursts of effort and varying recovery times. It’s a really easy way to incorporate some faster running into your training, by using things like street furniture to dictate how much distance you are going to cover for the different levels of effort.

One example might be running an 8-out-of-10 effort from your start point to the next lamppost and then jogging a 3-out-of-10 effort once you’ve reached that lamppost to the next bin.

Long runs

Long runs are a key part of running training, no matter what distance race you are training for. Some runners believe that a long run should only be defined as that if it’s over a certain distance, but it’s okay to just think of it as the longest run of your training week. If you’re training for a race, be it 5K or shorter, and all the way up to a marathon, you should be running one run per week at a longer distance than your other runs.

Long runs are performed at a slower pace than your goal race pace. It’s recommended that runners do their long runs anywhere from 30 to 90 seconds per mile slower than their goal marathon pace. They improve endurance and strengthen slow-twitch muscle fibres, which play a key role in helping you run for longer. If you’re training for a longer distance like a half or a marathon, your weekly long run plays a big part in improving your mental strategies and strength.

Training plans explained: other key terms

Cross training

Cross training in a running training plan refers to the inclusion of activities other than running. The idea is to engage in different types of exercises or activities that complement running while giving the primary running muscles a break. Cross-training can offer several benefits, including reduced risk of injury, improved cardiovascular fitness and active recovery.

Examples of cross-training activities for runners include swimming, cycling, elliptical training, strength training, yoga and rowing. The key is to choose activities that complement running and contribute to overall fitness without causing excessive fatigue or compromising recovery for running.

Strength and conditioning

S&C is a common abbreviation on training plans that stands for ‘strength and conditioning’. It is an important part of your training plan, because in order to see improvements in your running and to do the best you can at staying free from injury, you need to do more than just run, run, run.

There are so many benefits to strength training for runners; the stronger you are, the quicker you’ll be able to run and the less likely you’ll be to pick up injuries. Strength can also improve your running economy by helping your coordination.

Strength training will usually feature in your training plans on days that you’re not due to run and you may get an option for a rest day, cross training or strength day. Don’t have any home workout equipment? No problem, check out this no-equipment home workout.

Rest days

Rest days are a vital component to running training plans. They help your body recover from the strains of your training and it’s during the rest periods that your body can heal and adapt to the training. If your training plan says rest, then you must take it as seriously as the running sessions that have come before it.

When we run, we create an impact load on our body which causes microscopic tears in our muscle fibres as well as stressing our entire physiological system. Rest days also give your mind a chance to recover, by being able to switch off and relax.

Tapering

Tapering and is a key part of training for long distance races. It’s the final two to three weeks before race day when your training starts to decrease. The last few weeks before a race are when your body will adapt to the training stimuli from the preceding weeks and rest and recover so that you’re ready to race on fresh legs.

The length of your taper will depend on the length of your race. Tapering for a marathon is generally about three weeks, for a half marathon, you might taper for 10 days to two weeks, and for a 10K or 5K, you are probably looking at just an easier week in the run-up to the big day.

Training plans explained: common abbreviations

• PR/PB: ‘PR’ stands for ‘Personal Record’, which tends to be the American way of saying ‘PB’, which stands for Personal Best. If you want to run your fastest parkrun, you could say you were going for a PB.
• PW: On the flip-side, a ‘PW’ is your personal worst. Define this however you want!
• DNS: If you pick up an injury in training for a race, you may end up with a ‘DNS’, which stands for ‘Did Not Start’.
• DNF: If you pick up an injury mid-race, you may end up with a ‘DNF’, which stands for ‘Did Not Finish’. DNFs happen for various reasons on race day. Some types of ultramarathon have a last-man-standing structure so in effect everyone’s a DNF apart from the winner!
• DQ: Ideally, you don’t want to walk away from a race with a DQ, which is the abbreviation for disqualification. It’s more likely to happen in track and field events than mass-participation running events, but do make sure you check out any rules or regulation of events you’re entering, as some won’t allow headphones or running vests to be worn.
• BQ: BQ is the abbreviation of ‘Boston Qualifier’, which refers to the qualification time required to enter the Boston Marathon in America. Boston is one of the six world major marathons. This is a group of marathons where, if you run them all, you get a special ‘six star medal’. The qualification times for the Boston Marathon vary, depending on your age and gender. You can find all the qualification details on the Boston Marathon website.

Need motivation to get out running? Here’s how to set big goals for your running.