How many weeks do I choose?
The Hughes Elites plans are all plans to help you perform at your highest level. Training to achieve this goal can be stressful on the human body. The more you’re able to distribute this stress across your training season, the lesser the chances of sickness or injury. The 8-week Base Phase is the most gradual of the options. The 6 and 4-week plans ramp up that stress at a faster rate and therefore have a higher risk entailed. If you have already been running 3-4 hours a week, these options have significantly less risk to them.
What if I haven’t been training, and only the 4 or 6-week plan fits my race schedule?
It is still possible to get by on these plans if you haven’t been training, but it becomes way more important to take advantage of training strategies that take a lesser toll on the body.
1. Your easier days should be even easier (stay at the lower end of the prescribed HR range).
2. Variate the surface you’re running on (trails, gravel, treadmill) from day to day.
3. Do NOT skip the strength training workouts.
