The first step in becoming a racer is becoming a jogger. The next step is to increase your training mileage. In the jogging program, you probably ran be-tween 12 and 21 miles each week. The more serious runners will want to run more mileage, so this section shows workouts that represent 10-mile increases in mileage from 20 miles to 80 miles a week. They are not a suggestion that you either want to or need to increase your mileage to that level. If you want to run in road or track races, keep several points in mind. Running more mileage increases your chances of fast performances, but it does not guarantee them. Further, you can run many road races at a comfortable pace with the lowest level of training given here. As long as you set reasonable goals within the limits of your talent and training level, racing can be very enjoyable. If you do increase your mileage, you should consider a hard/easy pattern of training weeks. Follow a harder, higher-mileage week with an easier, lower-mileage week. You should not go up to higher mileage until you have trained at a level below it for at least four weeks. The longer you train at any level, the easier it will be to move up to and train at the next higher level. The easier weeks will allow you to monitor your body more closely to learn how it is reacting to training. If training is always hard, fatigue may mask the early signs of injury or illnes.
The acceleration runs mentioned here are a form of fartlek training. During this run, gradually accelerate to a speed faster than you can maintain for the entire training run; hold the faster pace for about 100 yards before slowing to the regular running pace. The exact distance of the run is not important. Find a target, such as a tree, telephone pole or street comer, to run toward. Ease back on your pace when you reach the target. Street runners on short city blocks (about 100 yards or so) can accelerate for a block, then run easily for one or more blocks before accelerating again. The fartlek runs should be more exhilarating than exhausting.

Laying a Base: Weekly Mileage Patterns

One difference between a jogger and a serious runner is that the runner follows a training plan and has a goal. A person who wants to improve his marks at some distance, whether it be 800 meters, 10 kilometers, or the marathon, will plan training sessions that lead to that goal. In the early stages of training, all runners are joggers. Until you have achieved a reasonable level of fitness, any attempt at serious training is likely to result in injury or illness, rather than improvement. The human body improves its workload gradually, rather than in large jumps. For this reason, you began with 10 weeks of "pre-season" training at the beginning level. This training gives you the first level or foundation in building toward a goal. The next phase of training (after laying a foundation) is the base period, which is familiar to all serious runners. Weekly mileage patterns in the base period allow you to choose a training program that matches your ability and physical condition. It is important that you not try to do too much; remember the principle of moderation. If you are still tired before training on a given day, you may be training too hard or too much. A good way to train with the following mileage patterns is to move back and forth, rather than use the same one every week. For example, if you train at the 40-mile-per-week level, you might range from 30 to 50 miles per week, averaging 40 miles a week over a longer period. The longer or "hard" weeks would be followed by shorter or "easy" weeks, in keeping with the principles of training and recovery. This variety will keep the training interesting, and allow your body to recover from the more difficult sessions.
Generally, it is best not to increase your mileage more than 10 miles from one week to the next. Larger increases in mileage add greater stresses to the body than you may realize. If you are in good physical condition, you may not realize the harmful effects until several weeks later. A few days of rest or easy training can help you to recover from fatigue. The effects of fatigue can include stress fractures, which normally require months of recovery, so it's wise not to overdo it. Our rule of thumb is "easy up, easy down": The more gradual your training-load increase, the longer you should be able to train at a given level and maintain that condition, if you have to take a few days off for injury or illness.

Buildup of Mileage

Note (from me): The sequence below isn't written-in-stone, but it's excellent. I don't expect any of the new runners to get past 30 miles per week by the start of cross country, but I included the progression all the way out to 80 miles per week just so you can see the pattern.

20-Mile Week
Monday: 2-mile fartlek run.
Tuesday: 4-mile run at a steady pace. As your condition improves, pick up the tempo of the run.
Wednesday: 3-mile run at an easy, comfortable pace.
Thursday: 2-mile fartlek run. Include 8 accelerations of about 200 yards each.
Friday: 2-mile easy jog.
Saturday: 5-mile run, with variable pacing. Alternate running one mile hard, then one easy, and so on. If a mile is too far for a hard effort, use intervals of time instead, such as 5 minutes hard, then 5 easy, and so on.
Sunday: 2-mile run at a comfortable pace.

30-Mile Week
Monday: 4-mile fartlek run. Include 8 accelerations of 60 seconds or about 300 yards.
Tuesday: 6-mile run at steady pace. As your condition improves, pick up the tempo of the run.
Wednesday: 3-mile run at a comfortable pace.
Thursday: 5-mile fartlek run. If hills are available, run up several for about 200 yards. No hills: do 12 accelerations of about 200 yards each.
Friday: 2 miles of easy running on grass or other soft surface.
Saturday: 6-mile run, with variable pacing. Alternate running one mile hard, then one easy, and so on, timing yourself if necessary.
Sunday: 4-mile run at a comfortable pace.

40-Mile Week
Monday: 5-mile fartlek run. Include 6 accelerations of 2 minutes or about 600 yards.
Tuesday: 8-mile run at a gradually faster pace. Start easy, making each mile a little faster than the last one.
Wednesday: 4-mile run at a comfortable pace.
Thursday: 7-mile fartlek run. Include 12-20 accelerations of about 200 yards each or 35-40 seconds each.
Friday: 3 miles of easy running on grass or other soft surface.
Saturday: 8-mile run, with variable pacing. Alternate running two miles hard, then two easy, and so on, timing yourself if necessary.
Sunday: 5-mile comfortable run.

50-Mile Week
Monday: 7-mile fartlek run. Include 6 accelerations of 3 minutes of about 1000 yards.
Tuesday: 10-mile run at increasing pace. Start easy, making each 2-mile segment a little faster than the last one.
Wednesday: 5-mile run at a comfortable pace.
Thursday: 9-mile fartlek run. Include 24 accelerations of about 200 yards each or 35-40 seconds each.
Friday: 4 miles of easy running on grass or other soft Saturday; surface.
Saturday: 10-mile run, with variable pacing. Run rniles, 3, 6 and 9 at a hard pace, with the other Parts at a comfortable pace (i.e., 2 miles easy, then one hard, repeated three times).
Sunday: 6-mile easy run.

60-Mile Week
Monday: 8-mile fartlek run. Include 8 accelerations of 3 minutes or about 1000 yards.
Tuesday: 12-mile run at a steady, comfortable pace.
Wednesday: 6-mile very easy run.
Thursday: 10-mile fartlek run. Include 24 accelerations of about 200 yards or 35 seconds each.
Friday: 5 miles of very easy jogging on grass or other soft surface.
Saturday: 12-mile run, with variable pacing. Run a pattern of one mile easy, one mile at a medium pace, then one mile at a hard pace; repeat four times.
Sunday: 7 miles at a comfortable pace.

70-Mile Week
Monday: 9-mile fartlek run. Include 8 accelerations of 3 minutes or about 1000 yards.
Tuesday: AM: 2-mile easy jog. PM: 12-mile run at a steady, comfortable pace.
Wednesday: 7-mile easy run.
Thursday: AM: 2-mile easy run. PM: 10-mile fartlek run. Include 16 accelera-tions of about 200 yards.
Friday: 6 miles of easy running on grass or other soft surface.
Saturday: AM: 12-mile run, following a pattern of one mile hard, then one mile easy, repeating for 12 miles. PM: 2-mile easy jog.
Sunday: 8 miles at a comfortable pace.

80-Mile Week
Monday: 10-mile fartlek run.
Tuesday: AM: 4-mile easy run. PM: 12-mile run at a steady, comfortable pace.
Wednesday: 8-mile easy run.
Thursday: AM: 4-mile easy run. PM: 10-mile fartlek run. Include 16-24 ac-celerations of about 200 yards.
Friday: 6 miles of easy jogging on grass or other soft surface.
Saturday: AM: 10-mile steady run. PM: 5-mile run at relaxed pace.
Sunday: 10-mile easy run.