2EZ to Running

5 days gives you enough volume to build real aerobic fitness without grinding your body down. Two rest days let you recover hard between quality sessions. This is the format used by elite coaches for all runners who want to get faster without breaking. 80% Easy Running - Aerobic base, fat burn, low injury rick 20% Hard Effort - Speed, threshold, VO2max gains 2x Quality Days - One interval, one tempo per week 1x Long Run - 30% of weekly distance - easy pace Pick Your Level: Beginner: - Running < 6months - Can run 20-30 mins without stopping - Weekly distance: 15–25 km/week - Long run: 6–8 km - Intervals: Short reps (200–400m) - Tempo: 15–20 min at conversational-hard pace Coach says: Your only job is to finish every session. Don't race the easy days. If you're gassing out on your easy runs, you're running too fast. Intermediate - Running 6–24 months - Can run 45–60 min comfortably - Weekly distance: 30–45 km/week - Long run: 12–16 km - Intervals: 800m–1200m reps - Tempo: 25–35 min at comfortably hard pace Coach says: This is the level where most gains happen if you stay consistent. Resist the urge to go harder on easy days. The tempo session should feel controlled — not all-out. Advanced - Running 2+ years - Has raced before, comfortable with structure - Weekly distance: 50–70 km/week - Long run: 18–25 km - Intervals: 1km–1.6km reps, or 3–5 min efforts - Tempo: 40–50 min at threshold or race-specific pace Coach says: Volume is your weapon. But even at this level, 80% of your runs should feel embarrassingly easy. The hard 20% is where you cash in your aerobic investment.