Determining the training days, time, distance and difficulty of the route is essential if you want each race to help you achieve your goals. If you are not sure how many kilometers to run per week, find out by taking into account some key factors when determining which ones will be right for you.
To practice running and plan your workouts so that they are safe and effective, establishing a number of kilometers per week is one of the main variables to take into account. In this sport, distances matter, but you must also be very clear that it is not always convenient to run the maximum number of kilometers possible. Sometimes less is more, because it all depends on your own physical condition, your long-term goals and the goals you have set yourself to achieve.
Guide to establish the distance you should run per week
Remember that to start practicing this sport it is important to start running little by little and increase your effort progressively. You can start running about 3 kilometers a day during the first week, training at least 3 times a week, although everything will depend on the physical level from which you start. As an advice, a prior medical check-up is never too much. Depending on your level of training, the guidelines on which to base yourself to determine your weekly kilometers in the race are:
1. Set your training goal
Logically you will have to travel a more or less extensive distance depending on the goal you have set for yourself: keep fit, lose a few extra kilos, and prepare for a specific test such as a marathon or a 10k. To give you an idea, a table indicative could be:
- Maintenance: 15 – 20 km / week spread over three alternate days.
- Lose weight: 30 km / week in 3-4 days of training.
- Specific test: Each race is different and requires specific training that takes into account both distance and speed. Your goal should be to be able to carry out that test (marathon, half marathon …) in an estimated time. Depending on your level, you can start with the maintenance kilometers and gradually increase the kilometers until you are able to cover the entire distance of the test without problems. For example, for a half marathon, the weekly mileage would range from 30 – 40 km. for beginners and 55-65 for high-level runners.
2. Complete the tour
It is one of the main guidelines to know how many kilometers to run. If you finish your route exhausted, with fatigue and cramps or you cannot finish it directly, you are falling into overtraining and you should reduce kilometers. If, on the other hand, the distance that you have marked does not imply any effort, you know, go up a couple of kilometers to take advantage of your training. Be realistic and plan as a weekly goal a number of kilometers that you can meet.
3. Adapt the number of kilometers to the type of training
Not all kilometers involve the same physical wear and tear. Ideally, the weekly distance you establish allows you to do a varied workout. Running on different surfaces (asphalt, dirt, and tracks), incorporating hills and slopes, including high intensity intervals. Divide the mileage of the week between the training days according to the degree of difficulty. For example, you can run 5 hard kilometers on a slope one day and twice as long on another, but flat and jogging.
4. Don’t run beyond your means
Keep in mind that exceeding your maximum does not always mean gaining speed by running or improving endurance and, instead, it can imply an unnecessary risk of injury. You must run comfortably, demanding what is fair in each race. If you set the bar too high and do not allow your body the necessary recovery time, you probably will not be able to complete the number of kilometers per week that you have proposed.
5. Increase kilometers progressively
The goal of any runner is to improve with their training. One way to achieve this by making longer and longer runs. If this is your idea, remember that you must increase kilometers little by little. Ideally, add 1 – 2 kilometers to the weekly ride when you think you are ready for it and maintain the new distance for at least 2 – 3 weeks. Only then will you improve your own brands for sure.
