Maintain Momentum (and Avoid Losing Progress) In Between Races with This Plan

One of the best parts of crossing a big finish line is the relief of not having to follow a strict training plan anymore. After several weeks (or months) of training, it’s finally time to take a break. But once your body’s feeling a little recovered, it’s common to start wondering, Well, what now? Some runners end up missing the structure that a training plan provides. Others worry about losing fitness, even if their body’s not ready to jump into another big training block just yet. 

The solution: a maintenance running plan. This kind of training will give you a mental and physical break from following a rigorous running program while still keeping your body healthy and ready to go once it’s time to gear up for your next big goal. “It’s about maintaining aerobic training levels,” says Peloton instructor Becs Gentry, who is a major fan of this approach. As someone who often races without much advance notice, she says following a maintenance running plan helps to keep her fitness relatively high so she’s ready to throw down whenever an opportunity to race comes her way. 

If you’re not exactly sure how to pull off the tricky balance of preserving your fitness without burning out, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s what you need to know if you want to stay fit between races.  

Maintenance Running Plan to Stay Fit Between Races

After you’ve made it through a major training cycle and collected your race medal, there’s sometimes a temptation to feel like you’re “finished” training, says exercise scientist Rachelle Reed. “It's really easy to be like, ‘Woof, I did it. Done and done,’ ” she says. But while most experts do recommend hitting the pause button on running for a bit, instead of simply retreating to the couch, Reed says active recovery will help you bounce back from all the stress you just put on your body. “Sometimes, this looks like taking a week or so 'off' and focusing on recovery through light movement, proper nutrition, hydration, sleep, etc,” Reed says. This will give your musculoskeletal system time to return to homeostasis, she explains. 

“Between training cycles, runners should firstly focus on getting themselves fully recovered from the race—i.e. cortisol levels low and no muscle soreness,” Becs adds. “Massage and self-care can really go a long way.”

Once your body feels ready to start doing harder workouts again, it’s time to work on maintaining all that aerobic fitness you built up during your last training cycle, and zero in on any areas you might have neglected while dedicating so much time to running. Here’s what that might look like. 

Cross Training Between Races

Running isn’t the only way to get your heart pumping enough to protect your aerobic fitness. Becs says a maintenance running plan can be a great opportunity to cross train through other kinds of cardio such as cycling or rowing to work your body in different ways (and often with less stress on your joints). 

She suggests focusing on the sports you actually like. “When you are training for a race, you should be focused on the discipline you are competing in—so in a running training cycle you will limit riding the Bike or rowing,” Becs says. But after you cross that finish line, you can pick back up those other activities you enjoy. “When this is the impetus to move, you will find more enjoyment and even motivation to do it!” she adds. 

Strength Training for Running

The CDC’s official guidelines for physical activity recommend that all adults get at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise each week, plus two days of strength training. While most runners training for a race will easily check off those 150 minutes, many don’t fit in the two days of strength work. “When people are prepping for that long race, most of the time they can train has to be dedicated to running,” Reed says. But strength training is essential to helping us retain lean muscle mass throughout our bodies and keep our bones healthy as we age. “The off-season can be really helpful for adding that back in,” she says.   

In particular, Becs recommends focusing on Peloton’s Strength for Runners collection during your maintenance phase. This will help you build up those muscles that are going to improve your running economy and help safeguard you from injury once your mileage picks back up again. 

Running Workouts 

Some runners—like Becs—like to simply run at whatever paces feel good when they’re following a maintenance running plan. But that doesn’t mean you can’t sprinkle in some speed. “You can absolutely still do a combination of workouts to keep it interesting if that's what floats your boat,” Becs says. “Or if you are (like me) happy with just heading out for a run at a steady pace when the mood takes you, stick to those types of runs until your interest wanes and then add in a speed workout and see how that feels.” Working in some harder efforts this way will help you keep up your stamina. 

How Many Weekly Miles Should You Aim to Run for Post-Race Maintenance?

The biggest difference between a training cycle and a maintenance training plan is the mileage. “You want some consistent base level of running to maintain your fitness. But it's not as if you need to be doing massive long runs,” Reed says.  

Research suggests most people can maintain their long-term endurance and Vo2 max for up to 15 weeks by completing about two thirds of their previous training volume—as long as it’s at the same intensity. So if you were running an average of 40 miles per week in the lead-up to your race, you can pare that down to 27 miles on a maintenance running plan. You can also sub in other cardio workouts for some of those miles, as long as they work your heart as much as running does.

Tips to Keep In Mind When Running for Maintenance

Don’t forget that there’s a mental component to the off-season. If you get stressed out by the challenge of hitting certain paces during training, Becs suggests using this period as a break from that pressure. “The main thing that is different between races is that I will run at a pace that feels good rather than focused on performance,” she says. 

This is also a good time to establish healthy habits since you’re in less of a time crunch to fit in those long miles. “Set your body up for what's next,” Becs says. “Adding in stretching and strength training will make it easier to keep it in your schedule when running returns.” 

Recovery 

During this part of the year when you’re spending less time running, Reed recommends putting extra focus on the three main pillars of recovery: “Prioritize getting enough sleep every night, fueling yourself appropriately, and hydrating,” she says. (Yes, your body won’t need as many calories since you won’t be training as much, but you still want to get quality macros.) Those three things will give you the biggest recovery benefits, but Reed says you can also add in popular modalities like hot and cold therapy, massage guns, and compression devices to top things off if you want.   

Sample Weekly Maintenance Running Plan

Everyone’s maintenance running plan will look a little different. But a good rule of thumb for most runners is to complete about 66 percent of their previous volume through running and some cross-training, while also adding in some strength training. 

What might this look like? Over the course of a week, you could aim for a couple of strength for runners classes, one easy run, an interval run, and a cycling or rowing class, with a couple of rest days sprinkled in between. Or maybe you dedicate a day or two to a yoga for runners flow if one of your goals for the off-season is to increase your mobility. Or you could swap in more cross-training instead of those runs if you want to reduce impact on your joints. The best maintenance running plan will depend on your body, your fitness level, and your goals so figure out what makes most sense for you. 

How Long to Wait Between Races for Optimal Performance

The ideal amount of time to put between training cycles can vary. “People who have been training for years and years and have built up to maintaining that higher volume in order to perform race after race are better equipped to do something sooner,” Reed says. On the other hand, newer runners—or those who tend to be injury-prone—might need to wait a few months before ramping things back up to train at an intense level again. 

“It has so many different factors, but I would say fitness level is one of those biggest players,” Reed says. Another is mental—you have to be ready to put your focus on running again to train hard without burning out. Remember that research shows you can preserve your endurance for up to 15 weeks on a smart maintenance running plan, so don’t feel pressure to rush back into another training cycle right away out of fear of losing your fitness. 

Takeaway 

A maintenance running plan will never be as sexy or exciting as a dedicated race training program that gears you up to conquer a big goal. But it can be a smart way to sustain your base of aerobic fitness while building up other kinds of strength, establishing healthy habits, and giving yourself a chance to just enjoy running for running’s sake without the pressure to perform. As Becs says, “Between races should be a perfect time to remember why you began running and remember the fun.”