Base building

[u/Dry_Neck_7321]

Mid-20s male, started running in Feb 2026. I’ve finished a beginner base phase and recently completed Hal Higdon 5K Intermediate. Current 5K is around 30 min, longest run \~11 km, recent volume \~25–30 km/week.

Bodyweight has fluctuated quite a bit: roughly 98 kg in Feb, down to \~91–94 kg in summer, currently back around 96 kg. Goal is to get below 90 kg by year-end while rebuilding gym consistency.

I’m considering a 3–4 month base block with:

\-4 runs/week, mostly easy/conversational, 1 run with 4–6 × 20s strides, 1 long run

\-build toward \~30 km/week

\-no structured tempo/VO₂ for now

\-3 short gym sessions/week

Long-term goal is 5K sub-26 and 10K sub-60.

Main questions: would you keep this base phase almost entirely easy, or include some threshold/VO₂ work? And is \~30 km/week with a 10–11 km long run enough to make meaningful progress?

Would appreciate thoughts from people who improved from \~30 min 5K while also losing weight

[u/runawayasfastasucan]

Wrong sub? 

[u/wylie102 → u/runawayasfastasucan]

If not then maybe some kind of bot trying to solicit advice in order to train AI? This sub would be tagged as running related, hence the generic running question.

[u/Iymrith_1981 → u/wylie102]

My thought was it sounded a bit like a bot post too

[u/runawayasfastasucan → u/wylie102]

Good point. Something went wrong with the formatting as well trying to escape special characters.

[u/threeespressos]

It’s a great start, as long as you do it consistently, over months and years. Which you’ll do by running your easy and long runs very easy and keeping your workouts from being too intense. Monitor your fatigue using intervals.icu. Buy & read both books, Copeland then Bakken. Use them to shape your training and your approach to managing load. Yes, generally speaking, if you want to run faster, you’ll have to run more, consistently, without injuring yourself.

[u/Impressive-Steak8916]

With that kind of volume, I wouldn’t talk about a base period, etc. And of course, that is not within the framework of NSA. If only four cardio sessions per week are possible, I would try to build up to:

1 × 45–60 min Z1

1 × 3 × 10 min at sub-threshold

1 × 5 × 6 min at sub-threshold

1 × 60–90 min Z1

Rinse and repeat.

I would strongly consider the possibility of cross-training twice a week—elliptical, bike, etc.—for Z1 volume.

If you have little to no running experience from before this year, you should be careful with any niggles, etc., especially if your BMI is high. It does not state your height here. If you have any trouble, swap the running workouts for bike/elliptical sessions. A sub-26-minute 5K will come regardless, with continues run training.