10-Week Trail Running Maintenance Program

This low-volume plan incorporates plenty of rest with a variety of workouts to keep your training focused but relaxed and flexible. No race plans on the calendar? Want to keep consistent, build strength and power but also interested in cross training?

Mon

Tues

Wed

Thurs

Fri

Sat

Sun

Week 1

Rest /
Recovery

60 min easy-moderate with 4-6 x :20 hills

20-30 min moderate
6 x :45 hills, hard + 6 x :45 flat, fast 20-30 min easy

strength

rest or XT or 45-60 min easy
mobility/core

XT or run 60 min easy with 4-6 pick-ups at end

90 min moderate, rolling with 6-8 x :20 hills

strength

XT 90-120 min or run 60-90 min easy

Week 2

Rest /
Recovery

60 min easy-moderate with 4-6 x :20 hills

20-30 min moderate
8-10 x 1:00 hills, hard
20-30 min easy

strength

rest or XT or 45-60 min easy
mobility/core

XT or run 60 min easy with 4-6 pick-ups at end

90 min moderate, rolling with 6-8 x :20 hills

strength

XT 90-120 min or run 60-90 min easy

Week 3

Rest /
Recovery

80 min easy-moderate with 6-8 pick-ups at end

20-30 min moderate
8-10 x 1:00 hills, hard
20 min moderate
10 min easy

strength

rest or XT or 45-60 min easy
mobility/core

XT or run 60 min easy with 4-6 pick-ups at end

90-120 min moderate, rolling with 6-8 x :20 hills
strength

XT 90-120 min or run 60-90 min easy

Week 4

Rest /
Recovery

45-60 min easy-moderate with 6-8 pick-ups at end

20-30 min easy
4 x 1:00 hills
4 x :30 hills
4 x :15 hills
10 min easy

strength

rest or XT or 45-60 min easy
mobility/core

XT or run 45-60 min easy with 4-6 pick-ups at end

60-90 min moderate, rolling

strength

XT 90 min or run 60-90 min easy with 4-6 pick-ups at end

Week 5

Rest /
Recovery

30 min easy-moderate
6 x :15 very steep hills
20 min easy

strength

rest or XT or 45-60 min easy

20-30 min moderate
6-8 x 2:00 hills
10 min moderate
10 min easy

mobility/core

XT or run 60 min easy with 4-6 pick-ups at end

90-120 min moderate, rolling with 6-8 x :20 hills

strength

XT 90-120 min or run 60-90 min easy

Week 6

Rest /
Recovery

30 min easy-moderate
6 x :15 very steep hills
20 min easy

80 min progression
20 min easy
30 min moderate
20 min tempo
10 min easy w/ 6-8 pickups at end)

strength

rest or XT or 45-60 min easy

mobility/core

XT or run 60 min easy with 4-6 pick-ups at end

90-120 min moderate, rolling with 6-8 x :20 hills

strength

XT 90-120 min or run 60-90 min easy

Week 7

Rest /
Recovery

80 min easy-moderate with 4-6 x :20 hills

20-30 min moderate
5 x 3:00 hills
5 x :30 hills
10-20 min easy

strength

rest or XT or 45-60 min easy

mobility/core

XT or run 60 min easy with 4-6 pick-ups at end

90-120 min moderate, rolling with 6-8 x :20 hills

strength

XT 90-120 min or run 60-90 min easy

Week 8

Rest /
Recovery

45-60 min easy-moderate with 6-8 pick-ups at end

20 min easy
10 x 1:00 hills
10-20 min easy

strength

rest or XT or 45-60 min easy

mobility/core

XT or run 45-60 min easy with 4-6 pick-ups at end

60-90 min moderate, rolling

strength

XT 90 min or run 60-90 min easy with 4-6 pick-ups at end

Week 9

Rest /
Recovery

30 min easy-moderate
6 x :15 very steep hills
20 min easy

80 min progression
20 min easy
30 min mod
20 min tempo
10 min easy w/ 6-8 pickups at end)

strength

rest or XT or 45-60 min easy

mobility/core

XT or run 60 min easy with 4-6 pick-ups at end

90-120 min moderate, rolling with 6-8 x :20 hills

strength

XT 90-120 min or run 60-90 min easy

Week 10

Rest /
Recovery

30 min easy-moderate
6 x :15 very steep hills
20 min easy

strength

rest or XT or 45-60 min easy

20-30 min moderate
6-8 x 3:00 hills
4 x :30 hills
10-20 min easy

mobility/core

XT or run 60 min easy with 4-6 pick-ups at end

90-120 min moderate, rolling with 6-8 x :20 hills

strength

XT 90-120 min or run 60-90 min easy

Approach

With no specific event goal, these workouts are time and effort based, so don't worry about pace, speed or mileage. The intent is to build power and efficiency so that when there is a trail race, or self-guided mountain adventure, on the calendar you can start specific training feeling well equipped.

Program Notes

Rest & Recover: walking, gentle yoga practice, foam roll, hot tub, nap... and eat up, your body needs fuel to repair!

XT: Any Cross Training you enjoy, you can go as long or short as you like - indoor or outdoor cycling, nordic skiing, hiking, swimming. Go ahead and throw in some intervals if it feels good. If choosing to run, Sunday would be a good day for an uphill treadmill session (run or hike) to keep it lower impact.

Saturdays: Okay to push it up some hills if it feels good, or just keep it very mellow - listen to your body and just have fun on these. Try running some downhills harder to keep your quads used to the eccentric loading.

Pick-ups: Sometimes called strides or accelerations, they are not sprints. Find a smooth stretch of trail or road and accelerate through 20-30 seconds keeping good form, thinking about staying relaxed but powerful. Recover and repeat.

Hills: Effort will vary on hill repeats! for shorter (30 sec - 1:00) it should feel hard and you'll need to catch your breath at the top, but not all-out. Longer intervals are more controlled, comfortably hard efforts.

Strength: If you already have a strength routine you enjoy, and feel is helpful, just keep up with that! No regular strength work yet? basic variations on squats, lunges, step-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, planks are really all you need, although we recommend getting some professional guidance to be sure your form is correct. You can also find numerous, simple online workouts through apps like Recover Athletics from Strava, Nike Training Club, or Apple's 10W2S: Strength for Running.

Mobility/Core: Take 20-30 minutes to move your body through a range of motion and incorporate some core stability exercises. you can use a yoga class for this, or again, find basic routines for mobility and stability online.

Want to trail further?

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