Running base phase: what and why
Taking a break from lifting to rebuild my aerobic base. Here's the plan.
I've been lifting consistently for about three years. My aerobic fitness has quietly atrophied the whole time.
I noticed it on a hike last fall. Steeper sections that used to feel moderate were harder than they should have been. My resting heart rate has crept up. Recovery between sets that aren't even that heavy takes longer than it used to.
So I'm spending eight weeks rebuilding the base. Not replacing lifting entirely — I'll keep two sessions a week — but shifting the priority.
The plan is simple: run five days a week, all Zone 2. That means conversational pace, heart rate under 145, ego off. Most of these runs will feel embarrassingly easy. That's the point. Zone 2 work builds the mitochondrial density and cardiac output that everything else sits on top of.
I'm also doing one longer run on weekends, starting at 60 minutes and adding 10 minutes every two weeks.
Eight weeks from now I expect my resting heart rate to drop, my perceived effort on moderate cardio to decrease, and my recovery between lifting sets to improve. I'll check back in.
If you've been lifting for years and ignoring your aerobic base, you might want to do the same thing.