Defining a beginner runner hinges significantly on their "**training age". 

A true beginner, with a training age typically under one year, is new to running's unique stresses. Even athletes experienced in other sports are considered beginner runners if their running-specific training age is low, as they need to build resilience in running-specific tissues.

Factoring in training age helps set realistic expectations and guide appropriate training. Key considerations include:

• Low Training Age (0-1 year): Emphasise habit formation, gradual progression, and injury prevention. Training should be simple, mostly easy runs.
• Returning Beginners: Those with past running experience but a recent break should still rebuild gradually, though adaptation might be quicker.
• Experienced Non-Runners: Their general fitness is an asset, but they must respect their low running training age to avoid injury by progressing slowly.

Ultimately, a beginner runner is someone whose body and running-specific skills are still in the foundational stages of adapting to the demands of consistent running, a status best determined by their dedicated running training age.

At its core, training age for a beginner runner refers to the cumulative amount of time and consistent, running-specific training an individual has undertaken, leading to physiological and biomechanical adaptations that support the activity of running. 

It's a measure of how "experienced" their body is with the specific demands of running, not just how old they are or how generally fit they might be from other activities.

Here's a breakdown of key components and considerations for a beginner:

1. Specificity is Paramount:

   • Training age in running is running-specific. Hours spent cycling, swimming, or lifting weights contribute to general fitness, which is beneficial, but they don't build running training age directly. Running involves unique impact forces, muscle recruitment patterns, and cardiovascular demands that the body only adapts to through running itself.
   • For a beginner, this means their training age starts accumulating from the moment they begin consistent, purposeful running workouts.

2. Consistency Over Sporadic Effort:

   • A few runs scattered over months don't build significant training age. Consistent engagement—meaning running multiple times per week, every week, over a period—is crucial.
   • For a beginner, even if the runs are short (e.g., 15-20 minutes) and involve run/walk intervals, if done consistently (e.g., 3 times a week for 2 months), this starts to build their training age. This is more valuable than one long, hard run every few weeks.

3. Cumulative Load and Adaptation:

   • Training age reflects the body's gradual adaptation to the stress of running. This includes:
     • Musculoskeletal System: Bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles strengthening to handle impact and repetitive motion. For beginners, this adaptation is in its infancy, making them more vulnerable to overuse injuries.
     • Cardiovascular System: The heart and lungs becoming more efficient at delivering oxygen to working muscles.
     • Neuromuscular System: Improved coordination, running economy (using less energy at a given pace), and better "feel" for pacing.
   • Each consistent run adds a small "deposit" to this adaptation bank. A beginner's account is just starting to grow.

4. Duration of Consistent Training (Not Just "Time Since First Run"):

   • It's not just about when someone first tried running. It's about the period during which they have been consistently training. Someone who ran for three months five years ago and just started again has a very low current running training age, despite past experience. Their body needs to re-adapt.
   • For a beginner, this means their training age is often measured in weeks or months of consistent effort (e.g., "She has a running training age of 3 months, having run 3-4 times per week consistently during that time").

This course is NOT built by a marketing team.  It's not built on internal biases.  It's built on SCIENCE.

Evidence-based means our methods are backed by high quality scientific research.

We use supported techniques for run-prescription loading, exercise prescription, core advice, plyometrics, and strength training to ensure you:

1. LOVE the process
2. DON'T get injured
3. MEET your goals
4. And are INSPIRED to keep running - for LIFE.