Training week · Edition 02 · Archive
Four easy runs, two steady lifts.
A week of conversational running, short strength sessions and room to recover. Start from the training you do now, even if you have never followed a SoleMiles edition before.
Jump to the weekBefore you start
Four rules that outlast any one week.
Use your current baseline
This is a standalone week, not a step up from the archive. Keep both weekly time and your longest outing within what has felt comfortable over recent weeks. Missed editions are not sessions to catch up on.
Keep conversation comfortable
Aim for an easy 2-4 out of 10 effort, where 10 is your maximum. You should be able to speak comfortably in full sentences. Slow down or walk whenever breathing becomes strained, including on hills. There are no intervals or fast finishes this week.
Keep strength familiar
Use movements and loads you already know. Finish each set with about three comfortable repetitions left, rest 60-90 seconds between sets, and take longer if needed. Stop at the time cap and omit a set rather than rushing. Soreness is a reason to reduce the next session.
Leave room to recover
Tuesday, Friday and Saturday have no scheduled training. Ordinary movement is welcome, but you do not owe the plan extra exercise. If fatigue carries over, shorten a run or take another rest day. Stop a session for pain that changes how you move.
5-11 Oct · 4 runs, 2 lifts
The week.
5 Oct
Monday
2 sessions30 minutes total
Easy run
Run
Settle into an easy half-hour
- The session
- Warm-up: 5 minutes walking or very gentle jogging.
- Main: 20 minutes easy running on a familiar, mostly flat route. Walking breaks count within the time.
- Cool-down: 5 minutes gentle jogging or walking. No strides or extra distance.
- Effort
- Easy, RPE 2-4 out of 10. Comfortable full-sentence conversation throughout.
- Why it is here
- A short, easy outing to fit running around the rest of your day.
Get this rightCheck your breathing before your watch. Thirty minutes is a cap, not a distance target.
About 25 minutes total
Strength
Gym
Strength A: familiar full-body work
Squat, hinge, push, pull and trunk control
| Exercise | Sets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Goblet squat or bodyweight squat | 2 x 8 | Choose a familiar version and a comfortable depth. Leave about three repetitions in reserve. |
| Light dumbbell Romanian deadlift | 2 x 8 | Use only if you already know the hinge. A familiar glute bridge, 2 x 8, is an alternative. |
| Incline push-up | 2 x 8 | Use a stable support high enough to keep every repetition controlled. A familiar light chest press is an alternative. |
| Seated band or cable row | 2 x 8 | Use a securely anchored band or a familiar machine. Keep your shoulders relaxed and avoid jerking. |
| Dead bug | 2 x 6 each side | Move slowly through a comfortable range. End the set if you lose trunk control. |
- Warm-up
- Within the 25 minutes: 3 minutes easy walking or cycling, then 2 minutes of unloaded squats, hip hinges and gentle shoulder movements. Use an easy practice set before a loaded movement, within the same cap.
- Why it is here
- Make time for familiar whole-body strength work alongside easy running.
Get this rightRun first if doing both together, then take a breather before lifting. Separate them later in the day if that suits you. Rest 60-90 seconds between sets; skip remaining sets at 25 minutes.
6 Oct
Tuesday
RestNo running
Recovery
Recovery
A day without scheduled training
- Why it is here
- Space after Monday's two sessions to notice how you have recovered.
Get this rightNormal daily movement is fine. If the legs are still sore tomorrow, replace Wednesday's run with rest or a comfortable walk.
7 Oct
Wednesday
1 session35 minutes total
Easy run
Run
An unhurried midweek run
- The session
- Warm-up: 5 minutes walking or very gentle jogging.
- Main: 25 minutes easy running. Walk hills or take walking breaks within these minutes.
- Cool-down: 5 minutes gentle jogging or walking.
- Effort
- Easy, RPE 2-4 out of 10. Keep full-sentence conversation comfortable.
- Why it is here
- Keep a familiar running rhythm with no pace target to chase.
Get this rightSave the faster group session for another week. Choose a conversational group or your own easy route.
8 Oct
Thursday
2 sessions30 minutes total
Easy run
Run
Short and conversational
- The session
- Warm-up: 5 minutes walking or very gentle jogging.
- Main: 20 minutes easy running, with walking breaks whenever needed.
- Cool-down: 5 minutes gentle jogging or walking.
- Effort
- Easy, RPE 2-4 out of 10. No harder than Wednesday.
- Why it is here
- A second short outing that leaves room for strength and recovery.
Get this rightThese are consecutive running days. If that is unusual for you, or Wednesday left fatigue, omit today's run and use the three-run option below.
About 25 minutes total
Strength
Gym
Strength B: repeat what you know
Familiar full-body movements, with no increase in load
| Exercise | Sets | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Goblet squat or bodyweight squat | 2 x 8 | Use Monday's version and no heavier load. Cut to one set if the legs feel tired. |
| Light dumbbell Romanian deadlift or glute bridge | 2 x 8 | Repeat the familiar movement chosen on Monday. Leave about three repetitions in reserve. |
| Incline push-up or light chest press | 2 x 8 | Repeat Monday's choice with smooth repetitions and a comfortable effort. |
| Seated band or cable row | 2 x 8 | Keep the same resistance as Monday, or reduce it. Rest before form becomes untidy. |
| Dead bug | 2 x 6 each side | Use Monday's comfortable range. Quality matters more than completing every repetition. |
- Warm-up
- Within the 25 minutes: 3 minutes easy walking or cycling and 2 minutes of unloaded squats, hip hinges and gentle shoulder movements. Include easy practice sets as needed within the cap.
- Why it is here
- A second opportunity for whole-body strength, followed by two days without scheduled training.
Get this rightLift after the easy run or later that day. Rest 60-90 seconds between sets and stop at 25 minutes. Reduce or omit the lift if Monday's soreness has not settled.
9 Oct
Friday
RestNo running
Recovery
Recovery
No scheduled training
- Why it is here
- Room to recover after Thursday's run and lift.
Get this rightKeep ordinary movement comfortable. You do not need a recovery workout to complete the week.
10 Oct
Saturday
RestNo running
Recovery
Recovery
Leave the day open
- Why it is here
- A second day without a planned session before the longest outing.
Get this rightSkip the extra shakeout or hard cross-training. If you still feel tired, shorten Sunday rather than trying to make up time.
11 Oct
Sunday
1 session45 minutes total
Long run
Run
A little more time, the same easy effort
- The session
- Warm-up: 5 minutes walking or very gentle jogging.
- Main: 35 minutes easy running on a familiar route. Walking breaks are included, not added on.
- Cool-down: 5 minutes gentle jogging or walking. Finish without a faster final section.
- Effort
- Easy, RPE 2-4 out of 10. Comfortable conversation from start to finish.
- Why it is here
- The week's longest easy outing, kept within a duration you already tolerate.
Get this rightForty-five minutes is the ceiling. Shorten it to your recent comfortable longest outing if necessary, and keep the effort easy when running with friends.
Make it fit
Scale it to your week.
Three runs are your usual week
Omit Thursday's run. Use Monday 25 minutes, Wednesday 30 and Sunday 35, each including 5 minutes to warm up and 5 to cool down. That is 90 minutes of run/walk time. Keep the two lifts only if they are already familiar: at most 25 minutes each, giving up to 2 hours 20 total. Shorten further to stay within your recent weekly time and longest outing.
You normally do more
Keep the four-run structure and both lifts as written for an easier week. You do not need to add intervals, a fifth run, heavier weights or a longer Sunday to make this edition useful. Return to your own established plan when it suits your recovery and goals.
Strength is new or has been absent
Omit the two lifts rather than starting ten unfamiliar sets at once. Keep only the running that matches your recent baseline: the full four-run option is 2 hours 20. Learn suitable strength movements separately with qualified instruction before using this edition's lifting sessions.
Returning after a break
Use your current comfortable frequency and duration, even if that is fewer than three runs. Do not catch up on archived weeks or add time to compensate for a missed session. This is not a rehabilitation plan; an injury or symptoms that affect running need individual advice before following it.
Edition 02
Do it together.
When a new edition is published, it replaces the latest page while this edition stays at its permanent archive URL. The hard session and the long run are both easier in company.
Explore weekly group runs