The following are guidelines for coaches to establish training load ranges for their athletes. Keep in mind that everyone is an individual but you should stray too far from these guidelines unless you have a genuine outlier athlete
General guideline for weekly, monthly, and annual Training Stress Score (TSS), total training hours, and total training distance for novice, intermediate, experienced, and professional runners. Keep in mind that these are broad ranges and the actual values can vary greatly depending on an individual athlete’s fitness, response to training, specific goals, and other factors.
| Novice | Intermediate | Experienced | Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSS/week | 200 – 300 | 400 – 600 | 700 – 900 | 1000 – 1200 |
| TSS/month | 800 – 1200 | 1600 – 2400 | 2800 – 3600 | 4000 – 4800 |
| TSS/year | 9600 – 14400 | 19200 – 28800 | 33600 – 43200 | 48000 – 57600 |
| Hours/week | 3 – 5 | 6 – 8 | 9 – 11 | 12 – 15 |
| Hours/month | 12 – 20 | 24 – 32 | 36 – 44 | 48 – 60 |
| Hours/year | 144 – 240 | 288 – 384 | 432 – 528 | 576 – 720 |
| Distance km/week | 10 – 20 | 25 – 40 | 45 – 60 | 70 – 100 |
| Distance km/month | 40 – 80 | 100 – 160 | 180 – 240 | 280 – 400 |
| Distance km/year | 480 – 960 | 1200 – 1920 | 2160 – 2880 | 3360 – 4800 |
Training Age #
Training age refers to the number of years an individual has been consistently and progressively training in their sport. It is an important aspect to consider when classifying an athlete’s level because it impacts their physical adaptations, skill development, and overall experience in the sport. It’s important to note that training age isn’t necessarily the same as chronological age; a runner could be in their 40s but have a low training age if they only took up the sport recently. Here are general guidelines for training age categories:
| Category | Training Age |
|---|---|
| Novice | 0-1 year |
| Intermediate | 1-3 years |
| Experienced | 3-5 years |
| Pro | 5+ years |
These are general guidelines and actual classifications can vary based on many factors including the athlete’s background in other sports, natural abilities, commitment to training, etc. Also, an athlete might reach the “Pro” category in terms of their training dedication and experience, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are competing professionally or achieving professional-level race results. It’s always important to look at the individual’s whole context and not just their training age.
Training Stress Score Guidelines #
Here is a general guide to weekly Training Stress Score (TSS), total training hours, and total training distance for different race distances. These are broad ranges and should be adjusted based on the runner’s individual factors such as current fitness, running age, injury history, and specific goals.
| Race Distance | TSS (Low – High) | Hours (Low – High) | Distance km (Low – High) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5-10k | 300 – 500 | 3 – 5 | 20 – 40 |
| Half Marathon | 500 – 700 | 5 – 7 | 40 – 60 |
| Marathon | 700 – 900 | 7 – 10 | 60 – 90 |
| 50-80k | 900 – 1100 | 10 – 12 | 90 – 110 |
| 100k – 160k | 1100 – 1300 | 12 – 15 | 110 – 130 |
The TSS values are based on the general assumption that longer races require higher training load. However, TSS is a measure of both volume and intensity, so how an athlete reaches these TSS values can vary widely.
The total hours include all types of training, not just running. For longer race distances like 100-160k, athletes may need to incorporate significant cross-training, strength training, and recovery practices to manage the high training load and prevent injury.
The total distance is expressed in kilometers per week. For longer races, it’s important to balance the need for specific preparation (i.e., long runs) with the risk of overuse injury and burnout. Increasing the weekly distance should be done gradually and cautiously, and high-volume weeks should be alternated with lower-volume recovery weeks.
As a coach, it’s important to remember that while TSS, hours, training age and distance are valuable tools for planning and monitoring training, they don’t tell the whole story. Athletes also need to pay attention to their subjective feelings of fatigue and recovery, and coaches should consider factors like quality of workouts, physiological markers of stress and adaptation, and individual athlete’s fitness and health status. Always use these metrics in context and be prepared to adjust the training plan based on the athlete’s individual response.
