THE RULES OF 10

A 10-day training cycle can offer runners more flexibility and recovery time. But is it right for you?

- Jason Fitzgerald

LINDSEY HEIN, 37, has finished more than 15 marathons in her running career. But as a mom of four and the host of the I'll Have Another running podcast, she needed a training plan that could fit into her busy life. Hein works from home, without the typical nine-to-five schedule, so she had some flexibility when it came to training. After some research, she decided to transition from a traditional seven-day plan to a 10-day cycle.

This extended 10-day approach gave Hein more time for additional recovery between hard efforts, and for her personal life. "The flexibility of not always running long on Saturday or Sunday mornings brought more life balance to our family," she says.

Recovery and balance are two primary benefits of a 10-day cycle compared with the more traditional seven days, where each day of the week is typically reserved for a certain type of run (Track Tuesdays, Tempo Thursdays, etc).

If you're feeling worn down by your current training plan or you're simply 10-day-cycle curious, it's helpful to understand the deeper benefits (and drawbacks) of testing a more flexible running schedule when you train for your next race.

● The pros 

The main benefit of the longer 10-day cycle is that you have more time to complete the key components of your training. Most great running plans are composed of at least three key workouts: a quality day that includes intervals or hills, a tempo day and a long run. Considering you'll want at least one day to recover after each, it's a tight squeeze to fit it all in and still have time for strength training, cross-training, easy running and rest days.