A practical, printable handbook for setting up your training and keeping a week-by-week record.
Just running regularly on a schedule like this one considerably improves our health and our ability to move about in the mountains.
A sheet like the one below is only a rough guide, useful for setting up your own personal training. It is not an absolute truth: it has to be adapted to your level, to the time you have available and — above all — by listening to what your body has to say.
I tried out this schedule with good results, running into some difficulty only at the weekends when I was out in the mountains and, obviously, couldn't train. A practical rule is worth remembering: don't run in the two days before a demanding climb, and at least one day before a moderately demanding hike. Recovery is part of training, not an optional extra.
You can download or print the table below to follow your progress week after week and keep a record of your training.
| Week | Activity | Duration | Intensity | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | ✓ Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 📅 MONTH 1 — Building the aerobic base | |||||||||||
| Week 1 | Slow run / brisk walk | 20–25 min | Low | — | — | — | Rest | ||||
| Week 2 | Continuous run + strides at the end | 25–30 min | Low | — | — | Mountains | Rest | ||||
| Week 3 | Continuous run + short hill | 30 min | Medium | — | — | Mountains | Rest | ||||
| Week 4 | Recovery week — easy run | 20 min | Low | — | — | — | — | Rest | |||
| 📅 MONTH 2 — Increasing volume and endurance | |||||||||||
| Week 5 | Continuous run — even pace | 35 min | Medium | — | — | Mountains | Rest | ||||
| Week 6 | Short intervals (1 min fast / 2 min slow) | 35–40 min | High | — | — | Mountains | Rest | ||||
| Week 7 | Run + hill repeats (6×50 m) | 40 min | High | — | — | Mountains | Rest | ||||
| Week 8 | Recovery week — easy run | 25 min | Low | — | — | — | — | Rest | |||
| 📅 MONTH 3 — Intensity and fine-tuning for the mountains | |||||||||||
| Week 9 | Fartlek 30 min (free changes of pace) | 40 min | High | — | — | Mountains | Rest | ||||
| Week 10 | Long run at a low pace + core training | 50 min | Medium | — | Mountains | Rest | |||||
| Week 11 | Hill repeats (8×50 m) + cool-down run | 45 min | High | — | — | Mountains | Rest | ||||
| Week 12 | Tapering week — light run + stretching | 20–25 min | Low | — | — | — | — | 🏔 Goal! | |||
The day boxes are only a guide: move the sessions around your commitments, keeping to the rest days before a hike.
Once the three months are over, so as not to lose your progress, read how to set up maintenance training.