# 2  Implementing the Method

## 2.1 Weekly Structure

The established framework uses three quality sessions, three easy runs and one longer easy run. An example week is:

| Day       | Session                           |
|:----------|:----------------------------------|
| Monday    | Easy                              |
| Tuesday   | Longer sub-threshold repetitions  |
| Wednesday | Easy                              |
| Thursday  | Medium sub-threshold repetitions  |
| Friday    | Easy                              |
| Saturday  | Shorter sub-threshold repetitions |
| Sunday    | Longer easy run                   |

These are session slots, not an instruction to immediately run seven days. Preserve existing rest days when starting. For a six-day version, one ordinary easy day can become rest. If new to structured intensity, begin with two quality sessions, making the third slot easy or rest. At lower volumes, an eventual third session can be shorter and gentler while you assess recovery.

Keep the long run easy rather than adding another demanding session. A race replaces a quality slot; see [racing and time trials](https://norwegiansingles.run/section4_individualization_considerations.html#racingtime-trials) for adjustments around it. If you miss a workout, resume the schedule without cramming it into the following easy day.

## 2.2 Quality Workouts (Sub-Threshold)

**Work and recovery:** Break the work into repetitions, with standing, walking or very slow jogging between them. The breaks help limit accumulated fatigue and make pacing mistakes easier to correct. Shortening recovery or jogging faster is not a progression target.

The following summarizes the original duration-based ranges discussed in [Copeland’s book](https://norwegiansingles.run/index.html#background-conceptualization), in “The Method.” Use equivalent race paces from current fitness and start at the slower end. The book also provides a newer 5k-based pace table for different abilities.

| Repetition       | Starting pace guide             | Recovery       |
|:-----------------|:--------------------------------|:---------------|
| About 3 minutes  | 12-15k race pace                | 60 seconds     |
| About 6 minutes  | Around 20k / half-marathon pace | 60-90 seconds  |
| About 10 minutes | 25-30k race pace                | 90-120 seconds |

These are estimates, not proof that you are below LT2. Use the [intensity checks](https://norwegiansingles.run/section1_core_principles.html#intensity-control), and allow slower paces in difficult conditions. Short, faster repetitions at 10k pace or above are not a default part of this framework, even if the recoveries keep lactate low.

**How much work:** Around 20-25% of weekly training time is a useful starting range for sub-threshold work once established. Count only the repetitions as quality minutes. Include warm-ups, recoveries and cool-downs when budgeting the full session and weekly time. For example, three sessions of 24 minutes of work total 72 quality minutes, not three entire hours of quality training. Do not force this proportion while adapting to two sessions.

**A complete session:** Allow about 10 minutes of easy warm-up, run the first repetition slightly conservatively, complete the planned repetitions and recoveries, then jog easily for 7-10 minutes. Eight 3-minute repetitions with seven 1-minute recoveries therefore take about 48-51 minutes in total. Reduce the repetition count to fit your current training; this is an example, not a minimum.

**Distance alternatives:** Choose distances that take approximately the intended time. A 3-minute repetition might be 600m for one runner and close to 1km for another. Keep short repetitions within roughly half a minute of the intended duration, and medium or long ones within about a minute. Avoid copying a faster runner’s kilometre session and unintentionally extending every repetition.

## 2.3 Getting Started & Progression

1.  **Start from recent training.** Keep total weekly time near what you already sustain, replacing existing hard sessions rather than adding quality on top. Establish easy running and recovery before pursuing three sessions.
2.  **Consolidate before increasing.** Copeland’s “The Plans” chapter suggests at least a month at a manageable level, then a small intermediate increase held for another two or three weeks. Readiness matters more than completing a calendar block.
3.  **Add time gradually.** Increase easy running alongside quality work. For example, adding one 3-minute repetition across the whole week could be paired with about 12 extra easy minutes, distributed across existing runs. Change one small part of the week, then reassess.
4.  **Let the proportions evolve.** As volume rises, quality may settle nearer 20-22% of weekly time. Do not keep extending workouts just to preserve 25%. Around eight hours on singles, consider easy doubles if more volume is appropriate and practical.
5.  **Earn faster paces through fitness.** Reassess using races or time trials, often every 4-8 weeks. Update targets when performance supports it, not simply because another week has passed. Hold or reduce load when recovery deteriorates.