A Norwegian-method training week: three ready-to-use blocks with precise targets
Theory is only useful once it reaches the calendar. Here are three concrete Norwegian-method weeks for an amateur runner with a 40–50 km base: a base block, a specific-preparation block six weeks before a race and a deload week. Each includes heart-rate zones, pace guidance and rules for scaling the training to your current fitness.
How to read these training weeks
This article provides practical detail for the system described in our guide to the Norwegian method.
The zones are based on heart rate: Easy (Z1–Z2) means 70–80% of maximum heart rate with enough breath to speak in full sentences. Threshold (Z4) means 85–90% of maximum, a comfortably hard pace sustainable for about an hour. If you have laboratory-tested thresholds, use those values instead of generic percentages.
The days are not fixed. Separate quality sessions by at least one easy day, and avoid scheduling them on your most stressful workdays. Everything else can be rearranged.
Base block (early-season foundation, approximately 55 km)
- Mon — rest or a very easy 30 minutes.
- Tue — threshold: 2 km warm-up, 5 × 1600 m in Z4 with 60 seconds of recovery, then a 2 km cool-down.
- Wed — 10 km easy in Z1–Z2 + 30–40 minutes of strength work, including general conditioning, core and legs.
- Thu — 8 km easy + 6 × 100 m strides; relaxed, fast running with full recovery, not sprinting.
- Fri — second threshold session: 2 km warm-up, 25 minutes of tempo running in Z4, then a 2 km cool-down.
- Sat — 18 km long run in Z1–Z2 at a relaxed effort, with food and drink as needed.
- Sun — 6–8 km easy or cross-training, such as 60–90 minutes of easy cycling.
Specific-preparation block (six weeks before a half marathon)
- Mon — rest.
- Tue — extended threshold session: 3 × 3000 m in Z4 with 90 seconds of recovery.
- Wed — 10 km easy + 30 minutes of maintenance strength work.
- Thu — 8 km easy + strides.
- Fri — race-specific session: 2 × 4000 m at target half-marathon pace with 3 minutes of recovery.
- Sat — 20 km long run: the first 14 km easy, progressing towards target race pace over the final 6 km.
- Sun — 6 km easy or rest.
Deload week (every fourth week)
Reduce volume by 30–40% while retaining some intensity at a lower dose: replace 5 × 1600 m with 3 × 1600 m at the same Z4 pace, and shorten the long run from 18 km to 12 km. A deload is not an absence of training; it is a window in which accumulated adaptations are consolidated. A successful deload leaves you wanting to run faster than planned by the end of the week.
How to scale the plan to your fitness
- Smaller base (30–40 km) — remove optional easy days such as Sunday, cap the long run at 90 minutes and reduce threshold sessions to 4 × 1000–1200 m.
- Larger base (70+ km) — add volume only to easy days and the long run; do not add more quality sessions.
- A different race goal — 10 km preparation uses shorter, sharper repetitions of 1000–2000 m at 10 km pace; marathon preparation uses longer tempo segments within the long run.
- When the week goes wrong — protect the threshold session and long run, dropping easy training first. Never try to catch up the following week.
Why the plan must stay responsive
These weeks are a starting point, not a script. Effective preparation reviews the plan against your current state every day: morning HRV and resting heart rate, the quality of yesterday’s repetitions and weekly training load. SkolCoach performs this review automatically. If recovery is poor on Tuesday, the threshold session moves to Wednesday with a clear rationale instead of failing as planned. Norwegian discipline does not mean following the plan at any cost; it means keeping intensity in the right range.
FAQ
How should I determine maximum heart rate for these zones?
Avoid the 220-minus-age formula, which misses by 10–15 bpm for about half the population. Better options are a laboratory test or a field test: after warming up, complete 2–3 uphill efforts of 3 minutes, finishing each at maximal effort. The highest reading is likely close to your true maximum. Refine the zones using real training data afterwards.
Where should strength training fit?
Place it on easy days after running or as a separate session, but not immediately before threshold or long-run days: heavy legs from the gym should not compromise key workouts. Use two strength sessions per week in the base block, one maintenance session in the specific block and minimal work during the final 7–10 days before racing.
What if I cannot sustain the prescribed threshold pace?
Check sleep, HRV and whether yesterday’s easy session drifted into moderate intensity first. If those are normal, the pace target is probably too ambitious: slow by 5–10 seconds/km and use the new range for 2–3 weeks. Threshold pace should feel demanding but remain manageable without fighting for survival on the final repetitions.
Can cycling or skiing replace running?
For easy days, yes, with very little compromise: any cyclic endurance sport develops the aerobic base. Keep quality and long sessions run-specific as the race approaches because specificity matters. For skiers and triathletes, the same principle works in reverse, with running serving as cross-training.
See how it works with your own data
Connect your watch and sensors — SkolCoach will import your history, assess your current fitness and map out the next steps. Get 30 days of Pro free — no card required.
Start for free