BEDROCK: LEVEL GROUND
8 Weeks | Heart Rate Based | Flat / treadmill-friendly
Recovered and ready? This is where the foundation goes in. Bedrock: Level Ground takes you from recovery to a strong aerobic base: four runs a week, one steady long run, and two short strength sessions. It is built for flat roads, paths, and treadmills. The goal isn't speed or distance. It's showing up consistently, staying healthy, and arriving at your next training plan with a body ready for it.
WHO IT'S FOR
Runners finishing Horizon Reset, and any runner already running 3–4 days a week who wants a base block before a race plan. If you're new to running or coming back from a long break, talk to your coach (if applicable) about starting somewhere gentler.
HOW IT WORKS
Every run is guided by heart rate as a percentage of your Lactate Threshold Heart Rate (LTHR), not pace. Heart rate keeps easy days easy, and easy days are where a base gets built. Before starting, make sure your LTHR is set in your TrainingPeaks zones. Each run's time includes a 5-minute warm-up and 5-minute cool-down. Week 1 starts a little below your final Horizon Reset week, so it should feel comfortable.
Week 1 – Lay the Foundation: Four easy runs (two with strides), an 80-minute long run, and two strength sessions.
Week 2 – Find Your Rhythm: Runs get a little longer and the routine starts to feel normal.
Week 3 – Stack the Weeks: Your first Steady Finish run and your longest run of the foundation block, at 90 minutes.
Week 4 – Absorb: A planned step-back. Shorter runs let the first three weeks settle in.
Week 5 – Build Up: First Incline Legs, strength moves to Build-phase volume, and the long run returns to 90 minutes.
Week 6 – Deepen: More Incline Legs, Steady Finish returns, and the long run grows to 95 minutes.
Week 7 – Peak Base: Your biggest week, with a 100-minute long run and the longest Steady Finish.
Week 8 – Consolidate: A lighter week to lock in the gains and check your readiness.
THE GOLDEN RULE: RESPECT THE CAP
Each run has a heart rate ceiling. If you drift above it, slow down or walk. On a treadmill your heart rate often runs a few beats higher, so use a fan and stick to the cap!
SWAP A RUN FOR REST OR CROSS-TRAINING IF:
- Your resting heart rate is 5+ bpm above your normal
- Your heart rate at easy pace is 5+ bpm above usual
- You feel localized pain (not general soreness)
EXIT CRITERIA: ARE YOU READY FOR A RACE PLAN?
You're ready to start a race-specific plan when ALL of these are true:
- You completed at least 28 of your 32 scheduled runs
- You finished the Week 7 long run at or below the Long Easy heart rate cap
- Resting heart rate is steady at your normal baseline
- No lingering soreness or niggles/twinges
- You want to run more, not less
Check these at the end of Week 8. If you're not ready, repeat Weeks 5–7 and reach out to your coach (if applicable).
WHAT'S NEXT
Level Ground leads naturally into your first race-specific plan, with your coach's guidance (if applicable). If most of your race will be on hills, ask about Bedrock: Higher Ground.
Build your strong base and remember, your next horizon is waiting. We hope to see you out there!
Next Horizon Endurance — The Start Line, The Finish Line, and Everything Between
At Next Horizon Endurance, we don't measure success solely by finish times — it's measured in how you arrive at both ends of the race. Our mission is simple to say and hard-won to deliver: get runners to the start line healthy, and to the finish line healthy and strong.