Is Levy really "breaking all the rules?"

I had the same thought. I think it might have been more the writer trying to put an interesting spin on his article.

Sounds like he de-emphasizes times, paces, etc and just wants them to run on feel.

Most coaches do some kind of tempo pace, too.

they are using races as workouts. A 3000 race is an interval workout a 1000 race a rep workout and a 600 and 400 an anaerobic capacity workout etc...

I agree with you 100%. Just realize that if there is any article that suggests that speed work is overrated, and only doing high mileage is the key to success in all areas of life, the brojos will find it, post it, and play with themselves while reading it. Just realized that.

I think it's couched differently, therefore seen as "breaking the rules". His girls aren't going to the track and doing x# of 400m at x pace with x recovery.

I know I would have liked to have trained this way in HS track. I'm sure I would have run much better.

Fair point. But he does call the 30 second pieces 'strides' which by the conventional definition of strides means 75% max - not really speedwork as I know it.

Any way you put it, in track season not doing 400s and 800s and mile repeats on the track is very unusual - those are the bedrocks of American middle distance training.

Sure, hill running is speed work in disguise, which is your point, but this plan is at the least unusual.

Maybe he should have said, "Breaking the mold." This would freak out many a distance running parent, who would jump all over it if the kids were to faulter. Intervals a king to American coaches and parents who bring kids up in track.

Not really wrote:

I found this article interesting because, while the article says they're "breaking all the rules," it seems to me they really aren't. They're just delivering the same elements in a different form. Note that his "strides" are 8 x 30 seconds. Thirty seconds is almost 200m, so they're basically doing 8 x 200m six times in a 10-day cycle (plus 3 hill days, 1 long run). That's plenty of speedwork even though he doesn't call it that, and the hills provide strength and speed as well. With that kind of speed frequency, no wonder they don't change much from season to season! The hill runs are basically varied-pace runs, so they're hitting all their zones just like everybody else does, and they're doing a long run as well.

I agree. The speedwork is definitely there. I feel like the quote on the front page is trying to say speedwork was virtually non existent in this program.

Unstructured or not.

Doing repeat sprints of varying length with varying recoveries until you are tired and feel like you've worked hard for the day may be organic and a better training stimulus than 8 x 200, but it is definitely speedwork.

also, racing a mile every week is speedwork.

-Consistency

-Fun/lower stress

-Aerobically strong

-Varied

-Integrates races into training

-Has to be seen as a positive for college recruiting

Read the article. I am considered one of the "Lydiardites" on this site. This stuff Seems "Totally Normal" and simple to me.

I have had kids here in NZ run similar workouts .. No Track work at all and still run 1:53/56 for 800 .. 50sec 400's.

One ran a 1:30 half marathon on a Sunday .. the next saturday a 1:58 800 .. Windy Conditions .. then closed the day with 50.9 400. .. All done on Steady runs, hills and strides.

Kim Stevenson wrote:

Read the article. I am considered one of the "Lydiardites" on this site. This stuff Seems "Totally Normal" and simple to me.

I have had kids here in NZ run similar workouts .. No Track work at all and still run 1:53/56 for 800 .. 50sec 400's.

One ran a 1:30 half marathon on a Sunday .. the next saturday a 1:58 800 .. Windy Conditions .. then closed the day with 50.9 400. .. All done on Steady runs, hills and strides.

wow. you should just have them go on multi day nature walks. they'll be setting world records in no time.

"Getting up every morning slaving for Ar-thur...so that every mile can be won...the poor the poor, The Lydiardites!"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83Y2hv-3UCM&feature=related

Kim Stevenson wrote:

Read the article. I am considered one of the "Lydiardites"

hap flanagan wrote:

Maybe he should have said, "Breaking the mold." This would freak out many a distance running parent, who would jump all over it if the kids were to faulter. Intervals a king to American coaches and parents who bring kids up in track.

My parents were more enthusiasts of tempo runs and mileage. I remember other parents in the neighborhood had enthusiastically read "Better Training for Distance Runners" and were all into the intervals; some were even pushing weight training. Naturally I wanted to train like all the other kids. Of course my Mom gave me the "if all you're friends jumped off a bridge would you do that too?"

Any idea how long the hill is? Do they do the same hill and same rest every other day? Sounds like a tough sell.

they should have just given you a copy of "run to the top"!

Helio wrote:

-Consistency

-Fun/lower stress

-Aerobically strong

-Varied

-Integrates races into training

-Has to be seen as a positive for college recruiting

Yes, and the racing as often as possible, will probably end up being over 20 days this season, with several of those days being multiple races.

Also, is that what they all do regardless of age or background? Are the 8th graders on the same schedule?

I live and run on one of the hills the girls run on. It's a small neighborhood with lots of 300 to 400 meter hills. I will run 10 hills in 35 minutes, so they are probably doing 15 hills or more in 45 minutes (I'm slow). That's 45 hills a week! The younger girls probably run 45 minutes total and the older girls 65 minutes total. When I watch them run by my house they are all very happy. It's a social thing for them they run together, talk and spend time with one another. There's no pressure to hit a certain time and no anxiety before an interval workout. It's just a different way to get all the necessary training in. I, personally, think it's boring and when I was younger would have rather done workouts on the track. I coach the MS team and if I have them run for more than 10 minutes they start walking. So we meet 5 days a week and run workouts MWF. That's what works for them.

In high school most coaching success is based upon being able to motivate/recruit/discipline. This coach sounds like he's been able to do that and use workouts to that end. Seems like a pretty holistic approach. Less pressure during the week and more social time. Of course, it's also important to have motivated kids. Most high schools that are told to go run an hour on a hilly course are going to do a lot of walking.

It's a great approach, although like the guy above said, it won't work for middle schoolers (and no said it would). My kids will slack off on steady runs but will work hard on repeats. Older kids can get too worried about 800m splits or getting beat during a fast 400m.