Critique My Track Training! - full log -

Run 100 miles per week.

You get sick a freakish amount.

How old are you

Since you've taken the time and effort to put your stuff down, I will reciprocate in kind. This advice can only be generic, of course, but based on your existing speed, and clearly decent endurance performance, this could be good for you.

If you can handle a 12 mile run as your 'long run', then you can build up to 60 miles a week, because 12 is too big a percentage of 40 for one run. The 800m is still 60+% aerobic, and the 1500 80+%. You need more base to go with your excellent speed. 25:08 sounds good to me on 40 miles.

Just steadily increase the amount overall, and keep the 12 miler (or work up to that distance again). Take it easy until you are comfortable with the volume. Only then, ensure that the paces are suitable for your current estimated 8k/10k time (more appropriate to judge continuous run paces than estimated 1500 time). Your obvious capability and talent will tell you that you can go faster, but not yet.

I would also recommend doing 10k pace, aka cruise, intervals throughout this period. Build up to 10x1k at estimated 10k pace with 200m (1min) jog recovery. Awesome for stamina, vVO2max, running economy.

Build on your raw speed. Train with a sprint coach, or, failing that, do all-out

flying 10x40m twice a week when reasonably fresh. This has to be with full rest, ie 4minutes stationary. This can be done safely all year, given normal physical status.

Hope that helps.

I am 22.

Thanks for the insight, I assume vVO2 is different than VO2? I'd think 10k pace would be too slow to be VO2.

Yeah, the whole idea of VO2Max itself gets too much attention. I think it's important to train a whole range of different paces. You can work the ends into the middle. I'm assuming you possess decent speed, and are capable of developing very good stamina and endurance as well.

At the speed end, build up a 'speed base' by learning acceleration/max velocity with short full-rest reps. This helps you learn to move as fast as you possibly can ie increasing raw speed. You can progress that by extending full rest reps out to longer distances eg 6x80m full on 8min recovery; 2x4x50m with 90sec b/w reps and 5min b/w sets; 5x150m at 200m pace 10min recovery etc up to Special Endurance I and II. This works the faster paces supporting your goal 800 and 1500 races.

At the endurance end you start as in the previous post. Decide how many miles you want to aim for. Get your runs in and build fitness. You will get them into a good pace for your current 'long distance' fitness. Get the long run up to the appropriate distance. Then, once, progressing to twice a week, do a run that gets you into what McMillan calls 'steady state' speed-marathon pace or subthreshold (his table is adequate to work out the pace.) Don't go too fast. Aim to go longer at the same pace for a better effect. When comfortable with this, progress some runs to true tempo and tempo intervals.

The cruise intervals are great during base to touch on faster paces without trashing you. vVO2Max means the velocity you can go at VO2max. These intervals improve this variable without frying you. It's like the glue that holds slower and faster paces together year-around.

At some point, of course, these intervals will progress to 5k and 3k pace, but it's fun to chuck some 10k ones in as well.

Now you are ready for whatever 8 and 1500 pace workouts you prefer. Some might suggest doing some 15 pace stuff earlier. Something like 15x100m at goal 15 pace with 90sec recovery-->14x200 with 2min, just to get the rhythm set in stone.

Training on grass is really helpful.

Keep the aerobic conditioning ticking over with a mixture of continuous runs at various paces, and the long run. Make sure you have slow recovery jogs when needed after harder sessions. Short full-recovery sprints can still be done on easy days if you want.

Get in a race and smash your PBs.

My first thought is that you should have started this thread in May.

What did your training to run 25:08 for 8k XC look like?

Did you take off the entire month of November like you did December?

Have you always been this injury/sickness prone?

Are you paying attention to getting lots of sleep and good nutrition?

oij3049 wrote:

My first thought is that you should have started this thread in May.

What did your training to run 25:08 for 8k XC look like?

Did you take off the entire month of November like you did December?

Have you always been this injury/sickness prone?

Are you paying attention to getting lots of sleep and good nutrition?

I took June fairly easy but still ran 4 days a week. I have been hitting mid to high 40s every week since then running 5-6 days a week. Hit 50 last week and plan on getting up to 60 by the end of September. Long run of 11 miles two days ago.

I missed four weeks of the XC season with a quad injury in late October and early November but my PR came in late November.

Example workouts:

4xmile @5:20-5:30 2 minutes rest + 4x800 @ same pace same rest on grass with 80m hill. (Mid September)

6x1600 2:30 rest starting at 5:30 down to 5:10 on track (early September)

15 minutes @ 5:20-5:30 3 minutes rest + 3x3minutes @ 4:45 2 minutes rest + 2x30 seconds @ 4:17 2 minutes rest on grass (mid November)

5 mile tempo in 26:55 (mid October)

7x800 @ 2:30-2:40 2 minutes rest on grass (mid October)

2x5k in 17:11 and 16:24 off 1000m jog rest on rail trail (late September)

3x3000 in 10:11, 9:4x, 9:33 off 4 minutes rest on track (early October)

Run more miles. It wouldn't hurt you to go as high as 70 in my opinion.

Run when you're sick if possible.