If you train for a long time (let's say for one year or more) without participating in any races and only looking for best long term improvement (in distance running): should you still periodize your training schedule with changing base phase and 'in-season' training phase, like when you are racing regularly?
Which option would lead to the best results after one or two years?
A) normal periodization with base phase, shorter pre-/in-season like phase, base phase and so on, although you are not interested in times in the meantime?
B) a mix out of both all the time (with maybe 1 normal training peroid at the and of that time before your big races
C) like A, but with a less intense 'in season phase' with anaerobic training etc, because you are not interested in immediate race times and can train better/more after that phase because you are less exhausted and maybe didn't have to sacrify so much of your fitness due to less milage
D) one long peroid with the normal part
Or any other option?
Please leave out the fact that you may also get better long term if you take part in some competition in the meantime.
I also think that the question may be absurde now that I wrote it, because every young talent or their trainer should be most interested in long term improvement and obviously they train differently year round. But would they also do so if they were absolutely not interested in the races in the meantime? Or would they do some kind of, but different, periodization?