Running out of base-phase workout/training ideas

juniorinhighschool wrote:

Hi, training for outdoor track(we don't have an indoor season) and I'm looking for workouts that can be done this far from track season but not burn me out. So far I've been doing -

- 4/5 mile tempo runs(once a week)

- 12-16x200, 200 jog recovery(once per two weeks)

- 4x1200, 400 jog recovery(~once per 2/3 weeks)

- 4-6 mile fartlek(not hard) with either

45 seconds on 45 seconds off

Or

5 minutes on 5 minutes off

(and about one fartlek a week)

Currently at 60 mpw, planning on 65 max(with one down week every 3-week period)

Advice on which of those to keep, modify, or get rid of is appreciated, as are new workout suggestions. Also, it would be super helpful to explain why you're suggesting whatever you're suggesting(to help me learn.) Thanks!

1. Where are your recovery runs? The difference between what we ran in the 1970s and how successful high school kids are now is recovery. You have to believe in yourself and that you have ability.

2. Speed Development. Ryan Hall, 2:04 marathoner and Stanford graduate who started out running the mile and 5K always did ONE speed development workout per week.

You will have to read up on this and hopefully find a good sprint coach to help you. Speed Development is 6 X 50, 5 X 60, 4 X 70, 2 X 80. You use distances that are short enough that you can run them at near top speed. Plyometrics, bounding up hill, running down hills, rope skipping, dynamic running drills, and sprinting short hills, are other examples of this.

What you want to do is develop the ability to accelerate because you will need it to pass people, meet a surge by other runners, and to kick. It will also make maintaining a pace easier. This is a gear most people do not have the guts to train. You will need a recovery run the next day!

3. Strides. Do them every day to maintain speed.

4. Long run. Again this is something people do not like to do yet it puts the tiger in the tank.

It is good that you are doing some interval/fartlek/tempo training. One should train multiple speed as this prevents injuries. However I would keep the hard interval days down to one per week as this interferes with building your aerobic base. Emphasize mileage and get consistent building speed.

Do the speed development all year long. That is what Ryan Hall and some others are now doing. (Ryan Hall is retired from running but he answered a Q and A on running for me. He spelled out the Speed Development day the way I have told you. Run with it!!!)

On recovery runs...

There is science behind this. It takes 36-48 hours for a body to recover from an all-out workout. But active recovery can help assist this process due to blood flow. In general you should be training hard-easy but you can fudge on this a little if you are in top shape. It's okay to go hard-hard-easy once in a while but keep in mind that undertraining is better than overtraining.

You can always do more later if you undertrain. If you overtrain, you will get sick, injured, or stale. This is another reason to be aware of doing too much interval/tempo/fartlek even though I know that stuff can be fun. Be smart in what you do.

Racing strategy can make/break a runner who is in shape. You may want to ask a question about that on LRC. It's so hard to learn what's best. Most runners take off too fast in races. It's possible to start too slow, however it's rare for that to be the case!

I will look for juniorinhighschool

Thanks, posts were helpful.

Forgot to include that most of my days are easy, typical week looks like

M: tempo

T: easy + strides

W: fartlek

T: easy + strides

F: easy OR one of the workouts I mentioned before

S: Long run(faster if easy the day before)

S: 3 mile shakeout or off

OP, what are your prs and what pace do you tempo and do your 1.2k at?