Mr. Renato Canova: Could You Please Answer a Question About Effective Ways to Improve the Lactate Threshold?

Renato:

Can we consider the 1500/5000m-athlete being superior at 1500m to the 800m/1500m-athlete?

I think in Europe there is way too much of this 800/1500m-athlete? That might be a good combination for a few, but to see a majority of the youngsters do this seems very wrong. The depth in the junior lists at 800 and 1500 are pretty good, but at 5000 it's very bad. Some of the the 800/1500-athletes claims they do plenty endurance work by doing a slow 1,5-2 hr run every weekend in the off-season. Seems like this longrun doesn't give them the right kind of endurance. They can still improve their basic speed being a 1500m/5000m-athlete, don't have to run 800m.

Renato: Do you think is smart to do 5*80m hill climbing the daybefore a race or do 5*80m flat?

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=893999&page=0

Renato, Craig Mottram can run under 12.50. Whether he can do this in Helsinki, I don't know, but I have a lot of confidence in him, as he has in himself.

wait a sec wrote:

Also, what do you think of Craig Mottram running 13:04 already?

This just in.... Mottram has run 12:55.

The original poster meant 13.04 already this year.

dear canova,

who will medal at the men`s 10,000M distance in helsinki (next to bekele?) - secondo te?

what about baldini, can he repeat his success of athens?

Sihine can beat Bekele is his training is as good as it was in 2004. Sihine is one of only 3 people (Chebii and Geneti being the others) who have beaten both Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele. He beat Gebrselassie in Hengelo at 26:39 with a 12 second final 100m and again in Athens. He beat Bekele at the Ethiopian Championships over 5,000m. Were they to meet at 5,000m, the shorter distance probably favors Sihine, but he does not seem to receive the same pressure to double as does Bekele. He has been relatively quiet this year with an injury during World Cross Country, and no races so far.

The other likely medalist in Helsinki, if he runs, is Gebremariam. The Ethiopians have adopted a tactic during the last 2 championships, first Athens last year and also in Paris in 2003, where they simply run away from the Kenyans early and then race it out amongst themselves for the rest of the race. The Kenyans, at least at 10,000m, are no longer a factor in major championships when you factor in the Ethiopians unless Nicholas Kemboi can improve to his 2003 form where he ran 26:30.03. Simply, the Ethiopians regularly close the second 5,000m in a time very near to 13:00. Even in Athens, they still ran a 13:15 second half with a few laps at the end in 66 when Bekele was swerving into lane 2 and slowing it down so Gebrselassie could catch them.

So, if they show up fit and there are no disasters, it will be Bekele and Sihine fighting for gold and Gebremariam for bronze.

Mr. Canova,

I have read over many of your works both on this website (letsrun.com) as well as numerous other pieces you have written such as the Marathon Training guide you have written, available from IAAF.

I was wondering if you could comment on a broad approach to training within your periodization methods in regards to 800m and 1500m athletes. I have read that you split the training into 3 distinct phases, the Fundamental Period, the Special Period, and the Competition Period ( also realizing that there may be a General Period preceding the Fundamental Period and also an Introductive Period during the first months of the Fundamental Period).

Some Questions...

1. What is the basic routine in each of these periods that are specific to 800m and 1500m athletes? Maybe you could write an example of a typical week for each period that an 800/1500m runner would perform.

2. What are the main focuses of training in each period for the 800/1500m runner (examples like Aerobic Power, Lactic Capacity, etc.).

So far, most of the discussion has focused more on the approach towards 5k and 10k racing, along with Marathon training on other pages. Many, similar to myself, would like to hear your input on the shorter distancs and your approaches. Thank you, and have a nice day.

Also, if someone has time to include a General Period, what would one include in this period besides the normal steady Aerobic running?

I would also greatly appreciate Renato's thoughts on the 800m/1500m training as asked by Future Olympian.

Hello,

I am a college freshman who has run 32:20 and 15:22. What pace do you think i should run, on average, during the early part of the season, i.e summer, when there are not alot of high-key workouts. thanks

Shaheen, 7:57!

Renato is a great coach, but he predicted 8:03 for Shaheen and did not think Kemboi would run 26:30. Give them some more credit!

Trackhead wrote:

Until Renato coaches a U.S. citizen I'll think he's a piece of shit. Who cares if he helped a Kenyan who's already genetically fast?

HEY TRACKHEAD SO WE HAVE TO COACH AMERICANS BEFORE BEING A GOOD COACH????

Renato didn't predict 8.03, he knew Shaheen is in 7.50 shape but didn't want to sound cocky.

asdasd wrote:

Renato didn't predict 8.03, he knew Shaheen is in 7.50 shape but didn't want to sound cocky.

Nope. 8:03 was his prediction on another thread. When you directly contradict fact, you look very stupid.

And that guy who criticized Renato was not actually trackhead.

BUMP

shaheen wins

Renato, could you describe Shaheen's training recently?

One think I remarked is that he doesn't jump over the barrier for the river as he and kenyans used to do.

Maybe an indication that he did some technical works.

Boulami is disappointing ( 8.19). He is expected to run in the Mediteranean Games.