Training Phases or mixed workouts?

I'm training with a friend for next year's high school XC season.

Our practices start in 28 weeks.

Our workout plan (starting tomorrow) looks like this:

Monday: speed/specific workout

Wednesday: tempo

Saturday: long run

Every other day: as many easy miles as possible with strides/hill sprints a couple times/week

Should we split Monday workouts into phases?

For example:

Phase 1: 4 weeks of a workout from Jack Daniels with a mix of R running (just slower than 1 mile pace) and I running (just faster than 5k pace) - each week the volume increases and/or the rest decreases - then 1 low-volume rest week

Phase 2: 4 weeks of hill workouts (more volume and less rest every week), 1 low-volume rest week,

Phase 3: 4 weeks of VO2 max workouts, 1 rest week

Phase 4: 4 weeks of VO2 max, pure speed, and hill workouts mixed, 1 rest week

Phase 5: 7 weeks of 5k specific work (1 rest week in the middle of this), starting with 6x1k, 500-600m rest, building up to 6x1k, 200m rest and ending with a 5k race

The last week would be extremely low volume and only easy running so we're fresh for our season

How does this look? Should we do phases like this or just mix it up like in Phase 4?

4 is a really cool number wrote:
I'm training with a friend for next year's high school XC season.
Our practices start in 28 weeks.
Our workout plan (starting tomorrow) looks like this:
Monday: speed/specific workout
Wednesday: tempo
Saturday: long run
Every other day: as many easy miles as possible with strides/hill sprints a couple times/week
Should we split Monday workouts into phases?
For example:
Phase 1: 4 weeks of a workout from Jack Daniels with a mix of R running (just slower than 1 mile pace) and I running (just faster than 5k pace) - each week the volume increases and/or the rest decreases - then 1 low-volume rest week
Phase 2: 4 weeks of hill workouts (more volume and less rest every week), 1 low-volume rest week,
Phase 3: 4 weeks of VO2 max workouts, 1 rest week
Phase 4: 4 weeks of VO2 max, pure speed, and hill workouts mixed, 1 rest week
Phase 5: 7 weeks of 5k specific work (1 rest week in the middle of this), starting with 6x1k, 500-600m rest, building up to 6x1k, 200m rest and ending with a 5k race
The last week would be extremely low volume and only easy running so we're fresh for our season
How does this look? Should we do phases like this or just mix it up like in Phase 4?

This is a well-thought-out approach. Kind of intense as pre-season training IMO. I'll offer another perspective -

28 weeks with no racing season is a tremendous opportunity to build a huge aerobic base. If you do it right, you can begin your XC season not only very fit but also feeling fresh & rested. 3 hard days per week (workout, tempo, long) plus strides & hill sprints seems to me too aggressive to allow yourself to end up fresh & rested & ready to pound out your season, after already pounding it out for 6 months.

How about a 28 week Base Phase, with four 7-week cycles:

Six weeks -

Sun/Mon/Wed/Thu/Fri easy run. Thu only - alternate 8 x 100-150m-ish strides at mile effort OR 5 x 60-80m-ish hill sprints. Not a full XC workout, but should be just enough to keep in touch with turnover.

Easy runs, 1st cycle start at what feels easily doable, say for example 30-35 min. Then 2nd cycle 35-40 min. 3rd 40-45 min. 4th 45-50 min. If this is more running than you are accustomed to, you'll probably get more out of it by taking Sun off and moving Tue to Wed.

Tue alternate between 20' tempo OR 12 x 300-400m-ish hills (jog down) at 3k pace from TT (not hammering, just getting the turnover on uphill). 1st cycle just tempo only.

If you don't have much experience with 20' tempos, then build up during the first cycle. Something like 14', 15', 16', 17', 18', 19' and then do 20' for next 3 cycles.

Sat long run. 1st cycle 60 min, 2nd 70 min, 3rd 80 min, 4th 90 min.

7th week, down week with TT -

All easy runs, just 30 min, plus strides.

Fri 3K/2 mi TT, Sat off.

Training Phases or mixed workouts?

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