Tinman training, questions

Variety is the spice of life. Doing the same exact workouts every week gets monotonous. I would use Tinman workouts in alternate weeks like this…

Week 1

Workout #1 - CV

Workout #2 - Progression Long Run

Week 2

Workout #1 - LT Intervals (more volume than CV)

Workout #2 - Tin Tempo

Easy Long Run this week

Thank you, the alternating weeks sounds good.

For me it makes more sense to do the progression long run the same week as LTP workout though. But that's a minor detail.

This “easy tempo” pace is good for marathon training. It’s roughly 95% of marathon pace and builds marathon endurance if done in progressively longer distances like 8-10 miles early in a marathon cycle and up to 20-23 miles 3-5 weeks out.

It’s also a goo pace for recovery intervals if doing long intervals at marathon pace, like 4 or 5 x 3 miles at marathon pace. Keep those recoveries at easy tempo pace, only 20-30 sec/mi slower than marathon pace. That makes you more likely to hold marathon pace for all 26.2 miles as opposed to more fearful jog recoveries.

Edit:

*good* pace

*restful* jog recoveries

Okay, I understand.

so if you are not training for a marathon, is there any point to run those easy/long tempo?

Martin, for long term aerobic development, LT reps will always be superior to CV reps. Look to have large sessions of LT vs 20-25 minutes at CV. Being able to do 40-50 minutes at LT is much much more beneficial.

I'm not sure I have a definite answer for you, as I am not a coach. But I'd guess that his "easy tempo" pace is still a valuable pace if you want to do a longer tempo run, under your threshold. It's still a good aerobic pace and would build endurance (more than speed) I think. But I'm thinking you're right, that it's a zone you wouldn't focus on much for shorter races.

As a side note, a lot of people actually run this pace a lot during their "easy" runs without realizing it. It's the people that grind out every run without ever truly running a regenerative easy or recovery pace. They're in this zone a huge about, running kind of hard, but still kind of easy.

- A lot of the nuances regarding Tinman's training can be found on his Run Zone discussion board (https://www.therunzone.com/)

- Conventional Tinman training can basically follows the traditional endurance training formula:
a. two hard workouts per week
b. one long run that represents 20%-33% of your weekly training volume
c. as much low-intensity volume as your body can tolerate

I would say that Tinman like to categorize the different pace intensities for metabolic conditioning into macros (Met-Con Macros):
a. Endurance = <LT1 efforts
b. Stamina = >LT1 effort to VO2 max
c. Speed = >VO2max

As far as training volume, Tinman likes a moderate weekly volume (35-70 mpw) to "keep the ball rolling" so that you don't risk overtraining and can dial-up the intensity or density of the workouts. When individualizing training volume, he follows the muscle fibers. If you tend to be mostly slow-twitch dominate then higher training volumes if you tend to be more explosive then a lower volume. Using a pyramidal structure with the met-con macros (e.g. 80% endurance, 15% stamina, 5% speed) could be a way to arrange your Training Intensity Distribution (TID) and tweak according to your muscle fiber composition. So a slow twitcher may want 85|10|5 TID to preference towards more endurance work whilst a fast-twitcher may do 70|25|5 TID mix for lower mileage and more intensity.

Other Tinman tweaks to the traditional formula:
a. Using a non-linear cycle but emphasizing the training for one of the met-con macros depending on when you want to peak for an A race. Check out this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiCRwY-jz5k) for an example of how Tinman would program the progression of workouts.
b. Touch on a variety of efforts on your pace continuum during that cycle and within workouts.
c. Stamina volume is tempo volume in minutes (720/date pace 5k) plus lactate threshold, CV, 10k, 5k, 3k/VO2 max efforts in minutes (420/date pace 5k)
d. 2k time trial or race effort every 2-3 weeks. Race or time-trial is considered a stamina/VO2 max workout. This allows for adjustments to your pace continuum. As you race time or time-trial improves you adjust your pace accordingly.
e. When using his running calculator (https://runfastcoach.com/calc2/index.php), use the average from your last three race/time-trial efforts to temper drastic changes in your TID.
f. strength training is done on hard days AFTER the met-con.

- Schwartz recognizes the individuality and personal circumstances of the athletes that he coaches and is willing to recommend unconventional approaches to address these challenges. For example:
a. employing a 3-day microcycle [Lower mileage - but still effective? (

Tinmans

Threshold: 95%CV, Tempo: 90%CV, Easy Tempo: 85%CV, etc. in 5% steps (see calculator)

Training at CV is a nonsense and missconception as you are either above or below CV, based on the definition of CV.

Tempo run duration: 720/5km time, eg.20'/5k, tempo should be 720/20 =36 minutes long

Why do you post these fixed percentages? CV is not CV alone. CV is not a fixed threshold, it's a boundary zone. If you use CV (or CP), there's a D'(or W') that needs to be accounted for in interval planning.

Keep learning, youngling...you'll get there.

You have no clue, back to school. D' may be used above CV, but not below CV level. You should study much more before writing.