How many of you:
(a) Scale back your mileage one week out of every four
(b) Take a 100%/25%/75%/50% approach to a four week block of training
(c) Run equal mileage for three weeks, then move up
(d) Don't take any sort of recovery week
For those of you who do an easy/easier week every now and then, do you prefer only easy running, or do you keep the intensity the same and only scale back mileage?
This is a very interesting question... I've personally never heard of anyone who has used a training cycle similar to (b) 100% 25% 75% 50% , but perhaps I'm out of the loop on that theory. Personally I like to hold my mileage steady throughout the year while gradually adding intensity, and then come peak phase cut back on both.
I've learned over the years not to try to follow any set program i write down on a piece of paper. Some seasons i've taken no "recovery" weeks and felt ok and other seasons i've taken them and felt they were necessary. Go by feel. I try to scale the milage up every training cycle, maybe i'll go like, an easy week or two, then one week about 60%, one week 90%, then 100%, and continue to build from there. Thats just an example of something i've found works for me. I don't reccomend following rules just because you wrote them on a piece of paper, one needs to learn to listen to the body.
doubles are good wrote:
I've learned over the years not to try to follow any set program i write down on a piece of paper. Some seasons i've taken no "recovery" weeks and felt ok and other seasons i've taken them and felt they were necessary. Go by feel. I try to scale the milage up every training cycle, maybe i'll go like, an easy week or two, then one week about 60%, one week 90%, then 100%, and continue to build from there. Thats just an example of something i've found works for me. I don't reccomend following rules just because you wrote them on a piece of paper, one needs to learn to listen to the body.
Very sound advice, and I completely agree. I was just curious as to what other runners have had the most success with. Lately I haven't been taking a rest week and I've felt fine.
For the other poster, Horwill advocates "B." For example, you would do 100 miles/25 miles/75 miles/50 miles, then up the mileage/intensity a little at the start of the next four week block.
Yeah, I had also never heard of anyone doing that Horwill 100/25/75/50 thing until now. Does the quality fluctuate in those weeks, perhaps having higher quality in the lower milage weeks? And how does that 25% week look? Would there be off days, one long run with many short days, etc?