How is this summer training plan?

Looks good but...

How about the weight room?

I am looking at adding some quality to my summer program and I see that you definitely have some decent quality in your program. Have you done this type of stuff in the summer before? It seems pretty tough. My other question is, how is the 6 miles of hills workout set up? seems like alot.

I put on too much muscle when I lift so I decided just to do abs and pushups instead.

I have done something similar to this but not quite the same amount of quanity, my recovery runs are usually around 8 miles in the summer instead of 11 and my long runs were usually about 11. I want to try to take my running to the next level to qualify for NCAA Nats and I think more quanity is the key to that.

I have a hill that goes up about a 400 meters next door to my house so I would go up and down the hill around 12 times. All my workouts are based around doing the reps at race pace for the distance I am training for (10k) and with very short rest, I have no evidence backing this up just makes the most sense to me.

I would split Tuesday and Thursday into doubles if possible.

I would make "Wesanday"<--(really dude?) into 4mi am and make the pm workout 20X400m hills (build up to it)-it is Kenenisa Bekele's favorite session and he ain't bad at xc.

Also, I wouldn't take 2 weeks off completely. Spread those rest days into the summer if you want, but taking 2 weeks off when you are (I assume) healthy is not needed-maybe take a couple days off to refresh your legs a bit and your head too but 2 weeks will just make the training plan that much harder.

Overall looks pretty good though. 7 miles am will make you feel good later for your 2nd run but so will 5 miles and it won't make you as tired in the long run.

Weights are important. I don't mean bench press, seated rows and that type of shit which is useless for distance runners. Runningart will get mad at me for dissing his upperbody workouts but that type of stuff just isn't important. Like Coe said, strengthen the knees to sternum. Exercises for the glutes, hamstrings and quads can keep you healthy and build your running stride as well.

I think at least 10 days off might be good, i've been training almost a full year non stop and I have three months to make up for that two weeks of lost fitness, if I even lose anything. I've been thinking about doing some leg weight work actually, I just have to be really careful because my legs are already probaley too big for a 10k runner as it is.

You have 4 hard days (hill reps, fartlek, tempo, and long run). I'd drop it to 3. Cut out the hill repeats. Its the summer. You plan on peaking for a 10k in November. I wou

My recommendation:

Sunday (15): 15 mi run from 6:45 down to sub 6

Monday (11+): 11 mi at 7:00 pace, 8 x 100 meter strides

Tuesday (15): 5 mi at 7:00 pace in AM; 1 mi warm-up, 8 mi at 5:30-5:45 pace over very hill terrain, 1 mi cool down

Wednesday (11+): 11 mi at 7:00 pace, 8 x 100 meter strides

Thursday (14): 7 mi at 7:00 in AM; 7 mi at 7:00 in PM

Friday: 5 mi at 7:00 pace in AM; 1 mi warm-up, 50 minute fartlek (10 x 3 minutes at 5:10 pace with 2 minute jogs at 7:00 pace), 1 mi cool down

Saturday: 6 mi at 7:00 pace

I like coacherman's schedule better but I might alternate his fartleck with the hill repeats each week.

summer training planner wrote:

I think at least 10 days off might be good, i've been training almost a full year non stop and I have three months to make up for that two weeks of lost fitness, if I even lose anything. I've been thinking about doing some leg weight work actually, I just have to be really careful because my legs are already probaley too big for a 10k runner as it is.

10 days is fine, but

You should never worry about being too strong in the quads, glutes and hamstrings-these muscles are the powerhouse of a good runner.

If you are doing decent mileage you won't bulk up too much. And most good runners have some fairly muscular legs. You don't have to be a stick-like kenyan to do well.

Bekele has some pretty meaty quads

Not to mention the thighs on Morceli (Not a 10k runner but did run 3:27 and 13:03)

Anyway, I would keep the long hill repeat session, and if not add 10X60m hill sprints after a tempo run just to keep some explosiveness. It helps more than you think, even over 10 kilometers.

Not a fan of so much hard quality in the summer. You will come into the season flying but run flat for the the season and not see much improvement.

And why split the 11 miles into doubles? In fact I'd rather see no doubles and longer runs the other days.

If you are doing nothing this summer but running and sleeping then do doubles. If you have a life get it all out of the way early in the morning.

what is the basis behind the theory that you cannot do quality aerobic training in the summer and carry it through xc/indoor/outdoor?

Critique, Summer program for someone moving up to 400, that lacks overall fitness,and aerobic capacity. *Acc hills are really more of an int temp workout.

[color=red]Meso 1 [/color]

Micro 1 (3x)

Day 1 Acc Hills 2x10x10m, r=walk back rep,5min set Volume=200

Day 2 Ext Tempo 5-6X300m in 50, r=1:30-2 Volume=1500

Day 3 Acc 3x4x10m->15m, vary start ex- falling, pushup, r=1min rep, 5min set

Day 4 IT Hills 8-10X100m @80%, r=incomplete, 4-6min Volume=800

Day 5 ET/Active. Rec. 4x800m in 3mins, r=3mins + GS circuit Volume=3200

Day 6 Ext Tempo 2x10x100m @70% falling starts, r=walk 50m/1-2min rep, 5min set Volume=2000

Day 7 Rest

Micro 2 (1x)

Day 1 Acc Hills 2x7x20m r=walk back rep,5min set Volume=280

Day 2 Ext Tempo 3-4x500m (400 in 65-70),r=5-7min Volume=1500

Day 3 Rest Volume=0

Day 4 Acc 3x3x15m->20m vary start ex- falling, pushup, r=2min rep, 5min set Volume=135

Day 5 IT Hills 8-10X100m @85%, r=incomplete, 4-6min Volume=800

Day 6 ET/Active. Rec. 1-2miles @ decent pace Volume=3200

Day 7 Rest Volume=0

[color=red]Meso 2 [/color]

Micro 1 (2x)

Day 1 Acc Hills 3x5x25m r=walk back rep,5min set Volume=375

Day 2 Ext Tempo 5-6x300m in 50 , r=1:30-2 Volume=1500

Day 3 Acc 3x3-4x15m->20m, vary start ex- falling, pushup, r=2min rep, 5min set Volume=180

Day 4 ET/Active Rec. 2x600,500,400 @ 70%,r=4-6 min Volume=3000

Day 5 IT Hills 8-10X100m @ 85%,r=incomplete, 4-6min Volume=800

Day 6 ET/Active Rec. 2x10x100m@ 75% r=walk 50m/1min rep, 5min set + GS circuit Volume=2000

Day 7 Rest Volume=0

Micro 2 (1x)

Day 1 Acc Hills 4x4x30m Volume=480

Day 2 Ext Tempo 5x300m in 49, r=1:30-2:30 Volume=1500

Day 3 Acc 3x3x20m->25m, vary start ex- falling, pushup, r=2min rep, 5min set Volume=180

Day 4 ET/Active Rec. 2x600,500,400 @ 70%,r=4-6 min Volume=3000

Day 5 Int. Tempo 3x200 in 27,3-4x150 in 20, r=3-5min Volume=1050

Day 6 ET 8-10x200m in 31, (if you fall off pace do 150s,then 100s etc or increase rest), r=2-3mins Volume=1600

Day 7 Rest

Micro 3 (1x)

Day 1 Acc 3x2-3x25-30, vary start ex- falling, pushup, r=3min rep, 5min set Volume=225

Day 2 Int. Tempo 3x200m, 2x200m in 27 r=2min rep,8-10min set Volume=1000

Day 3 Rest Volume=0

Day 4 Acc 3x2-3x25-30, vary start ex- falling, pushup, r=3min rep, 5min set Volume=225

Day 5 Int.Tempo/SEII 3x450m (200 in 27), r=8-10 Volume=1350

Day 6 ET/Active Rec. 1.5-2miles @ decent pace Volume=2400

Day 7 Rest

Volume by micro

Meso 1

Micro1-7820

Micro2-5915

Meso2

micro1-7855

micro2-7810

micro3-5200

overall- 34600

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I'm an old timer, so anything I say should be cross checked with more recent research, but I had thought it's always good to take it easier every fourth week to allow your body to recover and build. Is that not still accepted practice?

coacherman's schedule is good. Well laid out and logical. However, I also think NorCalCoach has a valid point about too much, too early. You want to be running at your peak during the championships, so you might want to think about scaling back during the summer and building up to the suggested schedule going into the season. When you have a well laid base, you don't need 3 months of sharpening.