Daniels Gold Elite Training Plan

This seems like a standard program:tempo/cruise intervals, R pace (mile pace work) and a long run. I would definitely substitute the 75 min run for a 45min tempo and the cruise intervals for 95%vo2max work(4-5x1200s at 3k-5kpace) every other week. Good luck!!

I honestly think that is the most stupid, laughable, "elite" program ever, but it's not your fault, it's Jack's.

1000's are 1000's, Jack. You don't "cruise" 1000's. you RUN them and you don't do roughly the same workout two days in the same week. If you want to the runner to slow down the pace, make the interval longer.

Also, 75 minutes in two runs? Are you kidding me? Noone is going to get tired on a single 75 minute run unless they have weak aerobic base. Rather than dumb down training for weak runners, how about adapting them to higher loads so that they get stronger?

This crap ruined U.S. running a decade and a half ago. Stay in the past, please.

Haglunder wrote:

I honestly think that is the most stupid, laughable, "elite" program ever, but it's not your fault, it's Jack's.

1000's are 1000's, Jack. You don't "cruise" 1000's. you RUN them and you don't do roughly the same workout two days in the same week. If you want to the runner to slow down the pace, make the interval longer.

Also, 75 minutes in two runs? Are you kidding me? Noone is going to get tired on a single 75 minute run unless they have weak aerobic base. Rather than dumb down training for weak runners, how about adapting them to higher loads so that they get stronger?

This crap ruined U.S. running a decade and a half ago. Stay in the past, please.

WTF are you babbling about?

Haglunder wrote:

I honestly think that is the most stupid, laughable, "elite" program ever, but it's not your fault, it's Jack's.

1000's are 1000's, Jack. You don't "cruise" 1000's. you RUN them and you don't do roughly the same workout two days in the same week. If you want to the runner to slow down the pace, make the interval longer.

Also, 75 minutes in two runs? Are you kidding me? Noone is going to get tired on a single 75 minute run unless they have weak aerobic base. Rather than dumb down training for weak runners, how about adapting them to higher loads so that they get stronger?

This crap ruined U.S. running a decade and a half ago. Stay in the past, please.

Clearly this guy must be a sub-2 hour marathon runner since he knows SO much more than everyone else.

I'm going to guess I am far closer to that barrier than you are:)

Why would you do the same workouts every week?

Ok, I'll bite:

Overall, I think the schedule is decent but a bit imbalanced. Too much emphasis on the LR for someone who won't race over 10k. Too easy in the first half of the week, but of course, you may be sore from a long run that is close to 1/3 of your weekly volume. I'd try to balance out your week a little better.

Since you are using an "elite program" I'll assume your pretty fast. I'm going to use 6:30 as your E pace, but realize it might be slower (or faster for that matter)

Day 1: Recovering from LR: AM 6.2 miles (40 min) PM 5 miles (35 min) (Seems OK, but you might bump to 45 min for each depending on how your body handles the LR)

Day 2: Looks like about 4 miles of WU and CD + about 3 miles of "Quality". This type of workout seems appropriate during an early season build up.

Day 3: 75 min easy (11.5 miles) Should not be too tired for this after previous day's easy "Q Session".

Day 4: Off (I'm assuming that you know your body best and that 1 day off per week is required.)

Day 5: (10 miles total) About 6 miles of WU and CD running + about 4 miles of other "Quality" running. Once again, I'd say this looks OK for a session that is really early in the building phase.

Day 6 (9 miles)

Day 7 (17 miles, assuming you slow down to 7 min per mile for the LR). For someone racing only up to 10k, I don't see a whole lot of rationale for going over this distance.

Looks like about 65 miles and some change for the week, with about 7 miles of "quality" (about 10% of total volume). I think this schedule will produce its best results at the 3k-5k distance. However, I don't know if there is enough higher end aerobic running to really stimulate improvement.

Suggestions: for racing in the distance range that you have indicated, I'd do the following:

1: Drop your long run down to 14-15 miles. It is disproportionately hard on your body compared to the rest of your week

2. Add distance to your T session on day 5. Maybe something like 4-6 x 1 mile CI with 1 min recovery. Even 6 shouldn't be that bad if you keep the pace at an appropriate level. Or you could do a 7-8 mile fast run (I shy away from the word tempo here because it connotes running right at LT pace). You could go at Daniels's M pace for this one. You could also just do a straight 4-5 mile tempo run.

3. Add a bit of volume to Day 1 (2 x 45 min?). Or to Day 3. Your week is really imbalanced. Days 1-3 are really fairly easy. Or, if you didn't want to add volume, you could increase the amount of Q work on day 2. Maybe you could throw a set of 4 x 200 between every 1k interval (if you are aiming for the 800-1500 range) or pump up to something like 4 x 1200 at I pace (if you are aimed more at the 5k-10k range).

Thanks for the responses. Any other comments?

I think you are a threshole!

Can't tell from my experience (currently doing his blue program), but Jack Daniels' coloured plans are devoted to increase your level of fitness, not prepare you for the race. The word "elite" is indeed ambiguous in this context, but Daniels does not set unrealistic high expectations and his plan shows a minimum programme, which you can increase by, for example, adding an E run instead of a rest day.

You can play with this plan for a while if you are pretty advanced. This plan will rather push you from an advanced to a super-advanced level, after which you may want to prepare for a real race with better aerobic & anaerobic fitness.