Please critique my post collegiate 800/1500m training plan

Looks damn good. Then again im a college sophomore.

Whats the logic in 3x100m not 4x100m strides?

Why all the "progressive" runs? What does that mean to you? If it means what it means to me, you are running too many and not enough easy days. If it means easy run, then this is basically an OK schedule. If not, you probably need a true easy day or two in there to benefit from all of that work. Easy morning jogs do not equal an easy day.

On a similar note, why so many doubles? (4 in a row?) Why not do two doubles a week at 40 minutes rather than run all of those additional times.

What is "20 minute diagnols"?

Also, I don't really care for your Saturday workout. Make it a short recovery hill workout instead (e.g. 3x(2x400uphill) w/ jog down recovery @ 95%).

You also might run into issues with your "pace"... are those your goal paces? Current fitness paces? This would change things dramatically for you.

Good luck!

Tuesday workout is too fast and much to short, 6-8k of work is needed.

Don't take a day off.

Time trial once a season, not every other week.

Long run should be 80-95 min.

I doubt you need all those morning runs, 40 min MWF.

Don't lift weights. They don't show up in racing at all. You run faster in races by running faster in training. Lifting weights only increases unneeded muscle mass while increasing your risk of injury.

With 49.6 400m speed, your potential for 800m is 1:49 and the 1600m is 4:02 (I'll let you convert that to 1500m).

I agree with the other poster, don't take a day off.

You should up your mileage to 80-90 miles per week in the base phase, with your weekly long tempo run increasing up to 8 miles or longer, and a long run up to 20 miles if you can handle it. This will absolutely maximize your aerobic system, allowing you to deliver as much speed as possible.

He isnt ready to run 20 mile long run from a current long run of 60-75 min. That is how you get hurt.

If you are lifting to increase muscle mass then yes, it is uneeded and could lead to injury. If you are lifting to perfect form and economy, especially when you are getting tired, then you lifting helps you avoid injury. Light weights, core, flexibilty.

This.

Not sure wrote:

He isnt ready to run 20 mile long run from a current long run of 60-75 min. That is how you get hurt.

If you are lifting to increase muscle mass then yes, it is uneeded and could lead to injury. If you are lifting to perfect form and economy, especially when you are getting tired, then you lifting helps you avoid injury. Light weights, core, flexibilty.

rabbitwabit wrote:

Don't lift weights. They don't show up in racing at all. You run faster in races by running faster in training. Lifting weights only increases unneeded muscle mass while increasing your risk of injury.

With 49.6 400m speed, your potential for 800m is 1:49 and the 1600m is 4:02 (I'll let you convert that to 1500m).

I agree with the other poster, don't take a day off.

You should up your mileage to 80-90 miles per week in the base phase, with your weekly long tempo run increasing up to 8 miles or longer, and a long run up to 20 miles if you can handle it. This will absolutely maximize your aerobic system, allowing you to deliver as much speed as possible.

seb coe did frequent, intense weight lifting sessions for most of the year. He has stated that he wouldn't have been a kicker if he didn't.

he also took a weekly rest day

Lifting weights does help but it has to be light weight many reps. And for taking a day of unless you really need it is unnecessary, at least get on a bike or do some cross training.

And are you just going to jump right into this without any buildup... and are you not going to vary the workouts/long run as the season progresses.

No one can possibly say what kind of weight training suits an individual unless they know that person's body-type. Coe needed it as he was basically ectomorphic. Others can either do mainly circuits (Cruz) or very little if they are naturally muscular and strong (Nick Symmonds/Peter Snell). To say it won't help or is a waste is absolutely silly - it assumes that there is one way of doing things correctly, there are many.

As to 20 mile runs, perhaps beneficial but not necessary as the idea that if some is good then more must be better is precisly why the US does not dominate middle-distance running, especially the 800m - its one extreme to the other (400m sprinter speed to 10k endurance), there is a middle-ground that is sadly lacking in too many people's minds.

Not sure how the OP can run 49.8 and 3.49, but not have run under 1.53?! That is a HS time. Something is not working in the program, and that is something coach and athlete need to sit down and discuss, not reach out to the masses while giving a brief synopsis of a training week. Look in terms of cycles (6 weeks generally) and work to correct your weaknesses and enhance your strengths. By working around date pace and goal pace you can chart a progression to your main racing season.

The training sessions mentioned seem overly complicated trying to incorporate everything into one week, and too much into a single session instead of spreading things out a bit, and recognizing that not everything needs to be included every week.

MLK Runner wrote:

Lifting weights does help but it has to be light weight many reps. And for taking a day of unless you really need it is unnecessary, at least get on a bike or do some cross training.

And are you just going to jump right into this without any buildup... and are you not going to vary the workouts/long run as the season progresses.

seb took a weekly rest day because he trained so hard the other 6 days of the week. he needed it. cross training during a rest day is foolish because it then fails to become a rest day. the purpose of a rest day is to rest and recovery completely, not to further stress the body. if you do easy running 4 or 5 days a week and only have 2 or 3 quality days then a rest day probably isn't necessary, but if you are running at 5 minute mile pace or faster for the vast majority of your runs, in addition to weekly weight sessions and workouts, it is necessary.

The part of the Saturday workout with 4 x 200 at 400 pace with 2.5 minutes recovery looks very tough.

I thin in general you have too much intensity with not enough focus on the long term. I would do something this intense if I wanted to peak this year, but if I wanted to improve over the next 4-5 years, I'd up my mileage to 80-90 mpw, do one w/o per week at 10k-hm pace, i.e. a long tempo, not truly all that important which and you vary it up to avoid getting stale, one at between v02 max and 5k pace, and then after your general runs do like 5-6x100 m. at 400-800 pace. Do that 5 times a week and you'll have an aerobically focused program that still gets you like 2500-3000 m. of speedwork a week. Then, in 2016, the next oly trials, keep the mileage up but start working out like you have above, and see if the gains don't come, be a darkhorse in the 15, best of luck.

dont listen to people who think that there is one training system that works for everyone. try your system, see how it works. if it doesnt, make adjustments. its not crazy, maybe a bit different, but no one else knows you like you do. do what works, scratch what doesnt.

I'd switch my Wed and Thurs runs around. Hard, moderate, easy is the best way to go.

i agree Cut all the time trials

At your level - 3:49 you should be doing the 2 a days. I like it.

Keep with the weights, but do them on your hard days.

Try to slowly increase that long run. I'm guessing that the progressive runs are moderately paced. Only do those if you have an easy day after it.

Thanks for all the input so far. Greatly appreciated. As for taking a day off every week, I usually don't. It's all depending on how I feel that day. If I'm feeling pretty bagged I'll take it totally off, but if i'm feeling good i''ll do a workout similar to the one that I wrote in the OP. The weight sessions are similar to circuits, low weight, high reps, with a good amount of core. I bulk up very easily if I lift heavy. In the spring/summer/fall I add hills into the program but during the winter where I live there are none that are accessible (due to the amount of snow).

I agree that my 800m time is not as fast as my other pr's. Unfortunately, I don't have a coach at the moment, and that is why I'm asking for others opinions on this board. As far as the sessions being overly complicated, I really don't think so but I respect your opinion. I've never enjoyed doing workouts like 12x400 w/ 1 min rest or 20x200. I need variety. For me, doing some intervals, followed by some tempo or fartlek, and then more intervals or sprints is much more physically and mentally satisfying.