Analyze this workout

bumpski

Looks like a good general conditioning workout. Am I close?

Dan

Yes, you are close.

The focus was mechanial efficiency. 3300m of work at mile pace or better, very little fatigue accumulation. These seem to be working out pretty well for us (I'll know better once we race in a few weeks). Plus, right now, I've got a whole bunch of kids at different levels and only one coach to keep track of them. Running most of the session by feel, with plenty of rest, then only timing the 4,3,2 in the middle allowed the kids to really dial in to their own ability.

Just thought I'd share.

CoachB wrote:

Without stating the goal, I'd like some feedback on what kind of benefits a kid might derive from the following session.

4 miles easy run

1200m of running drill on the track straightaway, 100 jog curve

1200m of stride the straight, jog the curve

4 x 150, quick but relaxed with 50m recovery walks

400 - 300 - 200 all at goal mile pace with equal distance jog recovery

4x150, quick but relaxed with 50m recovery walk

This was the one workout this week that my mid distance guys and distance guys would work out together. It was aimed at the top guys in the group, the younger kids did lesser variations of the workout.

Aimed at mid-d guys who might run 400 @ 52-54, 800 @ 2:00 - 2:08, 1600 @ 4:30 - 4:45

and distance guys who might run 1600 @ 4:35-4:45 and 3200 @ 9:50 - 10:20

define running drill?

Running drills such as butt kicks, A run, light bounding, etc...

Good workout for form and mechanics, but how do the guys' PR's matter? People with much slower PR's can do this workout.

The younger or more inexperienced kids did lower volume.

You are right, times don't matter, because almost nothing was timed

Why so much drill?

Those 4x150`s, if done close to sprinting will touch the anaerobic system, althouch the short rest will make the last ones more aerobic.

I would suggest this kind of workout done in the competition season, a couple of days before a race to sharpen the legs a bit and getting used to race pace, or close it. Don´t want go too fast those 150`s though.

For base training I would do the 150´s fast with long recovery, and before them do shorter strides at race pace or close.

This is a good workout, as I use to do it now and then when I was in high school, and I was right in those ranges for the 800, 1600, and 3200. We didn't do the whole workout exactly, but we did this:

3 x 150m quickly but relaxed w/ 50m walk recovery

rest 2 - 4 minutes, stretching maybe

3 - 4 x (400 - 300 - 200) w/ equal jog recovery

rest 2 - 3 minutes between sets

3 x 150m ""

One thing our coach would do between sets sometimes was have us check our heart rate. If after resting for 1-2 minutes after the first set out heart rate was over 130, then the coach would extendd our rest time or have us walk a little until our heart rate was either at or below 130.

my freshman year, i started out with a 5:16 and ended with a 4:56; my sophomore year I started with a 4:47/10:17 and ended with a 4:33/10:02

CoachB wrote:

Without stating the goal, I'd like some feedback on what kind of benefits a kid might derive from the following session.

4 miles easy run

1200m of running drill on the track straightaway, 100 jog curve

1200m of stride the straight, jog the curve

4 x 150, quick but relaxed with 50m recovery walks

400 - 300 - 200 all at goal mile pace with equal distance jog recovery

4x150, quick but relaxed with 50m recovery walk

This was the one workout this week that my mid distance guys and distance guys would work out together. It was aimed at the top guys in the group, the younger kids did lesser variations of the workout.

Aimed at mid-d guys who might run 400 @ 52-54, 800 @ 2:00 - 2:08, 1600 @ 4:30 - 4:45

and distance guys who might run 1600 @ 4:35-4:45 and 3200 @ 9:50 - 10:20

Too long, and with High schoolers it'll eventually break some down. Too many variations in one session. Becomes too one paced everntually.

Probably bores the shit out of any older kids.

Here is the rest of the week after the monday workout posted above

Distance Guys (1600-3200)

Mon: described above

Tue: 7 miles + weights

Wed: short game with the entire team + 2 mwu + 3.9 tempo + 1 mcd

Thu: 10.5

Fri: 6.4 + weights

Sat: (tomorrow AM): will be 7-8 easy

sun: Easy or off

Long Sprint guys (400-800-1600)

Mon: described above

Tue: 15 x acceleration up stadium ramp + 4.4 miles easy + weights

Wed: Team game + 1 mwu, 5 x 800 tempo @ about 3 min with 1 min recovery + 1 mile cd

Thu: 6.4 miles easy + weights

Fri: 6 x 100 @ 15-16 (jog back recovery) + 2 mile tempo @ 12:20ish + 6 x 100 @ 15-16

Sat: 4-6 easy

Sun: off or easy

CoachB wrote:

Wed: short game with the entire team + 2 mwu + 3.9 tempo + 1 mcd

define "short game"? and why a longer warm up than cool down?

CoachB wrote:

Here is the rest of the week after the monday workout posted above

Distance Guys (1600-3200)

Mon: described above

Tue: 7 miles + weights

Wed: short game with the entire team + 2 mwu + 3.9 tempo + 1 mcd

Thu: 10.5

Fri: 6.4 + weights

Sat: (tomorrow AM): will be 7-8 easy

sun: Easy or off

Long Sprint guys (400-800-1600)

Mon: described above

Tue: 15 x acceleration up stadium ramp + 4.4 miles easy + weights

Wed: Team game + 1 mwu, 5 x 800 tempo @ about 3 min with 1 min recovery + 1 mile cd

Thu: 6.4 miles easy + weights

Fri: 6 x 100 @ 15-16 (jog back recovery) + 2 mile tempo @ 12:20ish + 6 x 100 @ 15-16

Sat: 4-6 easy

Sun: off or easy

Where´s the LONG run?

10.5 miles on thursday. that's long for your average HS kid.

If 10.5 is a long run for the average HS kid, that's why he's average.

Doesn't matter if the kid has to slow to a shuffle not to overtrain, the true benefits of a long run are doubled at 130 minutes versus 70-90.

running is better wrote:

[define "short game"? and why a longer warm up than cool down?

We get the whole team together for a game once per week during the pre-season. Sometimes we play ultimate frisbee (or a version of ultimate with a medicine ball) Somtimes we do goofy relays with events like bear crawl or crab walk.

As far as cooling down goes, I don't see much need to do more than a mile for most cool downs. That and some stretching is usually enough to get the junk out of kids legs. If I want to increase the volume of a workout, I will usually tack it on to the warm up.

Long run is 10.5 for now, but will gradually increase to the 13-14 range. I've only had a couple of kids start getting their long runs up over 2 hours and honestly don't think they saw any benefit from it.

Junk Master wrote:

If 10.5 is a long run for the average HS kid, that's why he's average.

Doesn't matter if the kid has to slow to a shuffle not to overtrain, the true benefits of a long run are doubled at 130 minutes versus 70-90.

I agree. When running the 800m and the mile, one needs the ability to go slow for two or three hours. This will help his or her ability to turn those 65 and below second quarters much better than any interval workout.

running is better wrote:

10.5 miles on thursday. that's long for your average HS kid.

Distance guys should aim much higher. Should do the LONG run on saturday instead of thursday.

And 6.4miles at the most for 400-1600m runners? Should do the LONG run on saturday instead of thursday, also.

They don´t wanna run very long? Ok, that´s fine, but forget better results.