Mo Farah's typical training week as prescribed by Alberto Salazar

Is that even legit?

Odd that he would have 200m hill "sprints". Maybe you can sprint 200m, but certainly not 10x, and especially not uphill. Fast strong running sure...but sprinting?

LM wrote:

Is that even legit?

Odd that he would have 200m hill "sprints". Maybe you can sprint 200m, but certainly not 10x, and especially not uphill. Fast strong running sure...but sprinting?

"Equal effort" to his 29-second 200s. Clearly not sprinting in that sense.

That doesn't seem so unbelievable or even that hard for someone with Mo's talent. If you've followed Ryan Vail's blog, he's putting in as many, if not more miles that this. Granted, probably not as fast as Farah, but still at a level 99.9% of us couldn't touch.

That looks like a very easy schedule to me.

I'm surprised that any seasoned runner would consider a schedule like that to be difficult.

It's demanding, but considering what other marathoners have gone through in training beforehand, it's certainly not superhuman. All the top marathoners like Mutai, Kipsang, etc will be doing something very similar in terms of workload.

I also thought the schedule wasn't extremely hard. As alwas, calculate the paces in percentages to his race pace and adjust it to your level.

Then it becomes doable (yes, I know what this word means, thanks to penny).

Why I'm writing this:

Does anybody know the schedule before his 1500 m or when he still saw himself as a track-only runner?

Or what Rupp is training right know?

Thesmallcheese wrote:

It's demanding, but considering what other marathoners have gone through in training beforehand, it's certainly not superhuman. All the top marathoners like Mutai, Kipsang, etc will be doing something very similar in terms of workload.

I second this. The volume and layout of workouts is extremely similar to what I run during marathon training. I obviously can't keep the same paces and can't go do strength excercises at noon because I work full time, but this is a very ordinary plan.

So apparently marathon pace for Mo is 4:40/mi?

Not dissing it but what I see is 2 hard days, a long run, and lots of filler miles. Typical marathon training.

PS: Cant wait to watch the race Sunday, no matter who wins.

dfasfsd wrote:

So apparently marathon pace for Mo is 4:40/mi?

No. It only means that you are reading LITERALLY the words of an anonymous twit from Troy, Michigan. Take it for what it's worth.

Monday

AM 10 mile recovery run (6:00/mi)

PM 6 mile recovery run

Tuesday

AM 4 mile warmup. 8-12 tempo (4:40-5:00 depending on terrain or altitude), 3 mile cool-down

Noon. Strength and conditioning

PM. 6 mile recovery

Wednesday

AM 12 mile recovery. Massage

PM 5 mile recovery

Thursday

AM 11 mile recovery

PM 6 mile recovery

Friday

AM 4 mile warmup. 10x200 (29 w 200 jog). 10x200 uphill. Walk down. 4 mile cool-down

Noon, Strength and conditioning

PM 4 miles easy

Saturday

AM 11 mile recovery. massage

PM 6 mile recovery

Sunday

AM 22-27 mile at marathon pace + 1 minute (5:40 pace)

126-135 per week.

The mileage isn't that high with the level of the speed in it. Fairly easy for world class. It must be a rest week.

Either that or MO sucks.

He's going to get his ass kicked.

LM wrote:

Odd that he would have 200m hill "sprints". Maybe you can sprint 200m, but certainly not 10x, and especially not uphill. Fast strong running sure...but sprinting?

Same error as these CrossFit guys make with their HIIT workouts. You simply can't do 10x200m full out sprints and certainly not after "walk down" recovery.

A good sprinting session would by 8x60m with walk down rest. 100% effort.

fred wrote:

The mileage isn't that high with the level of the speed in it. Fairly easy for world class. It must be a rest week.

You might consider that easy but I don't. Almost every heavy mileage week I've ever done is faster/more intense than that. Only Mo is doing it at EIGHT THOUSAND FEET.

Big difference.

Smart workout runner wrote:

Same error as these CrossFit guys make with their HIIT workouts. You simply can't do 10x200m full out sprints and certainly not after "walk down" recovery.

A good sprinting session would by 8x60m with walk down rest. 100% effort.

Why do you think that these are full-out sprints? It never even occurred to me that they would be. Why do you infer that?

Nope. The OP says it's a typical week, which would include

training at non-altitude.

The Canova boys had more complex and intense speed at 7000-

8000 targeting 4:40 pace.

And Canova would say there's no connection between the 200's

and the marathon.

And just because AlSal prescribes it, it doesn't mean that's

what Mo is doing in Iten on his own.

fred wrote:

Nope. The OP says it's a typical week, which would include

training at non-altitude.

Really? Who is the OP, what is his authority, and when did he say that it was a typical week at non-altitude?

fred wrote:

The mileage isn't that high with the level of the speed in it. Fairly easy for world class. It must be a rest week.

Since there isn't any mention of water treadmills or the AlterG, I assume that this is Kenya. Given that he's at 7000-8000' for his runs that might change your perception of "easy".