fisky wrote:
[quote]
Can this workout be followed by a hard workout the next day? If so, our routine would look like this. If not, when should it occur?
Hard day: Intervals
Cross training day: Weights, core, drills, walk or a few easy minutes on the elliptical.
Easy day: Warm up of 15 minutes running, drills, and 5x40 yards.
Hard day: Long run (60-75 minutes)
Cross training day: Repeat above
Easy day: Slow trail run of 30-45 minutes
Repeat this 6 day cycle. Progressing intervals and speed reps as fitness progresses.
Everyone in our group suffers from recurring hamstring issues, except me. I'm not sure how to address that. I started a very intensive weight workout 3 days per week about a year ago. Although it interferes with my running workouts, it has eliminated my recurring leg injuries.
Fisky,
You got a great response from HS Coach Ordinary, I wouldn't change a word. Once my athletes are used to speed dev (we do this all during our prep phases so its not a problem for them) then it's best placed the day before a hard effort, particularly if the hard effort is on the other side of the energy system spectrum (Threshold, VO2max, Long Run, Long Run+, etc.). We do that mostly to avoid having too many neuromuscularly intensive days in a row, its easier to hit chronic fatigue that way.
As far as hamstring issues go, these workouts do carry more risk so be very patient with the progression. Weight training usually helps out as you've noticed already, try to make the lifts sport specific when possible (eccentric muscle contractions) to help with injuries.
This isn't a textbook answer but when you get athletes who haven't done any lifts and get really sore from them, limiting the workout the following day, then you can switch the order of the days and make the speed dev/weight session lighter, or simply put the lift on the second day even if it doesn't fall on the speed/power day. I don't like doing that but we sometimes have to work with the hand we've been dealt. Long base phases help to reduce the need for this.
But read HS Coach Ordinary's 3rd point, I believe that that's the main reason speed has a bad rep for injuries. I've never had an athlete pull something while sprinting in these workouts so for now I'm going to maintain that this kind of training, when well designed and very patient, carries minimal risk.