Important moments and concepts in the history and development of Intermittent training

Lance-a-Lot

About Foster training cahnges and relate to your ideas. What i wanted to say is what that Foster answers here.

Q: Have there been any major changes in training patterns over the last decade?

ANSWER: I think the most significant change has been that around 1970 everybody used to run repetition and interval type sessions like 10 x 400m or 20 x 200m or whatever. Nowadays training is more geared to the event. For example from 1978-80 when I was racing over 10,000m one of my first training sessions of the season would be to run a 10,000m of sprinting and jogging on the track.

The way the Russians are going they've got it all wrong. They assume that because ten quarters is what so and so used to do, then if I do twenty I'll be better than that. You should run the kind of training you're going to run in races. There's not a lot of point if you're a 10,000m runner of never running more than 800m reps in training. Basically the thing is to get the pulse rate down and get the heart built up in size by the long steady distance work and then be specific about your training. The long steady runs are only general conditioning and don't count as specific training.

In the early days I used to run 10 x 400m on Tuesday, 6 x 300m on Thursday and maybe 20 x 200m on Saturday. In later years the sessions were 5000m of sprinting and jogging, maybe three x one mile or five laps fast and five laps slow with a very fast middle lap. The workouts always focussed on how I was going to race.

Lance-a-Lot, first of all i don´t think that your workout model that´s an hard workout. That´s moderate to hard. I will advise that in the introductory season, not in the specific period. But i also need to consider for what´s the event diastance the runner is training. If that´s for 10000m, half marathon or the marathon may bei will incorporate that training sessions (as workouts), but if that´s for 800m, 1500m, 3000m, 5000m, i will never use that as a specific workout as consider. I also think that´s despite that the workout haven´t the power to be consider as a specific workout - by the intensity or lactic acid concentration, may be that´s very hard, ex:45min in a synthetic track that can be stessefull for tendons. Also another reason to consider. Is that a workot is not judge simply because his physical demand. This that is done in a track in esy days. I think that phychological this is very stresseful for some people. I know people that hates repetitions - they just toleratea few ones, not by the fact that the pace that´s intense, but by the fact that´s phycholgical stresseful. You want an example: I did 3:39, but i never did more than 10 reps of nothing in all my career. I simply can´t tolerate. Chaiça also he rareley does more tha 10 short reps - except for the marathon. If i ask Chiça to do such a your workout he will reply: i prefer to do all 45min in a continous run. You see, diffrent people, diffrent minds thinkers they have diferent aproaches to the same model.

Now, i don´t deny that if someone does it, and did some prgress, ok keep on doing.

Finnaly i say that you can insert pauses or active recover anytime you want and that you feel the need fo that, in intense paces, as well as i aerobic runs - this is not a problem. May be it wouldn´t do you good to have pauses in very easy runs, van Aken did prescribed that use, but this wouldn´t do you wrong as well. But the question here is another, is the reason why someone taught about doing pauses in betwwen the runs ? In the answer to this question is the reason why i wouldn´t use your workouts, but i will continue....Meanwhile i will go answer to some 12 private e-mails that arrives to my e-mail box while i write this my post reply. Lance, i write 30 times more text every day (in portuguese and english and some french) than what you see/read in Let´s Run Com. The solution I don´t see no TV ! ! (L.O.L). But no i see a lot.

No, the true is that i ned to read 3 lines to 5 lines avererage in diffrent pharagrafs of each one long post - as yoir last one - to know what i go to answer comes to my mind instantaneously. Seriously, the reason that i know most of the answer argument that i post is because i´ve taught in that problem when you were a teenager - 20 yeras ago. Most of the question that you ask me in the peosts or in the e-mails i know the answer since some 30 years ago. Most of my opinions that i have some 30 years ago i have that since 30 years ago. The running questions and running doubts that i actually have rarely someone ask me. An example i did read Igloy training some 30 years ago, i+ve studied that and analyse that, and i didn´t forget my opinion. so basically you ask me the sasme i did analyse that 30 years ago.

Lindsay,

Thanks for your postings. I am interested in your comments and would enjoy to see the training of Spedding and Smith, also anything else you would like to share about training.

Antonio

I note your comments re Tegla with which I agree partly. I would not advocate sessions of the intensity and volume of Tegla but one matter of the subject under discussion is the nature of recoveries and effort in relation to race pace. I agree that the nature of her sessions is not one which most readers of Letsrun might apply but there was still a use for such minimal recoveries which might be used for the one off runner which would not bring about injuries or career shortening. The runner from my own squad which I have in mind benefited greatly from sessions such as 10 x 400 with 20 secs recovery at 5k pace - now built up to 6 x 1k with 20 secs recovery at 5k pace - not 20 reps like Tegla. This runner has been using these sessions forthe last 3 years - not frequently but maybe in the last 2 months before a major race twice a year and in which every 2 weeks. I would have agreed with you that looking at it you may think that she capable of faster 5k and was underperforming in races but I can assure you this is not the case. She has improved from outside 40 mins for 10k to under 34 mins - 33-56 yesterday on the track and last 3 runs at 5k and 1500 also pbs and improvement consistent . Not worldbeating but as you rightly say - as a coach you get as much satisfaction from this type of improvement as internationals. She is the only one of my runners who trains like this.

Although you say Lopes training would destroy most runners with its intensity I think people would still very much like to know how he trained and what his ideas were and your involvement. I would say that Lopes career would be the ultimate . I dont think that there has ever been anyone like him. I read a resume of his career and progress some time ago and seem to recall that he improved both his 5k and 10k times just about every year from aged 19 to 37 culminating with an Olympic gold and world record. A career just doesnt get better than that. I dont think that reading what he did would make people just go out and copy it but like I said re Tegla there may be things to learn. I am also really appreciative of your postings.

Dunes,

Unfortunately I do not have the ability of Antonio to post so much so frequently but I will send Spedding and Smith training details in very near future.

Lindsay Dunn

Thank you very much for your info and your comments.

That´s very interesting and curious the your last the post comments and contain and to all that concerns your information about the interval recover duration of your athletes.

I mainly agree that we need to have some concepts according the principles, but fix rules that doesn´t exist in the running training principles.

That shows that your training knowledge preserves the essentials, but also have an open door to the individual peculiarities. The fact that you reveal that - She is the only one of my runners who trains like this – is the prove that you preserve the training individuality as a value.

Otherwise, I think that what that female runner does is something similar to a Portuguese concept about competition frequency. We Portuguese coaches we use to think that to run a good 5000m someone may compete earlier on in one 15000m run and two 3000m runs. Once again ther´s no fix formula, but in most of the cases the runners do an easy peak by the use of some competitions early in the season. Sometimes 10000m runners they use some road runs as well as 5000m runs to peak for the 10000m track run. I think that what that your female runners ws been doing wit such a short intervals one each 2 weeks is stimulus something similar to a timetrial run, but in a workout format (race pace or closer with ultra-short intervals).

Once again I may relate that your female runner workouts with what Renato and more that´s mentioned as MassLass – continuous runs or with very short intervals close to the race pace, once every 2 weeks or so, as a good training workout for the lactic acid management purpose.

But with no doubt that te training programme of this your runner may be something original and unique and exceed out search for to fit that workouts in our limited training concepts. This is the reason why i´m very curious and I have lots of interest to know more about this your training experience. I will thank if you have the kindness to e-mail me make me know more individual details about that runner. Also I would love to follow that runner career along the season to see if that training direction make her a substantial progress along her running career.

But now I want to ask you 2 questions about that female runner.

1/What you did detect in her individual characteristics that made you understand that she will benefit from that ultra short recover intervals?

2/What she did differently/apart than this kind of ultra short recover workouts that you consider that´s decisive in her training schedule to allow her to such an impressive progress?

Thanks once again.

If I might hazard a reply to part 1 of your questions, Antonio...

I would suspect that Lindsay is gonna tell us that this runner does not have a large anerobic capacity, and probably could not run a flat out 400m under 60s to save her life. However she does have excellent natural endurance, and he is simply building upon that.

I would also suspect that her 5k PR is "better" (however you measure it, eg: in points, as a performance), and that he expects that her performances will further improve as the race distance lengthens even more (ie: she may prove to have even more ability at HM and M than at 5k). But that he is simply maximizing her 5k ability before moving up (eventually). (As you will know, this was the accepted norm in the 70s and 80s... runners moved up as they aged and could no more improve at the shorter distances.)

Finally (although there's more could be said), I would expect that this runner is of the Ron Clarke / David Bedford type and relies on a strong pace the whole way because she cannot muster (much of) a finishing kick.

Of course, I could be wrong... Be interesting to see what Lindsay says.

Antonio I have a question regarding short rep interval training. When I was in high school, we often did workouts of, for example, 5 sets of 3x200m with 30 seconds rest between 200s and 3-5 minutes rest between sets. I've heard Coe did simialr workouts. In your description of Rui Silva's training it seems that if he was doing a similar workout it would be, as an example, 15x200m with all the same recoveries, not breaking the workout up into sets. What are the advantages or disadvantages of breaking a workout into sets vs. doing them all with an equal recovery?

Antonio,

First of all "Reasoning" is correct regarding the basic speed . Morag would be very hard pushed to run faster than 68 for a 400. Her progress has been - from time I started coaching her - age 26 with a few years background but not correct training - 1999/200 Training once per day 40 - 50 miles - 5k 18-40 after 6 months - in April 2000: Step up to twice a day in May 2000 -50-60 miles per week 17-37 in May 2000: 17-26 in June: 17-08 July: Sessions include 3 x 1200 x 400 jog Average 4-07: 2 sets of 5 x 400 with 1 min jog: Average 78. 3 min between sets.: 8 x 2 mins - 1 min jog on grass:

Winter 2000-2001 Coping easily with 60 mpw so increase to 70-80 still only 2 sessions per week. Always only 2 sessions per week: Included threshold and tempo runs as sessions: Included 10 x 500: Total for 5k covered in this 16-45: Recovery total 12 min 09 secs: Finished 30th in GB World X- Country trials. In April 2001 10k 36-23: From then through May sessions included 8 x 400 in 82 – recovery 400 in 95 secs: PB 17-04 at end of May. June 3k on track in 9-53: Improved to 16-52 5k end of June. Mileage now 70-80 comfortably. August 10k 36-00:

Winter 2001/2002 In December started very short recovery sessions: First was 8 x 400 with 20 secs rec: Av 82 – liked this type of session. Decision to do this type of session was based on her being always ready for next rep way before anyone else in the group she was running with. Also she liked this session. She is very light framed and maintained her form throughout. We only used the session occasionally however . She improved to 35-45 10k in May and 16-44 5k: July 16-38: Sept 34-48;

At this we introduced a 6 week mileage build up – max 93 with3 weeks sharpening before a half marathon . The run itself was not good but at the end of the 6 week block of mileage she ran possibly her best race with a record run in a local cross country where the time compared really well with some previous good winners. We therefore decided to build up for the World X-Country trials 2003 using the same build up but with the main race at the end of the 6 week mileage block which still included 2 sessions a week . Mileage 100 max She could now handle 800 reps with the very short recoveries at 80- 81 pace and the 400s – now 12 reps in 78s. She had a big breakthrough race finishing 6th in the trials. Paula Radcliffe did not compete in the trial but was obviously selected so Morag just missed out. In July she ran 9-25 for 3k and 16-22 5k. September 34-30 10k. In the 2004 World X Trial this time she finished 5th but this time they only took 5 runners !! She had finished 20 secs behind Damen and Hayley Yelling and the team took bronze in the world champs.

In July she improved to 16-17. In February this year she ran 27-05 5 miles and was in best shape ever for World X Trials but caught flu on week of race. After trip to Altitude – Boulder for 4 weeks she has come back and ran 3 races. PB 1500: PB 5k winning first Inter Counties Title in pb 16-16 and pb 10k 33-56 in World Champ Trial race. She ran recently 10 x 400 with a turnaround recovery of 12 secs or so in 76/77s well in control and can now run 1k reps in under 3-20 with that recovery – 6 reps.

I would agree with you totally in that if one telling me that they had done such sessions I would have said that race pace goals need revising. This is however definately not the case here. For all my other runners I allow adequate recovery for the race pace to be sustained for longer reps. I think that cross country is her strongest race however and the short recoveries tend to make her feel she is getting a recovery when she hits a downhill section. As I previously said Morag is not a worldbeater

I also have my runners run a 1500 plus a 3k before 5k but could not find 3k this year.

Sorr y ! My 2nd last paragraph should have said Morag is not a world beater but her continued improvement has meant as much to me as any International or Olympian I have coached.

Dan Moriarity

In my personal opinion since the origin of the interval training from Gresheler-Reindell school is a training method that have one main target, among other targets that´s - to create several intermittent SIMILAR OR EQUAL hard stimulus (intense pace) but in a very discriminate way - accurate pace, accurate distances, accurate intervals. In this peculiarity - the interval training is contrary to another intermittent training in a different format - fartlek. Effectively the fartlek is also an intermittent training but that deals with the use of different stimulus - different paces/intensities, different periods of duration - for the fast period and for the easy period or rest. That´s curious that as the interval training is defined that´s by the using similar or equal stimulus, for the same distance (what we name pace average) that as far as the workout goes in extensively (more sets and/or consequently more total distance) that you create an effort in the CRESCENDUM. By crescendum I mean - each one new repetition means to have an hard effort - more lactic acid concentration, high cardio-vascular effort, vast neuro-muscular stimulus. This goes according with the well known interval training workout - the EXTENSIVE interval training format. The extensive interval training format (ex:15X200m for the same range average and for the same recoveries - I follow your example) that workout design goes according an I interesting need of the distance and middle-distance running requirement - STRENGTH ENDURANCE. Now what you think that instead of doing that 15X200m/Xpace rec=30seconds, now your training design is 3X(5X200m/Xpace rec=30sec) rec=3-5min among the sets? Of course that all is equal (total number of reps.=15,; the same rep. unit=200m; the same Xpace average and the same 30 seconds od recover - SIMPLY what did change that´s the use of a long recover among the sets (3-5min) but that use of a long recover you have easy down the workout. Now, by that new use - that may allow you to run MORE NUMBER OF SETS (more extensively) and then eventually you are able to run 4X5X200m instead of just 3X5X200m, or that may allow you to run SETS IN AN HIGH INTENSITY/FASTER PACE and that instead of run 3X5X200m/Xpace you are able to run 3X5X200/Xpace LESS X% of the Xpace, or that may allow you to use SHORT RECOVER among the each set group, and now, instead of doing 3X5X200m/Xpace rec=30sec. now you are able to run that 3X5X200m/Xpace but with just rec=20sec. And that last direction have as consequence that the training direction goes to looks like a continuous run and also more aerobic. Remember that I say aerobic, but this doesn´t mean an easy steady-state run. Any physilogist will say that a 10000m race is a run with a high percent of aerobic effort, but that´s not easy. May be that when you reduce the recover the workouts is “more dense” with less time to “breath”.

What you refer - the use of a long pause among the set groups - that may allow youn to use 2 of the 3 (1=more number of reps 2=high intensity 3=short recover) or the 3 together ! But wait, you may turn that more complex. How? By the use of different set distances and the use of different paces. If we think about short reps (your original question) Ex:3X(300m+200m+100m rec=30sec) rec=2min after the 1st set+3min after the second set and 4 minutes after the 3rd set. If you take a look for Renato Canova schedules same workouts uses different paces for different rep distances and also different intervals. This reveals a knowledge of the interval training methodology and training technique, but also a quite perfect knowledge how to design the interval workouts accord the the use of a clear training direction. Ex: if he wants to train in the SPEED direction may be he use a workout that the reps are decrease of distance and the suggest pace goes faster. (2X400m/60sec +300m/43sec +200m/27 + 100m/13.2). But if you permit me, once Renato told me that the train may be simple. But his training workouts are right or wrong but not easy.

As I try to justify - we need to know why, what´s the training direction Coe´´s father why he used that 5 sets of 3x200m with 30 seconds rest between 200s and 3-5 minutes rest between sets, instead of other design with the same recoveries. May be that Coe´s father knows the reason and the training direction that he wants to use in Coe´s interval training, but I doubt that most of the high school coaches (or the runner´s if they are self coached) they all know the reason why they use that intervals with long rests between sets.

In my opinion, if people will understand what´s the difference that makes the use weekly 40 or 50 or 60miles by Sebastian Coe, or the now claimed 100miles by Coe himself, most of the nonsense and futile threads and posts about that subject willn´t continued in Let´s Run.com. In effect what seems to be a american or anglo-saxon obsession - to know what mileage Coe´s did or didn´t, and to relate Coe´s mileage and training with the 100miles Lydiard training principles - this is quite irrelevant in the training context. But as most people that keeps on going with such an discussion they don’t t understand the basic training principles, that why that question goes on and on in this site up to eternity, with imflame posts defending each one his one argument. Most of the performances that Coe did . He would have done with 50miles a week or with 100miles a week. The mileage volume is quite irrelevant in the Coe´s training context.

PS - When I did essay to post this my reply, I see that Lindsay did reply us about my answers. Thanks, I´m going to read. Before I read I may guess that Lindsay replies about “an Important moment and concept in the history and development of Intermittent training"

Hello Lindsay

This your last post about Morag training, a factual training experience, is one of the best posts, if not the best and interesting one - that I did read since long ago in LetsRunCom or in another internet site about an individual training case.

Morag, if she is not such a top class runner - yet - as the one that I go see run this weekend in my country - Paula Radcliffe comes to Portugal to compete in 1st Division of the European Countries Cup that takes place here, Morgan - eventually she is such an unique and important one unique case - that can change some traditional and conservative training concepts about the interval/intermittent training.

Morgan example can be so interesting in significance - because is based in her phenomenal training designs - more than in training physiology or lactates or whatever - that can contribute to the advance of training methodology.

Then, I thanks you a lot for share with us this your marvelous experience - I hope that you agree with me - I guess that you agree really indeed - that Morag gives you the same or more satisfaction than if you train a WR runner or an Olympic winner.

I go to archive and save Morag your last post. From times to times I will read that inn the near future.

Now, if you permit me I want to make some comments about what you said in this last post. I would appreciate that you read my comments not as someone that thinks that knows more than you and that what to pass a judge or a validation about what you said, but to try to keep on what I think that´s a so interesting discussion, and that you may be inform what I think about what you said.

1/My first comment goes for an observation. If not for nothing you deserve my consideration simply because this your sentence “…would agree with you totally in that if one telling me that they had done such sessions I would have said that race pace goals need revising…”. It seems me that you did understand perfectly my comments as also I guess that since along ago you read and pay attention to my posts. I guess that only someone that know my concepts concludes with this my idea about Morgan training. I´m I wrong?

2/Secondly, your posts and the way you inform us the Morag training shows your training passion and in that particular we share the same passion. I gues that no one that you did coach that you did coach or that you will coach will replace the lucky you feel by have the opportunity to coach Morag. I guess that you know most of that Morag training schedule by memory, I´m I wrong?

3/Third, as interesting as Morgan training is the way you get the conclusion that she is able and needed a difrrent training format than all the rest of her training group.

You say that “…Decision to do this type of session was based on her being always ready for next rep way before anyone else in the group she was running with. Also she liked this session. She is very light framed and maintained her form throughout.

…”. Lindsay, this is like a training lesson that most of our readers they shall read and memorize. More than all training concepts that we study and we did learn, more than all training fixation based in the training methods we need to see in the terrain and during the training sessions what is the runner answer and the individual reaction to the training stimulus. If you have been fixed in conservative training concepts you willn´t have conclude that Morag needs something different and unique.

Finnaly without abuse from your generosity, I would appreciate your answer to this my question. Marag training doesn´t no form of training speed or faster paces or sprint bouts apart from that workouts that you mention?

Thanks once again for your contribute. Personally the Morag training is more interesting and a superior subject of analysis than Brendan Foster, despite I have interest in both.

In response to your claim that Carlos Lopes was an astounding runner, I agree fully. I first became a fan of Carlos in 1979-81 when I read about the history of 1970s running. I first enjoyed reading about Carlos because he reminded me so much of Ron Clarke who had similar characteristics: mental toughness, ability to set a fast continious hard pace which very few people could follow, and the ability race often; year round at a high level.

It is my opinion that intervals or reps were not the reason for Carlos' success. Rather, it was the punishing hard continuous runs that he used. Ron Clarke and Derek Clayton were the the same way. Buddy Edelen the same. Really, even Gerry Lindgren who hammered his distance runs. I met Gerry two weeks ago and I am convinced that he was unique and of the same toughness and mindset about running hard in distance runs as Lopes, Clarke, and Clayton. I am sure that nobody liked to train with these fellows because the pace was brutal in their continuous runs.

I am gla to support Lopes and the runners like him who amazed us with their performances for many years! Tinman

competitive running really exsists only in high school and college. even the olympics is mostly college stars with obvious excpetions

Tinman

You are right about Lopes. But i want to say more details about this running giant, with the hope that my information may contribute that you all my understand the Lopes deep motives and deep characteristics that contributed to what he did.

Lindsay Dunn also very right when he does this comment about Lopes “….Although you say Lopes training would destroy most runners with its intensity I think people would still very much like to know how he trained and what his ideas were and your involvement. I would say that Lopes career would be the ultimate . I dont think that there has ever been anyone like him. I read a resume of his career and progress some time ago and seem to recall that he improved both his 5k and 10k times just about every year from aged 19 to 37 culminating with an Olympic gold and world record…. “ . Effectively if someone looks for Lopes career or Lopes performances in the late career, it loose the training and individual reasons why Lopes did what he did.

If i may select the ultimate Lopes characteristic that able him to be Olympic champion that´s PATIENCE. Who is the runner that being a 4:07/1500m and 15min/5000m and 30minutes/10000m have the patience enough to follow a steady and sustain 19 years career to get to the top? Ron Clark, Clayton, Lindgreen ? No one, as far as I know.

Tinman is also right in what you say about Lopes “…mental toughness, ability to set a fast continous hard pace which very few people could follow, and the ability race often; year round at a high level….” I would add race often in all kind of races and terrains: from track to muddy crosses, to local road runs to national meetings. But once again under his mental characteristics I would select the best one, the one that did a decisive contribute to his wins, is that he LOVES TO COMPETE, he is hungry to face the challenge that´s run with the best, and he loves to run UNDER PRESSURE and competitive challenge. This is a rare quality. He runs his best runs in that day he elect to run his best run. We all know lots of examples of people that do very good training workouts in a pleased training session, but when they go out his usual training surround and they have to face the best in peak/goal competitions they fail, they aren´t the same good runner´s they used to be. But Lope he doesn´t. He looses our cross country nationals to win the

Word Cross title.

Another interesting characteristic that you may understand is that with Lopes or in race that he participate Ther´s no tactical runs, in the sense that HE GIVES HIS BEST PERFORMANCE IN EVERY RACE, from a local run to n Olympic run. In this aspect he is very similar to Steve Prefontaine, people that no matter what condition they are, or what kind of race they were entering they also give his best. Lopes have such a compulsion to do his best in all situation that if in a local run he knows that he will win with more than 2 minutes before the second one, since the start he will put his best pace, no matter if the race is wined since the first yard. Is this the reason we saw him do PB´s in local runs, not national or international. If in a career moment his 5000m PB that´s 13:32 a week ago, ther´s no way that he enters in a new 5000m run one week after and he did ex:13:45. he never did that – a performance bellow his actual shape condition and/or actual talent. May be he did 13:36, but tht´s for sure that despite he did win overlap all the rest of the participants he felt unhappy because he didn´t a new PB. This attitude – to push to the limit in every race .- also able him to do good under pressure. His willing to competitive revenge and TO PROVE HE IS GOOD TO THOSE WHO DON´T WANT TO ADMIT THAT or that hardly admit IS SOMETHING UNIQUE also indeed. In a famous interview to a Portuguese TV channel when asked what´s the reason he did win the Olympics and a WCC title, Lopes did answer: What makes me mad and hungry to win is the fact that most of the Americans they dispraise my talent and they don´t recognise that i´m one of the world´s best distance runners – they don´t elect me in Track & Field Annual rankings of merit in any distance event despite i´m one of the world´s best all time - then I want to win what I can in the United States, that´s why I did tried to win that WCCC that did takes place in New York as I tried to win the marathon in that same year in the Olympics because it did takes place in Los Angeles also in the USA. With so I hope that the American running experts that they have a close mind and that they only have the attention focus in Alberto Salazar or Mark Nenow – they admit that i´m one of the worlds best.

Now about Lopes training along his long career. Some keys to understand how and why I did what he did up to 37 years old.

1/Despite he trains hard and do some mileage volume his training focus wasn´t never the mileage stuff. He isn´t a mileage giant. He tried to use mileage volume training as effective and efficient as possible - that less mileage it results is the best shape improvement, and not the opposite. The Japanese training concept – to do miles just for recover, or Gerry Lindgren or Dave Bedford 200 miles – that are training styles that Lopes is very critic and ironic. He considers that a waist of time.

2/As as his career goes on – along the seasons – he did reduce the interest of the micro cycle (weekly) interval training frequency. He did start training and competing with 3 interval trainings a week to or twice sometimes once a week. Otherwise, he did more frequent use of the intense continuous runs.

3/He did use a training per iodisation along the season that preserves training steadiness more than an hard or volume or an intense phase followed by peak/taper period – something like Lydiard training. No, he didn´t. Training is seen as a weekly steady routine that the shape condition is growing up as long as you continued training PROGRESSIVELY within and along the same training standards. Uses like special-block or crash training that are formats completely excluded from Lopes training concept. What he used really that´s track workouts – if not year round, most of the time.

4/A last key to mention is that Lopes – and his coach – they have an understanding that all may be progressively in the extensively direction. Lopes never start a season with a 10miles (16Kilos) competition to prepare a 12kilos world Cross Country champs. The direction is from short runs to long runs. To prepare a 10000m track run he did 1500m, 3000m or 5000m before that 10000m run. In this same logic he moves up to longer distance events along his career. He did focus in 800m-1500 and junor cross distances (4kilos to 3 miles distances) up to 1500m-3000m-5000m in his 23-24 years old, then he moves up to 5000m up to 26-27 years old, then he moves up to 10000m and cross runs and short road runs as his distance specialities with 27-28-29 years old, then he did move to 10000m-cross-medium to long road runs but also marathon with 32 years old, that he delay up to the end of his long career. But he never give up to run short middle distance runs

Sir Lance-alot wrote:

competitive running really exsists only in high school and college. even the olympics is mostly college stars with obvious excpetions

If people are wondering what the hell the above means.......it was a MISTAKE. Sorry about that!

I was attempting to respond to a different post, where someone ELSE made the above inane comment. I copied their quote, and was going to respond to it. Somehow when I went to post my reply to Tinman, I pasted this quote of the other poster (from an entirely different thread) onto this thread and hit reply. WHOOPS!!

PLEASE DISREGARD!!!!! Those were not my words.

[quote]Antonio Cabral wrote:

2/As as his career goes on – along the seasons – he did reduce the interest of the micro cycle (weekly) interval training frequency. He did start training and competing with 3 interval trainings a week to or twice sometimes once a week. Otherwise, he did more frequent use of the intense continuous runs.

Dear Antonio, could you please elaborate a bit on this? Did you mean that Lopes started with 3 interval sessions per week early in his career and proceeded to only two and later on to one, only to exchange them for hard sustained runs? Thanks.

Ma. wrote:

Dear Antonio, could you please elaborate a bit on this? Did you mean that Lopes started with 3 interval sessions per week early in his career and proceeded to only two and later on to one, only to exchange them for hard sustained runs? Thanks.

Ma you are right ! When he start in the late 60s, early 70s - he was a young boy, a teenager, 4:07 in 1500m, he works all day in a factory and then in a newspapper working in deliverance the newspappers (i don´t know if you understand that), and then the training ideas at the time included 3 to 4 track training interval workouts a week.

They just arrive to tye trcak, some 20minutes warmup and then they put spike shoes and here they go - a large froup following the leader - the best runner, not the best runner, the best in doing that type of intervals. Some did that easily with 1min 1:30 recover, some did that hardly than a real run, and because they start each rep at the same time, as they were the last ones of the pack, their interval recovers are reduced, sometimes from 1:00 to 45secs. But the one that did an hard effort according his own capacity - the last ones to end each rep unity - were the ones that works with less interval pause. In each repetition they want to do a faster chrono, competing one with each other. This was the old time school.

But as Lopes was also an intuitive - he refuses to follow the coach rules and gives up voluntarly from 3 times a week workouts, to use in own training model. 1 hour a day (only with a single session daily) + 2 interval sessions weekly (short reps and long reps) and a day rest verey weekend. With this his own training schedule he did 28:12. That´s where he taugh that if he will do intenser paces in the continous runs including the ones considered as recover)and also more volume he will improve. From that moment on - when he realise that in his case - hard continuous runs - means quickly shape improvement than interval workouts, he decide to change his point of apppreciation about the trcak workouts: he will consider that more days of recover than hard workout days - ok, days of recover but with some intensity (as to say), and the real hard days were the days in between the workouts ( ! ). In te special case of the short reps - as this is very distant from the specific 10000m-cross-road training - then considered some form of speed training if you use a long innactive recover period - you saw Lopes beeing the last runner of the pack. Not the same in the long reps - sometimes he leads that. But the training session she was unveatable were the intenser continuous runs. I doesn´t let no one lead since the start, and that´s impossible to try to follow him.

But if you have more question i will try to write more detaills about Lopes did train, depending of your questions

Antonio Cabral wrote:

1 hour a day (only with a single session daily) + 2 interval sessions weekly (short reps and long reps) and a day rest verey weekend. With this his own training schedule he did 28:12.

This is very similar to the training of Micheal Musyoki ( bronze medallist in the 10,000m in 1984 ). Micheal ran for an hour a day 6 days a week and one or two days a week did an hour in the morning and repeat 400s or 800s in the afternoon. Some days he said he ran as much as 12 miles in the hour ie. 5 min/mile.

Anyway, 28:12 for Lopes is an amazing performance for only training an hour a day.

Antonio,

Thank you for your kind comments. Yes you are right , I can remember her sessions without referring to diaries etc. Also she does virtually no speedwork other than strides and accelerations before sessions.

I am fully in agreement with your principles . In a previous thread on Lets Run where a comparison in the methods of some British coaches was made it was stated that my own methods were very much on the lines of the Portugese – an analogy that I was very happy with. It was said that my training was light in comparison to a lot of others - ( I didn’t agree with this ) but presumably this was because we do only do 2 sessions per week. It was said that if I coached someone it would take them a long time to reach their potential – but they would eventually get there. . Again this is criticism that I was quite happy about . I feel that nowadays so many want instant success so the training is pushed too hard when the runner is not ready for it. With regard to this discussion about interval / repetition and intermittent training I think it is different for every runner in what works for them and that it is finding the key to this that can bring about the improvement. Your principles which you have gone into into various threads are the defining starting point . If I set a session which I have based on 3k: 5k or 10k pace and the times of the runner cannot sustain the pace throughout the session I will pull them out at that point. My reasoning is that if they cannot sustain the pace then either the goal pace is set too high, they are under the weather that day . It could be that their current pace does not relate to the goal pace at that particular time. Either way , by continuing and slowing they are not achieving the training effect required and could be damaging the aerobic base which they are building. There is obviously a time for running very hard but I think that this would be nearer to the main goal competition. This often seems harsh to the runner and it might seem that it would damage confidence but I know it works and next time they repeat the session I find they can do more at the same pace . Too much in my opinion in GB is the emphasis on how good a session is in terms of speed, recovery etc and not on what is being tried to achieve.

Once started adhering to principles then the key to what will work for the individual should be sought. I can best illustrate this by referring to 2 runners I was involved with many years ago. Barry Smith had been a brilliant Junior winning the English Schools 1500m in a record time. From then until aged 27 he performed 3 hard interval sessions per week and had improved his 1500m time very little – running 3-42 and moving to 5k had ran 13-56. When I started coaching him I noted from his training diary that there had been a period 2 years previously where for 6 weeks he had been unable to run sessions due to a long spell of snow and ice .He had just ran steady mileage. At the end of this he ran a series of races abroad and his form was the best since his Junior days. I therefore suggested he cut out all sessions and ran steady again. 2 months later – in November he ran his best ever road race so we continued steady run – up to 80 miles in March he finished 13th in World X-Country. We only started interval work in April and he ran 13-24 and got to Olympics. Also 3-57 mile. We continued same basis the following winter – only starting track work in April again but did not run World X – opting to go to altitude for a month instead. That summer there were no Games (1981) . The major race was at Gateshead – Golden 5k. We had great difficulty in getting Barry into the race as only the top 20 in the world were invited. Field included McChesney who had just broken US 5k record. Mamede who had just broken European records, Moorcroft, Cova, Craig Virgin etc. Barry won the race in 13-20 in very windy conditions running last 3 laps in 61:60:59. Also that year he won Europa cup –(last 200 26) and British 10k (his first 10k) in 28-06 (last 200 26.8) My point is – and I was not aware of it at the time that his lactate management must have been super efficient after all the years of interval training but had just not had the aerobic support. Do you agree ? Charlie Spedding : Charlie since finishing 2nd in the English schools 1500 had trained a lot of the time with Brendan running steady mileage throughout the winter. His problem was that when he started more intense work in April or so it would take him until the end of the track season to sharpen up and by then the championships had passed. In 1976 he came with me to St Moritz to train and instead of training for 5k racing he trained as a 1500 metre runner and he came back and reduced his 5k time from 14-04 to 13-42. He spent the next few years repeating the winter process however and made little progress. In 1980 after a poor run in the Olympic 5k trial and still getting sharper at the end of the track season, I got involved with his training and persuaded him to do intervals all the year round . In this way he would retain the sharpness he had got. The question then became how to peak for races. I suggested that when he had targeted a race he would run 6 weeks at increased mileage which was not long enough for him to lose his pace and then 2 weeks of intense work with reduced mileage followed by a week of tapering. He moved to Boston to do this and was able to train on an indoor track. The sessions were not really fast but he would not have been able to do them at home with no all weather track and bad weather. Sessions would be something like 2 x 800 : 1600: 2 x800 all at 66/67 pace with 2 – 2-30 recovery. The outcome of this was that the first time he tried this build up he won the US 15k championship race. The build up involved increasing mileage from 80 to around 95-100 miles. His reaction was to want to run Boston marathon but I persuaded him to try 10k first using the build up. He ran in the US Championship and finished 3rd to Salazar in 28-42 taking a chunk off his pb in 100 degree heat. Again he wanted to try a marathon but I suggested he aimed to get on European and Commonwealth Games teams. He did this improving to 28-11. Again was the desire to run a marathon but he had not won a British title so he kept at 10k for another year. By now the build up had worked so well that even if races were poor and this seemed to happen more frequently , he knew he was going to run well when it mattered. The next year 1983 he won the British title. Then he did his marathon and results in 1984 won Houston 2-11; Won London then bronze in Olympics. I had put this down t him needing speedwork whereas I realise now it was poor lactate management whereby he need regular sessions for this. Nevertheless the results worked out the same despite my lack of physiological knowledge at the time.

Thank you for the posts on Lopez. Excellent . He was the Man !!