What is the simplest training plan that one could follow and still get great results?

Run consistently year round.

Get plenty of sleep and eat a well-balanced diet.

Run one long run per week no longer than 25% of your weekly mileage.

Run one LT run per week. This could be long repeats on the track or a steady run.

Slowly increase your weekly mileage, yearly mileage, weekly tempo run, weekly long run.

Run once a day until you build your mileage past 60 MPW, then start doing a few doubles.

Take one day off a week.

Rinse and repeat for 4-5 years and you'll be pretty fast.

There are two fundamental training strategies that seem to meet "Elite" plans.

Extremely High Volume + More moderated Intensity (Think 200+ mpw, and some solid but not too intense workouts)

Moderately High Volume + High Intensity (Think 120+ mpw and some frequent intense workouts)

So the simplest training rule would be run a lot and make sure it is stressing your body.

Well, first you have to say what you are training for.

Run far. Run fast.

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Don't think I can make it much simpler than this.

100mpw

Varsity Lu wrote:

Run consistently year round.

Get plenty of sleep and eat a well-balanced diet.

Run one long run per week no longer than 25% of your weekly mileage.

Run one LT run per week. This could be long repeats on the track or a steady run.

Slowly increase your weekly mileage, yearly mileage, weekly tempo run, weekly long run.

Run once a day until you build your mileage past 60 MPW, then start doing a few doubles.

Take one day off a week.

Rinse and repeat for 4-5 years and you'll be pretty fast.

Thanks. About the last two points, do you really only recommend doubling once you are running 10 a day in singles (60 mpw in 6 days)?

snow blow wrote:

Varsity Lu wrote:

Run consistently year round.

Get plenty of sleep and eat a well-balanced diet.

Run one long run per week no longer than 25% of your weekly mileage.

Run one LT run per week. This could be long repeats on the track or a steady run.

Slowly increase your weekly mileage, yearly mileage, weekly tempo run, weekly long run.

Run once a day until you build your mileage past 60 MPW, then start doing a few doubles.

Take one day off a week.

Rinse and repeat for 4-5 years and you'll be pretty fast.

Thanks. About the last two points, do you really only recommend doubling once you are running 10 a day in singles (60 mpw in 6 days)?

No. You don't need to start doubling until you are exceeding 80 mpw

Run one all-out time trial or interval workout once or twice per week.

Mon: easy run

Tue: 30 min Tempo Run

Wed: easy run

Thu: easy run

Fri: 15 x 1:00 hill repeats

Sat: easy

Sun: Long Run

A few drills before or after easy runs

Push-ups and sit-ups every night

Easy run distance depends on mileage, gradually increase over months and years. Start adding in a few short second runs once your easy runs get to 60-70 mins.

Long Run about 150-175% of easy run distance done at decent rhythm

You could race and improve pretty well at 5k up to half marathon distance doing this every week you didn't race.

1 h solid over hilly terrain every day.

Don't get injured - 1 mpw injury free is better than 100 mpw injured!

Obviously it is:

- 20 x 400m at vo2max pace with walking recovery until your heart rate drops to 120 bpm;

- 12 x 800m at threshold pace with walking recovery until your heart rate drops to 120 bpm;

- one day per week off.

Every knows this. Come on.

Lurker wrote:

Obviously it is:

- 20 x 400m at vo2max pace with walking recovery until your heart rate drops to 120 bpm;

- 12 x 800m at threshold pace with walking recovery until your heart rate drops to 120 bpm;

- one day per week off.

Every knows this. Come on.

What should we call this magical method?

roadie wrote:

1 h solid over hilly terrain every day.

That's what I was going to say. You'll definitely get results, even if the training is not optimal. The bonus, though, is that this kind of training is the most enjoyable (imo).

Run lots, sometimes fast, mostly slow.

Lurker wrote:

Obviously it is:

- 20 x 400m at vo2max pace with walking recovery until your heart rate drops to 120 bpm;

- 12 x 800m at threshold pace with walking recovery until your heart rate drops to 120 bpm;

- one day per week off.

Every knows this. Come on.

That is just a part of it as far as I know. But to keep it simple is a good advice.

I think Ron Clarke and his group had the simplest training you could find. They did a good paced run for about an hour after work each day, a race and a long run at the weekend and in Ron's case, a 5-6 mile AM run.

Shorter's was also really simple. A session of longer reps once a week, a session of shorter, faster ones, usually a race or some sort of tempo runs, and a 20 or so mile run and usually a couple 10 mile runs on the other days.

Ron Hill ran back and forth from work, seven miles minimum, usually more on the run home, a couple days of intervals, either 70 second bursts or counting 10 strides, then 20, then 30, etc, up to 100 the n back down, a weekly race and a long weekend run.

Mark Nenow's training was a lot like Clarke's, a couple good paced runs a day and a lot of volume.

If you can track down any of the "How They Train" books from the 60s to 80s you'll see that a lot of people had the same plan pretty much year round and it was really simple. Check Bob Hodge's website and you'll see some really detailed samples including Bob's who once told me that many people just can't believe what a really simple sport running is.

Hahariiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight wrote:

snow blow wrote:

Thanks. About the last two points, do you really only recommend doubling once you are running 10 a day in singles (60 mpw in 6 days)?

No. You don't need to start doubling until you are exceeding 80 mpw

If you ever intend to double it's best to start right away at low miles. You get used to the habit rather than feeling like you're adding it when you already feel maxed out at 80.

Simplest.

10 Mike's every day. Hard when capable, easy when not. 6-8 uphill sprints . 150-200 yards every other day.

Good results from the mile to half marathon.