Optimal Periodization for Long Term Gains

One week repeated cycle of 300 mi/wk, 3 workouts for 9.9 years, taper, race.

10 weeks base

4 weeks hills

4 weeks anaerobic

4 weeks coordination

2 weeks taper / race

Lydiard way wrote:

10 weeks base

4 weeks hills

4 weeks anaerobic

4 weeks coordination

2 weeks taper / race

And then what? Just repeat that endlessly?

Have there been any studies on this or different macrocycles/mesocycles, or do coaches choose plans based on gut feel and each individual's adaptation? Can we just admit it is more art than science, or am I mistaken? Come on, someone in the know give me proof or at least explanation for current coaching methods. Is it all just based on tribal knowledge?

10 weeks of "base" is way too much. That's insane.

Not a College Runner wrote:

10 weeks of "base" is way too much. That's insane.

Your conception of base is probably just a lot of slow running.

LetsEatDoughnutsInstead wrote:

Lydiard way wrote:

10 weeks base

4 weeks hills

4 weeks anaerobic

4 weeks coordination

2 weeks taper / race

And then what? Just repeat that endlessly?

Have there been any studies on this or different macrocycles/mesocycles, or do coaches choose plans based on gut feel and each individual's adaptation? Can we just admit it is more art than science, or am I mistaken? Come on, someone in the know give me proof or at least explanation for current coaching methods. Is it all just based on tribal knowledge?

Yes you would repeat the cycle after your goal race but you wouldn’t have to start from scratch obviously. Coaching is definitely more of an art form than a science. There are some general training principles that we know work for a majority of athletes but each athletes is an experiment of one.