How good is our track coach?

critical velocity workouts should be run "approximately" the same way you run threshold workouts, long repeats with short recoveries, so the CV workout on Mon is a. the repeats are too short, b. not enough volume and c. should not be the day before a meet.

the walk 60m, jog 60m, sprint 60m session is not completely pointless, but you should be doing this in pre-season to transition from hill work in x-country season to sharper-paced track work. and it is only necessary once a week, for around 3 - 4 weeks. once you start doing intervals you can leave this behind.

I don't know what "intense stair drills" are, but it sounds like plyometrics of some kind. this has a place in your schedule and is not completely pointless, but not before every session and I wouldn't personally have you doing this at this time of year.

you should be doing more than a 400m warm up, and you should be doing a proper cool down. in fact, "no cooldown," is probably the scariest part of this schedule. even if you are not training very hard, no cooldown is a good way to get injured.

your coach is probably out of their depth and needs some help.

If I were on this team, I would buy a book on middle distance training and just leave it on the coach's desk or in their bag or somewhere they can find it, pick it up and read it without any one particular person being responsible. I wouldn't worry too much about which book, virtually anything with some running in it will be better for you than your current schedule. a second-hand copy of Running with the Buffaloes would work.

cheers.

april fools day was yesterday. No one that knows about this website would think 9 miles per week or these workouts would be worth your time and effort. I believe you can answer this question yourself.

2:18 wrote:

april fools day was yesterday. No one that knows about this website would think 9 miles per week or these workouts would be worth your time and effort. I believe you can answer this question yourself.

Yea our coach sucks. I just wanted to know if there was any benefit at all from doing it.

Thank you for the in depth answer! I would take your advice on giving him the book, but he doesn't really work for the school or have an office. Don't know what he does other than coach.

I thinks it's odd that nobody is interested in knowing what your event is? Not that the schedule you have posted is great for any event but 9 miles per week is plenty if not too much for a sprinter.

otter wrote:

I thinks it's odd that nobody is interested in knowing what your event is? Not that the schedule you have posted is great for any event but 9 miles per week is plenty if not too much for a sprinter.

I run the 3200 mostly.

My coach: (This is what I did 3 & 4 weeks ago before my 3200 pr)

M: Run 7 miles + 6 strides @ mile feeling

Tu: w/u 20min, 6x800 with 2min jogging rest we don't ever stop, it is at XC-2mile feeling, after we did 4x200m, 15min c/d

W: 5 miles recovery

Th: w/u 20min, 4x 1 mile at tempo feel (he doesn't give paces?) w/ 1min jog rest on the bike path, 4x 30 second strides after, 15min c/d

F: 6 miles recovery or easy + 6 strides @ mile feeling

Sat: 10 mile easy run

Sun: off

M: same as before

Tu: w/u 20min, 6x 3min ON 1min OFF out in the regional park at "faster than tempo" with 4 really fast, really short hill sprints after, 15min c/d

W: same

Th: w/u 20min, 4 miles at tempo feel on bike path, those 3x 45 second after, 15min c/d

F: same

Sat: same

Sun: off

This is my first year with him and I improved a lot (broke 9:20). Our whole team is really good right now too and everyone is a lot better. My old coach gave us paces for everything but the new one never really does. He says "feel" a lot and makes us not focus on time in races and says to just race. I think its weird how we don't ever really get on the track that much though. Every three week we do some short stuff too, like 2x(5x300) with 50m walk/50m jog and we go again without stopping until the set is done.