Mahavishnu1500 wrote:
Lydiard's biggest failure was in trying to quantify his training into books and schedules. His actual coaching of Snell and company was absolutely legendary. However, they did not adhere to most of his principles outlined in his books minus the aerobic base phase, of which Snell says he would have added more "light" speedwork. What Lydiard got right was the physiology of distance running and the importance of the aerobic capacity, and general theories.
Every successful undoped distance program in the world does regular long runs, solid aerobic volume, regular tempo runs (from his "time trials"), multitude of strides, limits insane speed workouts, and doubles with one easy run a day. These are his legacy. Coaches totally ignore his hill methodology with the bounding, striding at the top, and the downhill running.
Also he predated EPO. Mega fail.
the above dude knows what he is talking about.
Lydiard system forms the shape of most programs today.
Lydiard's hill and bounding stuff should be emphasized, but if you are over trained, and become inflexible, you will get injured.
Ya, Snell would skip distance days and up the quality of speed work, and not tell Lydiard, as John Walker reports in a visit with Snell.
The biggest failing is that Lydiard takes a guy with good speed and natural indurance, and then gives him the long slow distance volume stuff, which works well for like three or four years, and over time, the muscles over-adapt to slow pace, and the finishing kick gradually goes into meritocracy.
Things like yoga and cross training, weights, too were thrown out the window, you have to use these methods super intelligently or they are worthless or worse than worthless.
Again, overspecialization causes muscle groups to atrophy, and you become fragile, and snap.
Diet regimes were not covered well, Snell was eating tons of honey and probably had some intolerance issues, basically Lydiard diet was ignorant.
Lydiard also had a warped idea about speed, a response to insane interval training methods, that got results but burned athletes out, and caused them to be weak after a hard pace, to be outsprinted by the guys with the aerobic base.
You can do the light speed or full recovery intervals fast but comfortable, you can get volume and adaptation that way without burning out, you can do this stuff, at least a session or two per week in the build up phase.
It is really stupid to get too far away from race pace and quicker - for the bulk of your training time.
Basically Lydiard system if followed properly is great to get a base going, for a guy with speed, for like two years.
The you want to do the light speed cross training, and ramp up the quality, while still getting in some volume.
At the end of the day, once you have the aerobic foundation, you don't need to over do it.
You want quality and recovery, you want adaptation, and you want supplemental work of supporting muscle groups.
Lydiard neglected race pace and quicker as a rule.
But true, the hill work and bounding being emphasized makes up for that.