Overview:

13 weeks, 1/11/16 – 4/9/16

 

Workout Categories

Long runs

Plyos/strengthening

Threshold

Speed

Long Intervals

Short Intervals

Specific Pace

 

Speed/Intensities

8. Sprint (S): all out, full speed

7. Faster (F): near sprint, focus on form or relaxation

6. Pace (P): goal race pace

5. Long Interval (L): about mile pace, but a little slower

4. Threshold (T): tempo, about 10k pace, sentence or two at a time

3. Quick (Q): up tempo, but chill, tough to have full conversations

2. Normal/long runs: easy conversations

1. Recovery/warm up/cool down: jog

 

Over winter break, focus on plyos/strengthening; short, fast bursts (up to 50m), and longer easy runs

 

General Strategy

Build opposite ends of speed/endurance spectrum or gradually work to the middle, goal race

Ex. Jan, Plyos and long runs, then threshold, speed, then long and short intervals, then specific cut down, rest, and distance and race pace workouts right before nats

 

Important Info

Rest- Err on side of more rest or recovery, take slower paces (especially for longer workouts) seriously. Overdoing it too early is bad.

Add rest between reps, decrease reps, take outside factors into account if needed

A or B workouts- Play to and focus on your strengths while strengthening weaknesses. Endurance people, longer workouts are A or vice versa

Don’t Run every day- Take 1 day off per week, even when you’re feeling great.  If you’re feeling   awful, can’t run paces you are usually able to, or have outside stress wearing you down, don’t be afraid to scratch an easy run or adjust times.

 

Workout Schedule Notes

Long runs and plyos are not included in the weekly plans I’m writing here, but they’re definitely meant to be done.  Long runs should vary greatly from person to person: a speed-oriented person can have a long run of 5-7 miles while a more distance-oriented person may want to run 10-12 miles. It’s completely personal preference, based on how you’re feeling and what you like to do. These are not meant to be fast though. Run comfortably, and save your legs for the faster workouts. I’ve included a list of plyos or strengthening exercises I like, but feel free to add or substitute anything you like doing. Explosive lower-body plyos are supposed to be done once per week, at most, once the season starts.

Strides and easy runs- I’ve only included workouts in this schedule, and the other days are all meant to be easy, conversationally paced runs (up to 4 per week, including a longer run). Do plyos after one of these runs, the day before the shorter, speedies workout. Do strides after one of the other easy runs. These strides are roughly race pace, build up gradulally from 100m to 200m over the course of the season, and should include enough recovery to easily finish each stride; this is not a workout. The other easy run or two is just that: an easy run. No plyos; only short, easy strides (if any); and no hard running.

Running partners and staggered starts- If possible, find someon or a group of someones to partner up with for workouts. Trade the lead, block wind for each other, and (since competition is pretty inevitable) focus on hitting the pace better than your partner instead of racing. Except for sprint workouts. Race those! Start each rep staggered from slow to fast, if possible. Time it so everyone hypothetically finishes at the same time and recovery times line up (people running 1:42 for a 600 start 7 seconds ahead of those running 1:35 who start 5 seconds ahead of those running 1:30). Reps or rest times vary depending on the person and the day; if you’re feeling off, stick to fewer reps and more recovery.

 

Plyos/Strengthening

 

1-2 times/week

Squats

Explosive jumps onto box/platform (no more than 6-8)

Jump rope

Step-ups onto box/platform

Sprints up stairs/steep hill (no more than 8-10 x 10 seconds) full recovery

Quick feet step-ups on stairs

Kettlebell swings

 

3 times/week

Push ups

Dips

Pull Ups

 

6 days/week

5+ minutes of core

 

 

 

Schedule

Week 1

1/10-1/16

1.     Speed: 8x50 S (on grass if possible) with 2-3 minutes rest

2.     Threshold: 3-5 miles Q (depending on how much you’ve been running)

3.     Strides 4x100 P with full recovery

 

Week 2

1/17-1/23

1.     Speed: same as week 1

2.     Threshold: same as week 1

3.     Strides: same as week 1

 

Week 3

1/24-1/30

1.     Speed: 4 x 50 S, 4 x 100 S with full recovery

2.     Threshold: 3-4 miles Q-T (start Q, increase to T last 10 min. or so)

3.     Strides: 6 x 100 P

 

 

Week 4

1/31 – 2/6

1.     Short Intervals: 8-10 x 200 F with 2+ min of rest

2.     Threshold: 4 x 1600 Q-T with 2 min. rest (mostly T)

3.     Strides: 6 x 100 P

 

Week 5

2/7 – 2/13 (recovery week)

1.     Pace: 4 x 200 P with 60 rest

2.     Grass chasers ??? says he’ll explain later

3.     No long strides, no long run or plyos, run short and easy

 

Week 6

2/14 – 2/20

1.     Speed: 4 x 50 S, 4 x 100 S, 2 x 200 P-F with 3 min. rest

2.     Threshold: 5 x 1200 with 2-3 min rest

3.     Strides: 6 x 150 P

 

Week 7

2/21 – 2/27

1.     Short Intervals: 8-10 x 300 F with 2-3 min rest

2.     Long Interval/Threshold: 3 x 1200 T, 2 x 1000 L with 2-3 minutes rest

3.     Strides: 4 x 200 P

 

Week 8

2/28 – 3/5

1.     Short Interval: 3 x 400 F-P, 3 x 400 P-L, with 2-3 minutes rest

2.     Long Interval/Threshold: 2 x 1200 T + 3 x 1000 L with 2-3 mintes rest

3.     Strides 6 x 200 P

 

Week 9

3/6 – 3/12 ( recovery week)

1.     Pace: 4 x 200 P with 40 seconds rest

2.     Same as week 5

3.     Same as week 5

 

Week 10

3/13 – 3/19

1.     Shot Intervals: 600 F + 4 x 400 P-F (only slow to P if necessary) with 2-2.5 min rest

2.     Long Intervals: 3 x 1000 L + 600 L-P with 2 min. rest

3.     Strides: 6 x 200 P

 

 

 

Week 11

3/20 – 3/26

1.     Pace: 2 x ( 2 x 300 P with 60 rest) with 90s -2 min rest

2.     Long Interval:/Pace: 2 x 1000 L with 2 min. + 2 x 200 P with 60 rest

3.     Strides: 4 x 200 P

 

Week 12

3/27 – 4/2

1.     Pace: 2 x 400 P with 1:1 rest, 2 min.  rest, 1-2 x 200 P, 40 sec. rest

2.     Short Interval/Pace: 600 P, 2 min, 400 P, 2 min, 300 P-F, 1 min, 200F

3.     Strides: 6 x 100 P

 

Week 13

4/3 – 4/9

1.     Pace: 4 x 300 P with full rest

2.     Pace: 4 x 200 P with full rest

3.     Treat rest of week as recovery week (like weeks 5 and 9)