Running Around 11•24•13

Week 27 • Fall Training 2013

Only 4 training days until Thanksgiving Day. For those in Knoxville, that means Autumnfest 8k. Now it's time to use all of that speed and fitness that we've been working on throughout this training cycle! At this point, all of the hay is in the barn; nothing you can do from now until Thursday is really going to make a big difference in your result. If you want to keep sharp between now and Thursday, I'll suggest a very easy 4x 200m @R/I pace with a 200m jog. Just stride them out and get a really nice quick turnover going. Higher mileage runners can do as many as 6, but err on the side of being more conservative if there is a question. If you are racing Saturday instead of Thursday, then just pick your favorite workout from the past 4 weeks. See http://trackworkouts.blogspot.com/ With the end of the training cycle, it's best to take some time off to rest and recuperate. Typically this means some time off from running. Cross training can be done, but it's not a requirement. Anywhere from 7-10 days is an appropriate amount. We use a periodized approach to training, and REST is a very important part of that. You can't be running at your best all the time, so we pick a few times during the year to be in peak shape and build a training schedule around those. After some down time, we start back up with base training. So over the next month or so we'll continue meeting at the track for easy road/greenway runs. I'll also have an off-season track plan for those who want to do something other than easy running. Unfortunately, I've been "resting" with a bad knee for 2 weeks now, so I will not be out to race Autumnfest. I realize not everyone is on the same schedule. If you're still racing, pick any of the workouts from Oct/Nov at http://trackworkouts.blogspot.com/. Since everyone gets kind of busy this time of year, this is a good time to use the Facebook group for correspondence with your fellow runners to see who is doing what & when. Also, if you have any feedback about what has worked well for you or what has not, please let me know. If you have a favorite workout, least favorite workout, etc., I'd like to hear about that too.

WORKOUT SUMMARY 1. 4x 200m  @R/I pace with 200m jog recoveries 2. Race! 3. Striders DETAILS Can be done Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. Pace is half way between your R and I paces. Nice and easy. Stride them out and work on smooth, quick turnover. Run fast! 4-6x 100m striders     USE THESE LINKS TO FIND YOUR R, I, & T TRAINING PACES http://www.panix.com/~elflord/vdot.html http://www.attackpoint.org/trainingpaces.jsp http://www.runningforfitness.org/calc/racepaces/rp

Running Around 11•16•13

Week 26 • Fall Training 2013

With about 11 training days left until Thanksgiving, we'll continue to work on fine tuning efficiency and economy. We'll also throw in some 800s so that stamina is not being ignored. Keep good form and run fast with efficiency. Let's do sets of 800m @I pace, 2x 400m @R pace. Half distance jog following all repeats. So a full set is 800m @I + 400m jog + 400m @R + 200m jog + 400m @R + 200m jog.

WORKOUT SUMMARY 1. Sets of (800m @I, 400m@R, 400m @R pace) with 400m, 200m, 200m jog recoveries 2. 3-6x 1600m @T pace w/60s rest   3. Striders DETAILS Sets of: 800m @I (400m jog), 400m@R (200m jog), 400m @R (200m jog). Recommendations based on weekly mileage: 50 mpw: 2 sets + 800m @I + 400m @R 45 mpw: 2 sets + 800m @I 40 mpw: 2 sets + 400m @R 35 mpw: 2 sets 30 mpw: 1 set + 800m + 400m @R 25 mpw: 1 set + 800m @I 20 mpw: 1 set + 400m @R [Optional 2nd workout; Thursday or Friday] Run 1 mile repeat for each 10 miles of weekly mileage (e.g 40 miles per week is 4 repeats). Three is the minimum. 4-6x 100m striders     USE THESE LINKS TO FIND YOUR R, I, & T TRAINING PACES http://www.panix.com/~elflord/vdot.html http://www.attackpoint.org/trainingpaces.jsp http://www.runningforfitness.org/calc/racepaces/rp

Running Around 11•11•13

Week 25 • Fall Training 2013

Nice and simple this week. 400m repeats at R-pace. We are working on running economy, efficiency, and fast turnover. It's better to back off a tiny bit to be smooth and efficient rather than just killing yourself to hit a particular pace.

WORKOUT SUMMARY 1. 5-12x 400m @R pace with 400m jog recoveries 2. 3-6x 1600m @T pace w/60s rest   3. Striders DETAILS Recommendations based on weekly mileage: 50 mpw: 10x 400m @R w/400m jog 45 mpw: 9x 400m @R w/400m jog 40 mpw: 8x 400m @R w/400m jog 35 mpw: 7x 400m @R w/400m jog 30 mpw: 6x 400m @R w/400m jog 25 mpw: 5x 400m @R w/400m jog [Optional 2nd workout; Thursday or Friday] Run 1 mile repeat for each 10 miles of weekly mileage (e.g 40 miles per week is 4 repeats). Three is the minimum. 4-6x 100m striders     USE THESE LINKS TO FIND YOUR R, I, & T TRAINING PACES http://www.panix.com/~elflord/vdot.html http://www.attackpoint.org/trainingpaces.jsp http://www.runningforfitness.org/calc/racepaces/rp

Running Around 11•4•13

Week 24 • Fall Training 2013

I'll keep it short and to the point. Let's do sets of 800m and 400m repeats. The 800s will be at I-pace, and the 400s will be at R-pace. Rest will be 400m jog for both. A full set looks like: 800m @I pace, 400m jog recovery, 400m @R pace, 400m jog recovery. Repeat as indicated in the details below. There is no restriction on time for the recovery jog.

WORKOUT SUMMARY 1. Sets of (800m @I, 400m @R pace) with 400m jog recoveries 2. 3-6x 1600m @T pace w/60s rest   3. Striders DETAILS Sets of: 800m @I (400m jog), 400m@R (400m jog). Recommendations based on weekly mileage: 50 mpw: 4 sets 45 mpw: 3 sets + 400m @R w/400m jog 40 mpw: 3 sets 35 mpw: 2 sets + 1-2x 400m @R w/400m jog 30 mpw: 2 sets + 400m @R w/400m jog 25 mpw: 2 sets [Optional 2nd workout; Thursday or Friday] Run 1 mile repeat for each 10 miles of weekly mileage (e.g 40 miles per week is 4 repeats). Three is the minimum. 4-6x 100m striders     USE THESE LINKS TO FIND YOUR R, I, & T TRAINING PACES http://www.panix.com/~elflord/vdot.html http://www.attackpoint.org/trainingpaces.jsp http://www.runningforfitness.org/calc/racepaces/rp