Distance Athletes - Covid 19 Shutdown Guidelines.

Distance Athletes:

Well, we were off to a great start and as of today, based on the section comissioners message, there is still hope that we can salvage a partial season at the end of the school year.  Please see the guidelines below for training on your own during this time.

For the most part, your sessions should look like they have for the last 2-3 weeks with a couple of exceptions:

1. Since you won't be racing, you need to try and simulate the stress of a race periodically (no more than once per week).  
2. Since very long or very hard workouts temporarily weaken the immune system, you should avoid sessions like capillary runs or 90 minute long runs.
3. Because you have lots of extra time on your hands now, you should try to double more frequently, sleeep in longer, and take naps during the day.

I'm going to lay out the most important type of sessions for you in order of priority. 

1. Lactate Threshold - This is the single most important factor for events longer than 800m.  We've been doing capillary runs and sessions of 4-5min fartlek type intervals @ 85% vVO2 with 1 min rest.  You can continue to do the fartlek, but should drop the capillary runs.  Instead, you can finish 2-3 of your runs per week with up to 3 miles at 80% pace.
2. Aerobic Power -  You can develop aerobic power in many ways, but the standard plan is to run intervals of 2-4 minutes at 95%-100% of vVO2 max.  While the long sprint group might do these at 100% of 6 minute pace and take longer rest, your events lend themselves more to doing these at 95% of 6 minute test pace but taking shorter rest.  For example, you have done a couple of sessions of 6x800 @ 95% pace with 2 minutes rest, this is to develop Aerobic Power
3. Aerobic Endurance - In all honesty, this factor could still be listed as number one on our list.  You gain aerobic endurance by doing your distance runs.  Your easy mileage should still make up the backbone of your training.  Focus on doing runs of 30-50 minutes at an easy pace to maintain the aerobic endurance you've built.  Once again, I'm asking you to break up what otherwise might be a day with a 70 minute single run to a day with a 40 minute run and a 50 minute run. 
4. Anaerobic Endurance (Lactate Tolerance) - We have not done much of this training yet, but the ability to tolerate high levels of lactic acid in the blood is crucial to racing performance.  Usually, we address this through racing.  All of those early seaosn 1600m and 3200m races also serve as a great training stimulus.  Since we aren't racing, you guys need to address this in training.  The 20x200m workout at mile pace with 30-40 seconds rest is as session designed to develop lactate tolerance.  Another session is the 5-4-3-2-1.  For this session, run 5 minutes then 4, 3, 2, and 1.  Take only 45 seconds rest between each rep and measure the total distance you covered during the course of the workout.  You should aim for about 2 mile race pace.  So, an athlete capable of running 3200 in 10:00, should be able to cover 4800m in this workout.  The first time you do this session, it will suck.
5. General Fitness and Speed you should continue to do the workouts CoachK has had you doing.  Sessions like Dragon and Minotaur are also great.  Throw in striders at about 800m race pace into your runs a couple times a week or do some easy pre-meet style 200s at the end of some of your easy days.  

Putting it all together (14 day block)

There are too many factors to fit into a one week block.  Most elite athetetes train in 10-14 day blocks (or microcycles as we call them in the biz).  For the most part, you guys have been on a 14 day block this year.

Week 1 (Key Sessions Only)

• Aerobic Power - Example 6 x 600-1k @ 95% vV02 max, 2 minutes rest.
• Lactate Threshold - Finish 2-3 runs a week with 2-3 miles of 80% vVO2 max pace.
• General Fitness and Speed - 6 x 200 @ 800m race pace with 90 seconds recovery, Dragon, Minotaur.

Week 2 (Key Sessions Only)

• Anaerobic Endurance - Example: 5-4-3-2-1 workout OR 1.5 mile time trial, rest 15 minutes, 1200m time trial. 
• Lactate Threshold - Finish 2-3 runs a week with 2-3 miles of 80% vVO2 max pace.
• General Fitness and Speed - 6 x 200 @ 800m race pace with 90 seconds recovery, Dragon, Minotaur.

The rest of your sessions you should fill in with easy running, strides, drills, lunges, stretching.....Remember, for your group, Mileage = Champions.