Charlie,
in your 400 S-L template for the SE you spend the first 10 workouts not running past 80m at a time then in week 6 you go session 1 to 100m then session 2 is a split run with 200m as the first part and then the 2nd session of week 7 is out to 300m. While the number of split reps drops and the total volume is similar that seems a comparatively fast progression. Why is that and not more in the 120-150- 180 range?
Anything is possible but remember that you adjust indoor to outdoor here and must be ready on time and the adjustment is not as dramatic as it seems when you consider the totality of the split runs.
Charlie do you have a problem with a lower level sprinter doing 80-120 in SPP1 on a indoor track. For example:
SPP1:
4 weeks:
3x4x60
4 weeks:
4x70
4x80
3x100
3x120
4 weeks:
3-4x60
Indoor comp:
3-5x70-80
I don’t like the turns as they can lead to back problems and ham injuries, especially for males
Hi Charlie
Would you have your 400m athletes on the S-to-L run speed sessions like 4x30 1x60 1x80 during the week in the outdoor season or did you more encourage an SE session like 4x30 1x300 with the speed coming from 100/200 competitions on weekends where no 400 race is planned?
I am really frustrated regarding the 400 M S-L template. I have all the templates from both the Edmonton and Vancouver downloads. Neither of them has the 400 S-L template. Rupert says he has sent everything - there isn’t anything more. But John actually has the 400 S-L template, so it has to exist. Can anyone help on this?
Yes, check your box…
There has been considerable confusion about which files are out there and from where. I think John’s 400 S-to-L SPP prob came from the Australian seminars and prob wasn’t in any other files though we thought it was (Hell! We’ve created a lot of stuff!).
In any event, some of you have seen the S-to-L 400 program but none of you have seen the L-to-S 400 SPP graph.
Rupert and I will pull the appropriate graphs and create a new file which we will post here on the forum free as a thankyou to our forum members.
It should be ready shortly- hopefully by the end of tomorrow (July 14th)
I’ll be interested to hear the feedback on them. I can say that both SPPs have been used successfully in international competition exactly as you see them.
Thanks very much, Charlie.
Correct, that is where mine came from along with the 400m L-S dated 2006.
Rupert and I will pull the appropriate graphs and create a new file which we will post here on the forum free as a thankyou to our forum members.
Thanks Charlie and Rupert, that’s why you are # 1 in our book.
I ask because last year I ran my fastest 60m times when I started to increase the sprint distance to 70-80m and compete in the 200m 2-3 times.
I think performing submax 100-120’s could help a lower level athlete.
Depends where you train as well. If you are in a good climate and can get outside earlier than we can, there is no reason not to. Every situation is unique and in our case, we felt it best to stay on the straight for the highest speed stuff because the corners in Toronto were tight and could lead to injuries.
Awesome. This is why you guys are second to none!
Here are the graphs as promised, with our compliments.
http://www.charliefrancis.com/cfsl/cf400.pdf
Be sure to save this file to your computers.
Enjoy
I hope you guys start studying the graphs and I’ll be interested to hear thoughts on the ratios listed on the supplementary graphs
I’ll take stab at the L-to-S.
In 08 I implemented a plan that looks VERY similar to the one in the new graph.
My primary impression of the system was that gets the athlete’s incredibly fit, both generally and specifically. many, but not all like this and they were ready to compete at a relatively high level after @15 weeks.
The high volumes of ExT that brought about the high general fitness level did become more than a bit tiresome for my athletes though. Some of this was likely a due to having a whiny and spoiled group. It’s just something that I would approach more cautiously. Previous athletes that I have coached never blinked an eye to similar loads.
During our initial competitions my athletes clearly had better max. velocity and speed maintenance than in 07. It changed one athlete’s race plan upside down and she opened indoors a full .08 faster in the 60m than in the previous year (7.82 to 7.74), but her race was more balanced and would have transitioned into the outdoor 100m much better. She didn’t like the fact that her acceleration was slightly less powerful and that she opened .02 off of her p.b. though. She was one of two primary whiners in the group, so this should be taken with a grain of salt.
Having enough energy for weights can also be an issue with the plan. As it is meant to work best with a taller athlete this isn’t as much of an issue. Just something to keep in mind if your dealing with shorter, more powerfully built people.
The one adjustment that I think that I would (and have) make is to add a day of speed development speed development activities. Not necessarily Max.V, rather lots of power speed, med ball accels and eventually short hills. At times I felt that my athletes were loosing touch with with proper mechanics.
Charlie and Rupert, thanks for posting this. Very informative. Now I have to figure out which approach to use with HS girls and how much to modify it for a shorter season.
In L-S, the first 4 weeks on the split runs, are there accel limits at all?
Having used the original L-S this year, interesting to find my athlete ran a season PB after doing the week 12 workouts. After eliminating the 300s and working down through the original L-S we found it hard to imrpove 400 time but saw improvement in 200. My point being I will keep the longer distances in next year.
You can certainly use them but the run itself tends to create it’s own limits via intimidation!
If you were at the very highest levels, you would already have a reasonable sense of pace.
These programs were used primarily for girls. Both were juniors and the peaking was ideal with PBs in the Olympics- the S-to-L girl did 50.22 relay split after missing the entire fall and winter prep period and the L-to-S girl ran 51.55 in the individual. The second girl’s coach had contacted me as the S-to-L approach he favored hadn’t worked for her and I sent him what you see here and he used it directly.