US Collegiate programs tend to be on the brutal side. The 400m hurdler in question was, and still is a workaholic, so he would always try to do more. If the previous coach said 2x600m he would try to do 3 or 4. If the coach said no to increased volume he would run them below the assigned pace. The problem was that his running mechanics were crap. He trained with me briefly in 94-95 and all I did was try to clean up his sprinting and hurdling. The only endurance work was ExT like stuff. This made him nervous after a couple of months and he returned to his college coach and got slower. Going into 95-96 we had a very good “sit-down” and stuck with the program for the next two years. His dropped from 50.84 to 49.73, while working 40 hours a week. Make no mistake, he still trained hard, but most of it was ExT. He loved it because he felt like he was being challenged due to the high volumes. I also had a even more talented female 400m hurdler who left at the same time for the same reasons, but didn’t come back, working her way through 3 more coaches before fading away. My perception is that with her a L-to-S would have worked better as she was the same height as the male hurdler (5’10") and not as elastic or naturally fast.
This begs the question, other than climatic and facility questions, what other factors are involved in deciding which plan to embark on?
Q1. why is it reduced to 2 hi intensity days? could speed work not continue on the wed or even some speed endurance .i.e 120,150.
Q2. instead of power speed & strength endurance on sat could a 5-6x200m 2min rec at target come home pace be done instead, followed by a rest day (sun) for the first 7 weeks then return to extensive tempo week 8-12.
Q3. what exactly is the strength end?, running A drill for 60-100m?
Q4. what would the competition period look like? maybe 2 hi intensity days, day 1 -some blocks 30-50m, race modeling 200+200 , day 2 - race or special endurance(200-300)
hi charlie, can you please outline what are your recoveries and % intensities for your saturday strength endurance session in weeks 5-12 of s2l and for weeks 1-12 of l2s??
I hope this falls under the no questions too stupid to ask catergory but…where are the 12 weeks presented in the graphs supposed to fall in an annual plan for a high school athlete?
Depending on your weather and your season length, this could be the workouts for the year. Following the first set or S-L adnd L-S, I would follow it close for about 6 weeks, then let the meets take up the rest of the workouts for the season with good results. I’m in cold weather state
I understand that the strength endurance work on all these programs is running A’s but can you seriously tell me you have tried to doing these for 150m?? I mean that would take minutes and be extremely difficult even for the most well conditioned athlete…and if there are 2x150m in one session, are we just talking running high knees or are we talking the running A drill?? (one leg being lifted whilst the other stays straight, so we need to do one each leg to keep it balanced), so if we are doing 2x150m of running A’s in the session we are actually doing 4 reps over 150m…!!!
Well I pretty much think it is impossible to do any high knee action for 150m. The best I have ever seen any athlete do is about 60m with me walking beside them and that was a mission.
That’s what you’re doing it for- to make sure it is possible!
We did it many times- and farther. This is tough stuff, but, hell, you’re preparing for the 400m and you better be fit. There is no point continuing the drill with poor form, so if you are deteriorating, stop and recover before trying again. Otherwise you’re just kidding yourself.
Yes, they sure do. I know a girl who ran for a well known University in Texas. The coach made the girls team run so many 600s through the whole year it was sick.
As I was told from this girl the head coach does not believe in pure speed work and only uses SE2 type workouts as there meat and potatoes. As a matter or fact her old HS coach got into a small argument with the coach at the university because he said the university would see better performance if this girl would do some speed work but it never happened.
Anyhow, I remember being on the phone with this girl and she would be crying because practice was so hard but she had to put herself through it because she was on scholarship. She ran about a 53-55 sec 400.
I have been under a coach like this myself but not as bad as her. Anyhow, I’m now on Charlies program and ONE of the MANY things that is awesome about his design is that you feel fresh every time you step on the track for a workout and you WANT to give it your all instead of arming yourself up just to get through practice; there is a difference.
Did you ever do / consider using running A’s for the back up on split runs? Example week 11 of S-L instead of 200+200 doing 200 @ above race pace then 25 seconds running A’s?
It’s for quickness of the foot contact but that will result in reasonable height as well. You need to concentrate only on a sharp foot contact as air time needs to be completed before the next ‘pop’. If you rush the air time, you’ll spend too much time on the ground.
