Acc Dev in GPP

This is a plan for a 400m runner i train with looking to run 48.Low in may 2010. Their Current 200m speed is 22.7-22.9 and he is looking to get in the 22.0-22.2 range next year to be able to achieve the 400m time. This is pre-season training before we go back to college and his school doesnt do speed work in any interpretation of the word. Long story short is that i’m wondering how to put acceleration into this gpp plan without causing a peak, staleness or some other problem?

Week 1-4
sun-long run (15-20mins)
mon-GS circuit GS
tues-600,500,400,300,200 @ 65%-EXT Temp
weds-GS circuit GS
thurs-----Rest----
fri-3x200,2x200 in 26.0 -->24.5 Int Temp
sat----Rest------

Week 5&6
sun-4xLong Hill Str/ ExtTemp
mon-GS circuit +10-15min GS/Long Run
tues-600,500,400,300,200 @ 75% EXT Temp
weds-GS circuit GS
thurs-4x5mins run with 3mins rest EXT Temp
fri-3x200,2x200 in 25.5 -->24.5 Int Temp
sat-----Rest------

After that he will start training with the school team again but they only train mon-thurs and have to run cross country so a 10k on sunday. I thought maybe he could do a short hill on friday;
2x10x20m-30mhill @ 80-85% with walk back recovery (i know not really “true” speed work, but it works acc and strenght and it can’t be done in spikes)

But what about the 6 weeks before starting school practices?

It might be obvious but Just wondering what GS is?

GS usually refers to general strength.

I recently attended a IAAF course, excellently presented by one of the forum members, and heard it yet again (without going into the s-l, l-s agrument): to develope speed you have to develope speed first. You need speed before speed endurance or anything further than that can be done.

The plan as I read this is that you want to make him quicker over the 200m, yet I don’t see to much speed developement work. You asked where acceleration could fit in. I would make acceleration the main focus, not simply have it fit in. If you watch GPP essentials this is much the focus there too.

I would start by taking the intensive tempo out, imho intensive tempo is dead anyway. The time he has to run it in is roughly 85% of the speed that you want him to run at, I don’t believe, except if I missed something, that that will improve his speed. I believe in s-l and would introduce the longer runs later.

Build the speed base first. I would do acceleration work on the Wednesday and Friday maybe, and later do MaxV work in one of the acceleration sessions. Or maybe Sunday and Wednesday. I think that if you want to do a long run it should be for recovery, so I don’t see why it should be after a rest day.

In order to drop from 22.7 to 22.0 I believe the athlete needs to be able to get to 95%+ at the pace needed to run 22.0, then he needs to be able to to hold that for a very long time. I would approach the training in that way.

These are my ideas but I may be way off. I would like to see Charlie and Kitkat’s opinions.

Agree because there is so much to do in the pure speed area and there are huge gains still available through the general fitness area.
Age will be a factor here as well because you want to restrict the SE work to 150 and below at younger ages.

When would he know that general fitness is in place? Would it be when the athlete can complete the “Big Circuit” etc.

when you see them able to handle all that type of work you throw at them and when progress begins to slow down to the right of the F/T curve, indicating a need for modifying the current approach. It’s really very individual and you need to be observant

If I remembered correctly in your key concept manual you mention time related, for example if a athlete is only running 10.4 then general fitness should still be huge part of the program.

my reasoning for the long run is both recovery and helping to prepare for cross-country (which is mandatory). After the Int. Temp day on friday the legs would be dead and a passive+active recovery day seemed like a good combination. Also the cross country meets will be on sundays so the setup somewhat mimics the college schedule so that the transition would be a bit easier. The 200 repeats are suppose to develop into kit-kats 5x200m to help with pacing and endurance i only foresee getting down to around 25.0 before the college training begins.He plans to do 500-800m and 60m indoors.

His school goes long-short in their training (all though they dont at all address speed work) so do you think that going short to long in GPP for 6weeks and then switching to the college program will have a bad effect?

I think most of the speed will be lost by the time he seriously has to race.

during indoors this is not really a possibility since its usually 30F and below with snow out plus windchill but during spring would speed be too far gone for one Acc Dev session on the Fridays (which is usually a day off, before meets) to have any considerable affect.

Whooo that is rough, 30F. I’m use to 72F in winter and 105F in summer where I live. So I don’t know how you train in those conditions, the North American and European guys will be able to help. I would think that you do all your training indoors, but I guess thats not quite possible.

I wouldn’t do Acc before a meet I think the CNS strain would be to big, rather use the meet itself as Acc Dev.