How to transition from indoor to outdoor

Many athletes are having success with Charlie’s programs esp indoors but they struggle to make the transition to outdoors. For those of us not quite good enough to be racing in Europe in August, the problem here is that we need to be at/near top form in May, and this approach doesn’t get us to the 120’s until early April, and you don’t get “there” in time, and by the time you do “get there” you may be out of races. The key to making a successful transition for us average athletes is getting to the longer runs ASAP. The sooner you can get there, the more likely you will be able to hold together the last 30 meters of your 100 before the end of the season.

For example, if you are following Charlie 8-week gpp workouts – you would complete ext tempo and speed in the first 4 weeks and ext tempo, int tempo, and speed in the second four weeks. Moving to the 12-week spp charts – ext tempo, int tempo, and speed would still take place in the first four week before moving towards, ext tempo, speed, and speed endurance for the final 8 weeks. Indoor season would be racing the 60/200 every weekend or 60 + 1-2x150 post-race runs or 1-2x150 submax runs throughout the week.

My training next year will be an extended prep period – first 5 months will be mainly speed and ext tempo. The next two months when the weights shift to power/maintenance I will introduce int tempo once a week as my fourth speed session done on Saturday after Friday speed session. Speed endurance will be performed the final 4 weeks in pre-comp.

Example see below:

Intensive Tempo (moderate recoveries 4-8 minutes): This is what Charlie called “controlled speed work”
1 4x200
2 5x200
3 6x200
4 250 250 200 200 200
5 250 200 200 200 150
6 250 200 200 150
7 250 200 180
8 250 150 150

Then, transition into pure SE work from here… (with longer recoveries – 10-15 minutes) - as your 3rd speed day:
9 - 200, 180, 150
10 – 200 180 150
11 180 150 120
12 180 150 120

Can you shorten phases, working backwards from outdoors?

Maybe keep the prep long but shorten other phases, or bring SPP aspects into prep earlier, or start prep earlier.

I’m sure it would work - i only posted what I done in the past because it was successful.

The last time I ran the above cycle these were the runs I used:

Intensive Tempo for GPP (moderate recoveries 4-8 minutes):
1 - 4 x 200 = 800
2 - 5 x 200 = 1000
3 - 6 x 200 = 1200
4 - 300, 300, 250, 200, 200 = 1250
5 - 300, 250, 250, 200, 150 = 1150
6 - 300, 250, 200, 150 = 900
7 - 300, 220, 180 = 700
8 - 250, 150, 150 = 550

Then, transition into pure SE work from here… (with full recoveries - 15-30 minutes) - as your 3rd speed day:
9 - 200, 180, 150 = 530
10 - 180, 160, 160, 140 = 640
11 - 150, 150, 150, 150 = 600
12 - 150, 150, 120, 120 = 540
13 - 150, 150, 150 = 450
14 - 150, 150, 120 = 420

Next year the int tempo will start in the second half of spp in sept/oct. For example:

Mon:
6xflys 30/20
Mb throws
Bench 2x6x55-75
Depth jumps 4x5x18in
Jump squats 2x12x15%
Squats 2x6x55-75
Chinups 3x6
Hypers 3x10

Tue:
Therapy

Wed
6x30
Skips height
Throws
Box jumps 3x5
Row 4x8
Aux work optional

Thur:
Therapy

Fri:
4x60
skips/bounds
Throws
Depth jumps 4x4x18
squats 2x5x55-75
Bench press 2x5x55-75
Hypers 2x10

Sat:
Int tempo
4x100 flush
abs

The final block will be pre comp for 4 weeks. A typical mwf setup…

Mon Speed
Wed Se
Fri Speed
Sat bike tempo optional

As you can see I’m dropping all tempo after hitting it for 5 months. Speed vol is low to mod - I prefer to have lower volume but more frequency.

So, no SE runs in SPP I?

I mention earlier that I will have an extended prep period next year.

This is all spring-summer-fall training below:

Gpp 1: 4 weeks = high reps, accel prep, general fitness development
Gpp 2: 8 weeks = develop special work capacity on the track and weight room. High volume hill work etc
Spp 1: 8 weeks = max strength block and long acceleration development.
Spp 2: 8 weeks = power block and max velocity on the track. Int tempo will kick in.
Indoor Pre comp: 4 weeks = accel, max velocity, speed endurance hit once a week. Weights will be in maintenance.

Acceleration will be hit hard my first year back, this is a 2-4yr plan.

Hopefully this answers your question?

Sure.
Just a quick question.
Why your GPPs are not set other way around, longer GPP I shorter GPP II?

gpp = 12wks
spp = 16wks

Spp1 could be considered gpp with the type of work I’m doing… Everything is blending in together very smoothly.

spp 1:
Mon runs 30-50m

Wed hills 50-60m (strength endurance)

Fri runs 30-50m

tue/thur ext tempo 1200m

Sure, makes sense. To honest I am finding really hard to have GPP II longer than 2-3 weeks.
Perhaps because SPP II is about 12-13 weeks long.

Are you referring to Charlie’s gpp2 and spp2 which takes place in outdoor season?

Yes,
Also from experience, when we are done competing during indoor season which takes us till mid February then we have 14-15 weeks of prep for outdoor season that takes us to end of May.
Usually I do prefer to let the guys run when they are ready, but they just want to run as soon as it gets warmer.

If you planning to run indoors you might run out of time to get yourself ready for outdoors, as you said that you need to be ready in mid May.

14-15 weeks is plenty of time. I will have 6-7 weeks to prep then a couple races.

Ok, but that will put you right at the end of your GPP II (8 weeks)

I did put an imaginary dates below to trying to understand the structure of your training schedule.
Let say that you’ll you start from September 4th the initial GPP I + SPP I will take you till November 26th.
4 weeks of indoor December 24th.
8 weeks of GPP II Feb 18th
8 weeks of SPP II April 15th
Is that right?

No - i listed earlier all of this is indoor prep…

1 week of testing (March 26 - 31)
3 weeks of resting active/passive (April 1 - 21) follow by the schedule below

GPP 1 - 4 Weeks April 23 - May 19
GPP 2 - 8 Weeks May 21 - July 14
SPP 1 8 Weeks July 16 - Sept 8
SPP 2 8 Weeks Sept 10 - Nov 3
Pre Comp 1 4 Weeks Nov 5 - 30

I have the GPP program from the GPP Essentials with 7 weeks of hills, where flat work starts at week 5 and 12 week long SPP I for indoor from Edmondton and Vancouver series, both long to short and short to long. I haven’t seen his GPP I or SPP II for the outdoors. Which product on the store has it?