When starting back after a long layoff or just beginning track training make sure you have a good fitness base first!!
If you do not have your base in first (and I mean more than just a simple GPP) it doesnt matter how well you periodize your training and set things up you will not progress as far as you would like.
Take me for instance.
Ran PBs of high 10’s/Low 22’s in the mid 90’s took off 7 years (started working in the tech industry) but managed to maintain my strength in the weightroom. (Did no running at all)
I think I have done a pretty good job of periodizing my training, followed all the principles here but I didn’t have the base together before starting the quicker stuff. My strength levels are just as high or higher than when I competed previously but my times do not reflect my strength levels.
I really think it is because I came back training under the assumption I had the same capacity and endurance I had while in University when I fact I did not.
My new plan is basically get a good base in, and worry about specificity later.
Thoughts?
I think that the training principles outlined here assume an intermediate to advanced level athlete with an already well established base.
Just food for thought. thanks to snelkracht for helping me out.
I agree. That’s why I changed the setup of my GPP to only 2 actually hard days a week (one acc. dev. and one hill day) and 3 “base” days consisting of 2 heavy ext. tempo days (high volume) and 1 interval training day (faster ext. tempo, shorter rests) and I know I’ll be in much better shape, now.
Base is everything. I trained for 2 years in a row with no base and went nowhere. Now I’m getting my base in and I know I’ll progress much farther than what I originally planned. Or, in other words, I know I can reach my goals now compared to with my previous plan.
Snelkracht, I read what you wrote and I thank you for openly sharing that advice. I also appreciated the “HSI…10x600” thread and everyone who posted there b/c there was a lot of great info shared there as well as on many other posts.
New saying of the day…
“you got no base, you go no place”.
Hey, I just made that up right now Not too shabby, eh?
You’ve got it!! This is what I’ve been stressing in the past! Even well trained sprinters like HSI athlete’s do base work in the fall -such as 5x 300m@42-45s.
I am going to continue to compete through March and then really hit the longer stuff in April after taking 3 weeks active rest. I’ll post my schedule when I get everything finalized.
Chris, I totally agree. This is what I was saying in one of the posts a few weeks ago. Too much too soon syndrome. The male trait of seeing themselves a little more advanced than they are. We all do it.
The first step is always fitness. I think a lot of people confuse the CF methods re short to long and forget about the requisite fitness levels. Nowhere did anyone say you can do this without being correctly conditioned in the first place.
You make a good point and it made me think of something else.
I think the long to short program might be a little more forgiving for lesser advanced athletes. You get a ton of longer somewhat slower runs, repeats in etc thus promoting greater fitness levels earlier. It sort of helps make the base as you go. If you go short to long and dont have the base in you are fubar’d
Ok Fellows, basis, basis, basis,
i agree that a sprinter with basis is better anf faster than a sprinter without basis
but i don´t understand one thing;
so,
for sprinters, we have 2 points to considerer
a) time to recovery
b) time to train the main specific methods ( to sprint )
if a sprinter stop his speed train ( or other specific train to sprint like speed endurance, drills, start, acc, etc…) to
do some fitness basis, it will be benefit this kind of “replace” ?
or, if a sprinter replace his recovery time day ( between speed train sessions ) by a fitness basis, it is good ?
What i´m trying to say is:
Sprinters want run fast, they need it
so, what fitness can do for a sprinter that is better than specific training ?
What is the benefits from a basis train to a fast runner ?
And what about all those talks about fast and slow fiber ( red and withe ) and the convertible ?
Even for a begginer, isn´t better a balance between “fastrenghtrain” & “basisfitnesstrain”, something like 2 days to low and long and 2 days to fast and short.
when they speak of getting a good fitness base, theyre talking about in the off season. when ur doing NO sprint training (GPP or SPP at all).
finish your season, but dont just walk away and not run at all for four weeks or whatever.
work on ur fitness, so when u get back to ur GPP, u can focus on sprinting (because you wont be tired after every run), and on ur tempo days, u can truly treat them as recovery days, instead of fitness days like most of us prob end up doing. point being, youll be so fit already that u wont wear urself out just doing tempo, but be recovered from it.
am i right in what i say, oh yee superior coaches?
What you are saying is true but I think there are a couple of additions as well.
In my case until I reach a certain level of performance (say sub 7.3 in the 60meter) I should concentrate on getting in as good shape as possible. (Extended GPP) Treat races as training meets and basically get my fitness and wheels back.
I have made a couple of significant changes to my program and will be hitting the track again in the new year. I think I should be able to run at least 3-4 tenths faster by March than I am now. After indoors I am going to concentrate on a great GPP and really get my fitness back.
My old setup basically was frying my CNS and was too much too soon given the new constraints I have to live/work under compared to when I was in University. I am pretty excited to see how the rest of indoors goes and then getting in shape for outdoors.
Not too shabby, eh? 
