In winter my group has always used 6x300 with 3 minutes rest starting with runs of 40-42 secs at the beginning of the phase and each week lowering the times by atleast a second. Pbs are between 33 and 35… This is clearly intermediate training, and even if the times do near 95% by the end of the phase, the rest periods are of those used in low to intermediate training.
Therefore, I am wondering if it would be best to use the 75% guideline and decrease the rest. If this is the case the only other 300 phase would involve 300 of atleast 95% with full rest between reps? Is this the best method.
I´m confused by your post, Richard. The way it is written, it looks like you are doing 95% 300m with 3 minutes rest. What am I missing? Can you rephrase your workout?
Sure. The Pbs were not for the sessions, but for the previous season. The 300 sessions went down from 40-42secs per run at the beginning of the phase to 38-39secs by the end of the phase which would make the runs 80-90% pace…intermediate.
I still question the value of doing repeat sessions year on year, and especially whether 6x300 is the right volume for your events. You cant do enough quality with those numbers with that recovery, especially for more 100/200 based athletes. Its definately a session more for 400/400H and would be a pre-christmas session when just in the building phase.
The 75%-95% rule is something I have considered for a while and it might be something that the naturally gifted with speed could use better - as for me Im not speedy and its something I would struggle with to go from 75% to 95% without bridging the gap with something.
For the 400, as well as the 100/200 athlete - I would do the session 6 x 300 in the preparation phase, BUT at 75% (44"), with a 100m walk recovery. If the athlete cannot finish the last rep at 44", start with a longer recovery at first OR less reps, increasing up to 6 reps. Instead of doing the session every week, I would repeat it once in 14 days, or even 3 weeks.
Furthermore - when you come to the pre-competition phase and asking from the athlete to run at 95%+, rather do less reps (especially with the 100/200 athlete), with a very long recovery. (This I have learnt from Charlie.) Only then you can expect from the athlete to improve his/her time.
To improve every week with 1" - will become rather difficult … e.g. for the 33" PB, a 95% effort will be approx 34,7. That means that you expect 33,7 the next week, 32,7 the following week, etc. If my athlete could do that, I will be DELIGHTED!!