I had something like a “mixed program” in mind for my outdoor season 2005.
MY naive concept was: doing typical “short to long” (with enough additional “<75% tempo runs” to gain enough basic fitness) until June, competing in 100 and 200, and in Juy and August reducing top speed work and tempo and substituting it for 400m training in the form of slowly going from tempo to intensive tempo to special endurance. A “long to short” in the form of “slow to fast”, like:
6x400m @ 65%, 3 min break
4x400m @ 75%, 4 min break
3x400m @ 80-85%, 8 min break
2x400m @ 100%, 20 min break
1x400m at 100% test
10 days later 1 400m competition
Does that make some sense worth trying or is it complete crap?
And then from late August to Mid-September compete in 400m
That’s the kind of workouts i was thinking. But for 400m runners, i wouldn’t run 400m races at this speeds mainly for a psychological reason. You should only be ready to run a 400m at 100% in a competition, not training. Each 400m race should be something like sacred and reserved for competition. Also, the 2 x 400 @ 100% isn’t possible with 20 min break, and even should be avoided, a single 400m race is stressful enough, i prefer 3 x 300 with 20 min rest. For the 6 x 400 i think it can eb run @70% depending on when it is planned in the season. I would do it before Spring anyway. For me, it’s too late in June-August to plan these workouts. I would replace the other runs by 350 or 300 repetitions, with some 500m tests times after times because i don’t see the need to test 1 x 400m at training, competitions are made for that.
Also, what is the frequency of these workouts?
This is my proposition: in a season divided in 3 mezocycles, (first Mezo Nov-Feb, 2nd Mezo March-May, 3rd Mezo May-August), using the GDR speed endurance scheme SE1 95-100%, SE2 90-94% and SE3 80-89%.
During Mezo1, use only SE3 and in decreasing volume, SE3 workouts become SE2 as a transition to Mezo2. During Mezo2 use SE2 which becomes SE1 entering in Mezo3. During Mezo1 use only SE1.
In the meantime, concerning short to long for training speed, focus on accel on Mezo1, on max speed on Mezo2 and Mezo3 on speed endurance at high intensity which is actually SE1.
note: when i say focus, it is just the main objective, not the sole workouts used. So in Mezo3, the focus is in SE1, but starts, accel and tempo are still used.
i think that the approach uve described above is very logical eespecially the transitions from one meso into the nesxt. so ur developing ur acceleration, then ur top speed with acceleration maintained, followed by spee endurance with acceleration nd top speed maintained, and tempo being fixed throughout the whole mechanism.
All is possible as long as you view the picture in terms of the Speed and Spec End sessions. Speed can be enhanced in this scheme as, no matter what, the SE is kept subservient to Speed till the very last stages.
a few comments, if i may -although definite answers from the big man himself soon…
not sure about the starting date for the outdoor season; in any case though waiting till June seems a bit too much; perhaps some of the workouts, or those of similar structure, you describe above (i.e., the first 2 perhaps) could be done/trained during this time as an intro to special endurance
in July/August, why reducing top speed work and tempo? maintain, yes; unless you mean a reduction in volume in order to maintain what you’ve got, which will allow you working/focusing at special endurance sessions;
i understand you like 400m racing, but why this obsession with the distance? seriously though, even psychologically repeating the same distance over and over again and indeed the competitive one -especially for 400m- might end up being a frustrating thing; have some more variety, 300-500m, if you want; or even 250m for more intensive ones and 600m as a time trial at some point, as extremes; after all, a race is a time trial itself…
also, i think Charlie had suggested (sorry if i’m wrong), some relays before first competitions, a couple of shorter races, followed by the 400m race itself…
the 10d 100% effort you are describing above might be a good idea for 100-200m, but not so sure for a 400m race; perhaps you need more time for that -if there is the need at all to test the racing distance in training…
Well, in Mezo 1, which is called General, work on stamina circuit training, localised strenghening, power and speed strength.
In Mezo 2, called Specific, work on power, speed strength and max/sub max strength
In Mezo 3, called competition, we have Power, speed strentgh and power.
A fairly good amount of jumps would be used, to prepare and work specifically start and acceleration, and use as an alternative of accel, max speed and SE workouts. Some (2 or 3) skipping cession or distance from 40 to 150m are planned.
what you are describing above seems logical; you are shifting focus as expected, the sequence of acceleration-speed-speed/special endurance is ok as well and you are keeping in mind that you have to maintain other elements while trying to improve new ones; i’m ok with these; just a couple of points:
does this mean that you are working some kind of speed/special endurance during all this time? don’t you think this might have some negatives over other elements’ development (e.g., over speed, as the sp endurance workouts don’t allow much of a recovery sometimes and/or don’t allow you to develop speed or acceleration fully, as you are “missing” one session for sp endurance from early on); of course, a 400m runner has to focus on these longer than a 100-200m runner, but perhaps you can start working on sp endurance via tempos, and
do you remember i told you about the mid-point where the highest volume-intensity combination occurs? in your case, this is Meso2 with the focus being on speed and 90-94% sp endurance; although you need training periods with “heavy” training, this seems to me to be the biggest challenge…
depending on individuals and bla-bla-bla, your thinking seems fine to me; i’m just wondering about the volume of sp endurance overall within a season… not sure, that is…
am i right then in my answer to pierrejane that this mid-point he’s describing of Meso 2 with speed development and 90-94% sp endurance might compromise things a bit in terms of speed development? will this combination work?
coming again to your point of “either too fast, or too slow”, perhaps the mid-speeds for sp endurance described above might be better left till very late in the season -even developed via racing…
Firstly, i’ve forgot to mention that this plan is for a 100/200m runnrs, but anyway i realize that what i mentioned is so vague that the same scheme can be applied to 400m runner too. I will try to answer to the 2 points you mentioned:
i don’t think i understand fully what you mean (my fault, language problem), please can you elaborate on the negatives elements? I don’t plan to use overspeed, or maybe in some point in the Mezo 3 when the runner will be at his best technical/physical level. I would use Tempo only as aerobie for recovery and regeneration among other things.
re the mid-point. Here i’m not sure i understand. The max volume planned would be 2000m and it is for SE3, in Mezo1. Using SE2 (intensity at 90-94%), i think it’s very hard for short sprinters to do with 2000m volume. So the peak volume would be in Mezo1 not Mezo2. To be more precise, each Mezo is devided in 2 parts, and the highest volume in this case would be reach in the last 2 weeks of the first part of Mezo1. (i hope you follow me, difficult to explain without graphics…). Actually, the “2 worlds” you were talking about in a former post (short to long for speed and slow to fast for SE) meet during the Mezo3, as volume for SE had decrease and intensity has increased gradually, to reach the same value as for the speed work, which volume has increased through the training season. Finally, i’m not a believer in a high volume of SE, or i don’t know how to plan it with enough recovery/rest cessions. To be more precise, 1 SE cession a week, 1 speed cession, 1 start/accel cession, + 1 aerobie/general-prep day + 2 tempo days + 1 rest days, and we have a complete week.
That is a modest fruit of long researches, please give your advices/critics in order to make it bigger!
point 1: din’t mean overspeed, sorry, meant the “negatives” of sp endurance ON speed, because you are using a sp endurnce session from early on; and this possibly “negative” point might come because: (a) you are not allowing speed to be fully developed (i.e., compromised via sp endurance work) and/or (b) because practically, you are losing one session per week, which is dedicated to sp endurance vs. acceleration/speed work (i.e., i’m questioning exactly what you are writing in your last sentence as a complete week -one speed session is missed because of sp endurance work; is this right from early on?); also, look at Charlie’s comment above, if i interpret it correctly (hopefully), i.e., that sp endurance should come as late as possible in the season to allow first full development of speed in general (unless this was for special endurance, but the point is about the same; BTW it would be good to differentiate between speed and special endurance) [tempo for such use is fine by me]
point 2: difficult to follow it, indeed; here are my points anyway: i don’t believe in high sp endurance volumes myself either -unless the athlete is very well trained and i think we agree from previous exchange of ideas over this issue and for young runners; secondly, sorry to insist, but i still feel that the most difficult point is the Meso 2: you’ve reduced the sp endurance volume vs. Meso 1 and i agree, but at the same time, intensity increases to 90-94%, which is not far away from the intensity of the speed work (100%), the main focus of Meso 2, if i’m right; it’s the combination of average volume with high to max intensity that makes me question it -not that i have the answer… that’s what i meant by the “two worlds meeting”; it seems to me that things are “easier” in Meso 3 just because at least you know that the intensity is high, but the volume is at its lowest point to allow you quality…
oh man! massive headache by now!
anyway, let Charlie clarify this either over here, or via his new material… i’m sure we are somewhat there (hope…)
enjoyed that actually…
Well, this is a perfect week with no problems and injuries, etc blablabla
Mezo 1
MOND - focus aerobie, flexibility, abdo/back work
TUES - focus speed: jumping exercises (combinaision of short and long jumpings) OR heats of short races with standing starts volume about 800m. Weights upper body in first case, lower body in second case
WEDN - Tempo Cardio
THUR - SE3 6 x 300 rest 6min. Weights upper body
FRID - Tempo 50m + med balls for power conversion
SATU - specific analytic exercises for start/accel OR starting blocks (volume 15 reps). Weights upper body or lower body depending on the week workouts
SUND - rest
Mezo 2
MOND - focus aerobie, flexibility, abdo/back work
TUES - focus speed : races with flying starts over 30 or 60m volume about 600-800m + weights/jumps
WEDN - Tempo Cardio
THUR - SE2 3 x 300 rest 8 min + weights upper body
FRID - short tempo + med balls for power conversion
SATU - accel over 30m volume about 300m + weights/jumps
SUND - rest
Mezo 3
depends on competitions planned or not in the week and the current shape of the athlete, i would respect the no-SE 10 days before competition, but i would use 1x300m test early in the Mezo or typical 100m speed endurance with long rests up to 20min over distances from 60m to 120m at a SE1 pace (95-100% intensity).
Massive headache yes, but i need this sort of discussion. Thanks for clarifying things, so:
a) is the weelky schedule i posted showing tempos between each “fast” running workouts is enough to let CNS recover enough for preventing negative effects? b) in the week, at least for Mezo1 and 2, “fast” running workouts ratio is 2 for speed (actually 1 accel + 1 max speed) / 1 for SE. If the athlete would not worry about 200m competitions, i wouldn’t worry either on SE work in Mezo 1 & 2…
Point 2: yes, Mezo2 is delicate and that’s why i don’t want a single competition here. I don’t think the margin between SE2 (90-94%) and speed at 100%. 100m at 100% can be 10.00, at 90% it is 11.11, and at 94% 10.64! Also, i use jumping or skipping exercises as alternative to 100m accel, max speed or speed endurance (from where i am in my understanding on Verchoshanskiy’s great researches), so some of these workouts may be transitions before SE1 and max speed workouts meet in Mezo3.
seriously though, even psychologically repeating the same distance over and over again and indeed the competitive one -especially for 400m- might end up being a frustrating thing; have some more variety, 300-500m, if you want; or even 250m for more intensive ones and 600m as a time trial at some point, as extremes; after all, a race is a time trial itself…