Intensity is the key concern here. The tempo has to be at a pace the athlete can handle all the way through. If not, it’s too fast.
The paces and volumes you see described for Gatlin are easy- for him, because he was a sub 20sec 200 man. For a guy running 22, it’s a different story.
Of course, if the pace required to complete the volume is too slow, why is the volume that high in the first place?
Workouts you see here are usually in the context of the person they are for and need to be adjusted!!
Having the ‘secret recipe’ for Justin Gatlin and giving it verbatim to lesser mortals is just a recipe for disaster.
I agree. In my friends instance, the volumes and intensities have not been altered nearly enough. The program has ruined many great runners including a promising 100m runner(<10.60 fat in high school, over 11 in college)
There is another point I would like to make but I do not wish to overstep the line here…
I know where you’re trying to go but even in that case, pace is pace, no matter what.
So why do something such as 800-700-600 instead of something like the big circuit - about the same distance is covered. If the pace is 75% of your best performance, the top speed achieved in an 800 would be much slower than the top speed achieved in the 100 or 200m tempo run, so would these longer runs develop a more aerobic improvement?
Yes I agrere with you 100% pace is pace. I am not disputing anything you are saying. What I’m trying to say is that with increased “oxygen delivery ability” those 400’s and 300’s become much easier and then in theory would be extensive tempo rather than intensive tempo, which is what was being pondered in earlier posts. This allows the aerobic system to be taxed more without H+ build up. So yes pace is pace, which is why these types of workouts, when un-modified, are not working for my friend and his teamates and also why most people fail in emulation when they copy workouts of the professional runners.
No matter what, percentages remain the same for all because they’re based off personal bests.
If training is influenced, so is the personal best
The failure is in not recognizing the suitable pace and volume for the specific athletes involved.
But energy system wise is the aerobic contribution in the 6X300m @42s with 90s recovery sesion listed not significantly greater than that of a 100m race?
For example take two 10.00 sec pb athletes: Athlete one’s training is influenced and as able to complete the session within the relm of extensive tempo. Athlete two’s training is not influenced and has to work at intensive tempo levels to complete it.
You could look at it from a time perspective and and say 6X(42second runs) but athlete A will still have an inherent advantage as soon as demands begin to be placed upon the aerobic system.
The main thing I think everyone should take away is from this is from your last statement, even to this day most people do not acomadate their training to themselves.
If I am not mistaken, the pace of the 300m tempo run will be based on 75% of the athletes 300m pb. Hence, their 100m pb is not of concern and whether influenced or not, the time for the 300m will always be in the realm of extensive tempo for that individual athlete.
Yes but even still 300m all out taxes the aerobic system very little, 300m repeats with very short recovery will no doubt draw upon the system more. I agree that the differences are minute but they are still significant.
You can shorten breaks to increase the challenge rather than stepping over a speed threshold that will compromise your High Intensity workouts but that line will be drawn by whether the athlete can complete the series the way he started.
Whether the aerobic ability influences the 100 directly or indirectly via the capacity to recover between reps and maintain a warm-up during long breaks is a matter for debate among others. As you can probably tell, I’ve already drawn my own conclusion there.
Same distance covered as big circuit, but not same workout duration. We use small and big circuits as well, just sometimes i want the guys to have short workouts.
Even CF said in gpp download that the athlete can group the runs together, for example: 300-500-500-500-300.