Modifying KK's program for 100m

[ESTI]

@Janic

Wow, that is a serious workload. Maybe I’m misunderstanding the intention of the specifics of this GPP program and its intent, but how do you get yourself into condition to run 2-4x4x150m or 5x200 at 95% capacity or higher? Or is this specific GPP assuming a certain level of fitness upon arrival?

Those workouts are not 95%+. KK’s program might be called intensive tempo by Charlie’s standards. To understand 5x200, lets look at a 50 sec runner. To run 50 seconds, they will need to run about 22.7 in the 200. To complete 5x200 for a 50 second pace, you would run the 200s in 26 seconds, 87% of approximate max speed.

The split runs put you in a state of fatigue to develop lactate tolerance. The transition phase is more full out or close to it for the distances on certain days.

[Janic]

@ESTI

Those workouts are not 95%+. KK’s program might be called intensive tempo by Charlie’s standards. To understand 5x200, lets look at a 50 sec runner. To run 50 seconds, they will need to run about 22.7 in the 200. To complete 5x200 for a 50 second pace, you would run the 200s in 26 seconds, 87% of approximate max speed.

The split runs put you in a state of fatigue to develop lactate tolerance. The transition phase is more full out or close to it for the distances on certain days.

Okay that makes far more sense. I’d just been reading through some of the eBook bundle so of course I had those percentages stuck in my head and they weren’t quite lining up with the work listed here. Thanks for the clarification, that’s still a truckload of work, but I can see how someone might be able to get through it now.

[Oldbloke]

Back to first principles. Why modify a 400m programme for 100 ? Perhaps CF plan is best for 100/200 and KK is best for 400 and we should stick to those principles.

if a 100/200 guy lacks some endurance (over 200) just include a KK session once every 2 weeks or so. Vice versa for a 400 runner needing more speed.

keep it simple…

[T-Slow]

@oldbloke

Back to first principles. Why modify a 400m programme for 100 ? Perhaps CF plan is best for 100/200 and KK is best for 400 and we should stick to those principles.

if a 100/200 guy lacks some endurance (over 200) just include a KK session once every 2 weeks or so. Vice versa for a 400 runner needing more speed.

keep it simple…

The KitKat approach has some very nice positives. First, the loading / unloading schemes are simpler, thus harder to screw up.

It can be very useful for the masters athlete or someone with a low work capacity. The CF program is very nervous system intensive, and the KitKat program is mentally tough but a little easier on the nervous system at first, but builds a good deal of work capacity quickly. Thus, you will likely be much better able to handle CF style speeds sessions after one or two blocks of a 6 week GPP. ESTI can weigh in here too, but what I learned from him is that it “built a big battery” for his high school kids, and allowed them to tolerate short to long type speed sessions after a GPP.

Remember Charlie’s Short to Long 100m program was for advanced athletes with a massive training base. Many will need a bridge to get there.

[Oldbloke]

T-Slow
That`s a really good idea. I was not sure about mixing sessions across both programmes, but using KK as a transition to CF sounds smart to me. As a masters athlete myself I have exactly the problems you mention.

[ESTI]

I would also add that for a developing athlete, short to long has its positives. However, one of the negatives is limited repetitions. I found in the 6 wk GPP my runners learned to “relax” when running, where I found them constantly tight doing s-l work prior. After the GPP, I think a good part of the success I had was their ability to run relaxed.

Also, I recall a conversation with Charlie and his point was along the lines of what we did in the end was a product of what came before. Remember, there were many years Charlie’s athletes did Long to short style training. Those longer runs do teach relaxation and build capacity in their own way, as does KK GPP.

Would Ben have done as well on S to L without those years of longer work? I don’t know the answer. Is doing long ot short and then going to short to long over several years the way to go? I don’t know either. But it is worth investigating…

[Neospeed]

@T-Slow

ESTI would be a good person to talk to about this.

I know he used a combination of KitKat’s GPP along with Charlie’s short to long program with some of his high school kids to good effect. I can tell you from experience that when you test the 60, 150, and 300 at the end of the first six week block, don’t expect much change in the 60 time, the 150 will improve a bit, but the 300 will drop considerably. I find it also teaches people how to run relaxed, so the first six week block could be done more or less as is as a general conditioning block, with some modifications in the second GPP block adding in an acceleration day out to 60m and taking out some of the lactic work depending on athlete age and experience levels.

Alternatively, you may wish to put in an acceleration / max velocity in day once per week right from the first block- I think that’s what ESTI did. As long as you understand that KitKat’s GPP is very 400m oriented and doesn’t contain any true speed work, you will know that you have to add some alactic speed in to benefit the 100m athlete.

P.S. The Lactate Threshold ebook is an amazing read, and even if you don’t plan to run the 400 it’s highly recommended. It’s much easier to read than the thread. I downloaded it to my tablet and read it a dozen times. It is packed with info!

Is the lactate threshold e-book still available?

[Janic]

As far as I know, yes it is. I think it’s this one.

http://shop.charliefrancis.com/collections/ebooks/products/lactic-acid-tolerance-training-ebook

[Chris6878]

Where can I find this ebook?