10/08: Asics Aggie Folsom Challenge. Folsom CA. Aggie sponsored, national's squad qualifier. 4 miles for males, 5k for females.

10/23: Shoreline. Mt View CA. Aggie sponsored, national's squad qualifier. 5k for females, 4.6 for males.

11/21: PA champs. SF CA. National's squad qualifier. 6k for females, 10k for males.

12/05: 2004 USA Fall XC Championships, Portland , OR . 6k for gals, 10k for guys

If not already done so previously, please refer back to the August 2004 schedule listed on the club website for background.

The following is an overview of our training this fall followed by a detailed outline for the month. This isn't written in stone, it's there to help guide you efforts each month this fall. You can expect an email bulletin the start of each month with the updated training program or you can just check the club website where it will posted each month as well.

Best of luck to everyone the coming fall and have a great weekend. We can chat at camp on this if you'd like or feel free to email me directly. Joe

Overview:

8/1-8/28: Stage 1: General Conditioning I. (4 weeks,  week #4 is an easier week)

-Goal: Re-establish consistent training into the routine, reintroduce some lighter turnover, get back on the miles.

-Workouts: strides, 200-300's on grass, light steady state runs.

8/29-9/25: Stage 2: General Conditioning II (4 weeks - week #4 being an easy week)

-Goal: Continue to progress from last month

-Workouts: Strides, 200-300's, hill reps, slightly faster steady state runs.

9/26-10/23: Stage 3: XC Specific training. (4 weeks - week #4 being an easy week)

-Increase the intensity focusing on VO2max development.

-Workouts: Hill reps, fartleks at XC race effort, controlled races

10/24-11/20: Stage 4: Final push (4 weeks - week #4 being an easy week)

-Focus on higher intensity work coupled with a slight drop in weekly mileage.

-Workouts: Mile reps at 10k, 400's at 3k or faster, 800's at 5k, Wake Forest drill

11/21-12/04: Stage 5: Taper, sharpening.

 

Detailed write up:

8/29-9/25: Stage 2: General Conditioning I. (4 weeks, week #4 is an easier week followed by a test of fitness)

Goal: Get weekly miles to max volume for the fall, make these miles of a “strong” nature for the majority of the week.  Increase functional strength via hill reps.  Maintain wheels by weekly strides.  Best way to describe this month is by calling it a true base month. Higher weekly miles at a decent pace for the most part. Workouts are non-heroic but lay a solid foundation for what’s ahead.

Your weekly miles should be at the highest point for the fall this month.  Pace-wise, refer to the chart below, but most runs away from the track should be in the 75-80% range.  Not super fast but not jogging either. Now your AM runs, warm-ups, cool-downs and recovery days should be slower than 70%, but the rest of the running from the weekend long run to your Tuesday jaunt after work should have a significant % done in this general 75-80% range. As much as possible keep the runs in this stage on soft surfaces such as dirt and do these runs in the hills whenever possible.

Hints:

* Paces: Keep the paces on your run in check. Yeah it’s says 75-80% but the underlying goal is still on volume. Just at this stage you should be fit enough to monitor your miles to make sure they are decent for the most part.  If you hit a day where you feel good and smooth, go ahead and press the pace, don't force it though. Strides one or two days a week is highly advised as well.

* AM or Lunch runs. To achieve the mileage goals you'll most likely have to add some double days in there. Start adding second runs to the days you are planning on doing your harder effort days first and foremost, then add them to the other days of the week. 3-5 days a week of doubles should be expected. If you plan on doing your hard workouts on Tuesday and Friday the coming season, start adding doubles to Tuesday and Friday first before adding them to the other days of the week. In this way we can start making the two days proportionally harder than the rest of the week, which results in a fitter athlete than does training at the same level each day.

* Long Run: Should be roughly 80-120 minutes based on experience, try to make it roughly 20-25% of your weekly mileage. Pace is pretty easy for the most part, can and should be in the 75% range the last half of the run.

* Aerobic Endurance runs (AE) are you're garden variety everyday run where you start at a very easy recovery pace and run with the primary goal of covering the distance. As your fitness improves the pace at the end of these runs can become fairly brisk, usually in the 75-80% range. If this happens to you go with the flow. This isn’t the type of run where you force the pace at all, rather you run on the easy side of life and as you warm-up you naturally pick up the pace. For suggested paces refer to the chart at the end of this message. Runs should be in the 40-60 min range generally speaking with paces in the 75-80% range at the fast end of the spectrum.

* Recovery days: make one, maybe two days each and every week a very easy recovery day. A 20-40 minute jog or a DNR or active recovery such as a mtn bike ride, hike, light swim that sort of thing. The other option would be 2 x 20-40 minutes easy (one in the AM and one in the PM), real easy. Just make sure that a recovery day includes nothing over 40 minutes and is at a butt slow, jogging pace.

* Strides: Before the main workouts for the week. 4-6 x 80-100m efforts at smooth, quick effort on grass or dirt if possible. 30 + seconds between each. Also follow up an AE run during the week with 6-8 x 100 in s smooth, quick fashion.

* Mid week long run at an easy pace naturally working towards a moderate 75-80% effort. Ideally 12-15% of your weekly mileage. 70-90 minute for most.

Scheduled Workouts for Month 2 (September).

2 primary workouts per week. Additionally, add 1 day of  strides following a 75-80% run of 40-60 minutes.

1. Steady state run: Once a week at this stage do a 20-40 minute steady state run (85% effort). Preferably on the weekend or the end of the week.  A low key race would substitute here
2. Mid week workout of Hill reps:  Find a hill roughly 250-300m long.  Gradual on a soft surface such as smooth dirt or grass.  Gradual is best (ie. like a freeway overpass), steep is OK too, but keep it at 100-200 if it’s steep.  Do them as sets. First one of each set the focus is on running up with perfect form.  Run tall, foot plant under center of mass, good push off. The second one in the set should maintain the same good form, but be run at a slightly faster pace (approx 3k race pace effort). The last one of each set should be a good, strong effort.  All are followed by an easy jog back recovery.  2-3 sets of the above is recommended. So 2-3 x hill reps (form, moderate, strong)

2B. (Optional) if you can’t get to hill reps.  200-300's at 3k pace on grass or dirt if available. Take an equal time recovery jog (1:1). 8-12 x 200 w/ 30-40 seconds btw each or 5-8 x 300 with 45-60 seconds btw each. Pace is roughly 2 mile race pace effort.

One additional day each week do a 40-60 min easy-moderate run (75-80% effort) followed by 6-8 x 100 at a quick, smooth effort w/ full recovery. Can go stride the straight/jog the turns if you like.

The workouts listed should be accompanied by an easy  second AM or lunch run for the day of 20-40 minutes. Warm-up for the 2 primary workouts should include a 20-30 min easy run followed by 4-6 x 80-100m strides. Warm down should be 15-20 min easy.

How all this would look in standard week (Please note the increased pace son most runs):

Sun: Long run. Pace = 70-75% easy effort. Length = 20-25% weekly mileage, 80-120 minutes.

Mon: AM: easy 20-40 min.

PM: 40-60 min 75-80% run followed by 6-8 x 100 strides quick and smooth with 30+ second recovery btw each.

Tue: AM: Optional 20-40 min. easy

PM: 40-60 min at 75-80%. Hilly run here is advised.  Substitute an easy 20-40 min recovery run if needed.

Wed: AM: easy 20-30 min.

PM: 2-3 sets of hill reps (form, moderate, strong) w/ jog back recoveries.  If no hill available, substitute 200-300's at 3k pace on grass or dirt if available. Take an equal time recovery jog (1:1). 8-12 x 200 w/ 30-40 seconds btw each or 5-8 x 300 with 45-60 seconds btw each. Pace is roughly 3k race effort.

Thurs: Mid week long run. Last half at 75-80%. 12-15% weekly mileage. 70-90 min.

Fri: AM: 20-40 min EASY PM: 20-40 min EASY

Sat: AM: 20-40 min steady state run at 85%. Substitute a 20-30 min at 90% effort at the end of the easy week to test fitness.

PM: 20-40 min easy

Easy Week (9/19-9/25): Cut back mileage 15-25% on all runs: recovery, AE, long runs, etc. Cut back number of reps the same % (ie, if doing 6 x 3 min on/off, cut it back to 4 x 3 min on/off, a 16 mile long run should be cut back to 12-14). Follow up the month with a 20-30 minute steady state run at approximately 90% effort (see chart at end of message) to test fitness a bit and get a better idea of where you're at.

Races: You can race a low key XC/road race or two during this stage in place of the listed steady state run. Locally we are planning on the Paso 10k on 9/26 after our easy week as a controlled, tempo effort for the first 4-5 miles, then we’ll run a strong last 1-2 miles as fitness test, also to work on establishing a habit of finishing strong in races.  Not to be a real big deal, should be a fun run in the true sense of the term. Low key, tempo effort, social in nature. Run harder the last mile or two if feeling fresh and spunky. If no races on the horizon follow up the easy week with a run of 20-30 min at 90%, but please note, this is not a meant to be a full on race type effort.  Keep it controlled, keep it moderate.

Emotional Window: September’s goal really is to raise your weekly mileage to the highest point of the fall.  After September we’ll ask you to drop the miles slightly and shift the focus to increasing the intensity on the workouts.  September is slightly more intense than August, but only slightly so and in most all cases it’s on the runs away from the track that have been raised about 5% on average.  You should be in a good routine of training by now, feeling rested, strong and ready to run hard.  Good, keep that feeling the rest of September, put a few more solid miles in the bank and be ready to roll come October.   We don’t want you killing yourself right now, so the hill reps and tempos and strides all should be pretty moderate.  You should get done with everything and feel it wasn’t that hard because it’s not supposed to be at this point.  We want you ready around Thanksgiving NOT Halloween, so please be patient.  Stick to the prescribed paces in workouts as much as possible to ensure you are working out at the correct intensity.  In looking at the outline for the season, we will hammer in earnest come Shoreline and continue that increased intensity through Late November. If viewing the season on a scale of 1-4 (4 being hardest) in terms of physical intensity and emotional focus, we want the season broken down as follows:

Aug: 1

Sept: 2

Oct: 3

Nov: 4

This being the case, you will notice a distinct increase in the intensity and race expectations as the season winds along. Be mentally prepared to give your best efforts after Halloween. Doing so now will generally result in you being the hunted as the season winds down instead of the preferred position of being the hunter. This just happens when you get too fit, too soon. Nothing better than rounding into form about the time the Turkeys get thrown into the ovens.

Suggested Pace Chart

The following chart represents the approximate pace ranges for most of the runs we do away from the track or XC course. These paces fall between 70 and 90% of your current 5k fitness. Why this is significant is because these paces represent the ideal speeds necessary to increase your aerobic strength as well as train a larger percentage of your fast twitch fibers to take on aerobic characteristics. Increasing fitness in both of these areas results in improved distance running performances. You will notices that many of the paces are not incredibly heroic. The concept here is not to kill every run, rather it is to run at a relatively strong effort for a significant percentage of most of your runs. Ideally the first few miles are slower and used to warm-up, but after the athlete is warm and the paces come easily, the last 25-75% of the run should be done approximately at the paces listed within the training schedule outline provided at the beginning of each month.

Please note recovery is an absolutely essential aspect to improvement. A run listed as a recovery/easy run in the outline should be done at 70% or preferably SLOWER and then for only 20-40 minutes. A true recovery day comprises one or possibly two recovery runs for the day the goal of which is to get your training legs back.

Done consistently within each training week over the course of several months, the runs listed within the ranges below increase the aerobic strength considerably and lay the foundation for the ability to train and ultimately race at a higher percentage of the athlete's available VO2max. This ultimately leads to significant improvements in race times. The period of time spent focusing on improving this energy system is what we term true base training. 12 to 16 weeks of training emphasizing the following paces results in a very fit runner who is able to convert this increased aerobic fitness into faster race times regardless of race distance.

All paces listed are approximate times based on current fitness. Be realistic when establishing your current fitness because as crazy as this may sound, under training by working out slightly slower than you should generally results in better race performances. On the other hand, running consistently faster than the paces listed tends to result in poorer race results. The best way to determine your current fitness is to actually race a 5k Otherwise be your own best judge and be conservative with yourself. The listed paces assume a flat course with good traction. If you're running on a hilly XC type course, the effort to hit the listed paces will be much greater. Please take surfaces, weather, etc into consideration and adjust your paces accordingly. Finally, the listed paces are suggestions. The earth won’t open up and swallow you if you don't follow them to the letter. They are guidelines to help you learn the appropriate effort needed to increase aerobic fitness effectively.

Current 5k		70% (Recovery)	75%	80%	85% (MP)	90% (tempo)	95% (10k)
14:00	(67)	6:30	6:00	5:32	5:16	5:00	4:42
14:30	(69)	6:35	6:08	5:44	5:25	5:08	4:50
15:00	(72)	6:52	6:24	6:00	5:40	5:20	5:04
15:30	(74)	7:04	6:35	6:10	5:48	5:30	5:10
16:00	(77)	7:20	6:50	6:25	6:05	5:42	5:24
16:30	(79)	7:30	7:00	6:36	6:12	5:50	5:32
17:00	(81)	7:44	7:12	6:45	6:22	6:00	5:42
17:30	(83)	7:58	7:22	6:56	6:32	6:10	5:50
18:00	(87)	8:18	7:44	7:16	6:49	6:25	6:05
18:30	(89)	8:28	7:58	7:24	7:00	6:36	6:16
19:00	(92)	8:44	8:10	7:40	7:12	6:48	6:28
19:30	(95)	9:00	8:25	7:56	7:28	7:02	6:40