Elitetrack: Sport Training & Conditioning

Pb: 51 sec
Quite good endurance. Coming from 800m.
Wondering if this scedule looks ok? I am in early season prep. Training for a pb 400m

M:10 min easy+20 min extensive tempo+gs (recovery day)
t:7-8x80m 9.5 average speed. 4 min rec. Strength in gym (low volume and heavy)
w:same as monday
t:6x300m 45-50 sec speed. 2 min rec. strength in gym (8-12 reps)
f:same as monday
s:6-8x60m sprint. 5-6 min rec + strength in gym (low volume and heavy)
s:6x150m. 8-10 min recovery. times between 18-19.5

taake - 05 May 2008 10:49 AM

Pb: 51 sec
Quite good endurance. Coming from 800m.
Wondering if this scedule looks ok? I am in early season prep. Training for a pb 400m

M:10 min easy+20 min extensive tempo+gs (recovery day)
t:7-8x80m 9.5 average speed. 4 min rec. Strength in gym (low volume and heavy)
w:same as monday
t:6x300m 45-50 sec speed. 2 min rec. strength in gym (8-12 reps)
f:same as monday
s:6-8x60m sprint. 5-6 min rec + strength in gym (low volume and heavy)
s:6x150m. 8-10 min recovery. times between 18-19.5

My 2 cents worth:
Tuesday: Try pushing to get the 80m time down a bit, also try to increase the rest, if you are trying to increase speed. I am not sure if this is a intensive tempo or a speed developement session. For speed the rest is not enough and for intensive tempo the 9.5 average is maybe to quick, I’d say if you could maintain 7-8 of those that you are looking at a 22 second 200m pace, which is hell of a quick for a someone with a 51 PB.

Thursday is very stange for me. I am from a 200m-400m background and never do such long sprints with so little rest. I prefer 300m at a race pace (in your case roughly 36-39s) with at least 15 minutes rest.

Just a general note: If you recon that you have good endurance and have a PB of 51, I would think your flat speed is too slow and would spend my time developing that.

thanks for the advices

Tuesday: Try pushing to get the 80m time down a bit, also try to increase the rest, if you are trying to increase speed. I am not sure if this is a intensive tempo or a speed developement session. For speed the rest is not enough and for intensive tempo the 9.5 average is maybe to quick, I’d say if you could maintain 7-8 of those that you are looking at a 22 second 200m pace, which is hell of a quick for a someone with a 51 PB.

My goal with this session is speed endurance. When i think more about it, average is about 9.7-9.8. So do you think I should increase the rest and run faster? and maybe 6-7x80m? Since speed is limiting me?
woulndt that distance be too far for speed development? I know my top speed is limiting me, but since competions is soon, I feel its important with speed endurance training.

Thursday is very stange for me. I am from a 200m-400m background and never do such long sprints with so little rest. I prefer 300m at a race pace (in your case roughly 36-39s) with at least 15 minutes rest.

yep agree. My plan is to cut down the number of 300ms and run them faster. So that it will end with 3x300m close to race pace. My question is: Is the session I am doing now then almost useless? should I just run like you told me at this moment of the year?
Will the 3x300m session be to hard, when added to the rest of the training that week?
I believe that 3x300 is much harder for the body than 6x300 at lowers speeds with shorter rest. right?

Just a general note: If you recon that you have good endurance and have a PB of 51, I would think your flat speed is too slow and would spend my time developing that.

2 sessions per week devoted to pure speed during competion period will be enough for that? If I do more I feel more the other qualites will suffer. such as speed endurance and spesial endurance.

Also I wonder if the saturday and sundays sessions can be rigth after each other?
Both are quite taxing on the cns I guess. Should they be splitted up with a recovery day for better effect?

How does the arrangment of my week look? (order of the sessions in the week)

taake - 07 May 2008 01:55 PM

thanks for the advices

My goal with this session is speed endurance. When i think more about it, average is about 9.7-9.8. So do you think I should increase the rest and run faster? and maybe 6-7x80m? Since speed is limiting me?
woulndt that distance be too far for speed development? I know my top speed is limiting me, but since competions is soon, I feel its important with speed endurance training.

The session would be closer to intensive tempo than speed endurance at that distance and rest. At 9.7-9.8 would still be tough, but seeing that you are from an endurance background you should cope. You are correct on the speed developement. I am not sure how far you are from competition but I don’t really do speed developement close to comeptitions, only one or two speed maintenance sessions per week. Speed developement I do earlier. To go to 49 you should be able to do your first 200m in a 23.9 that means a flat 200m time of around 22.4. with a 1 sec differential you should get close to 49. You should work in your earlier phases to get down to close to that. If you can do that on a 200m there is something wrong with your tolerance and capacaty. I often see 800m type athletes stuggle late in the season as the quick guys are strong and blow them out at the 300m as everyone goes through the 200m quickly.

yep agree. My plan is to cut down the number of 300ms and run them faster. So that it will end with 3x300m close to race pace. My question is: Is the session I am doing now then almost useless? should I just run like you told me at this moment of the year?
Will the 3x300m session be to hard, when added to the rest of the training that week?
I believe that 3x300 is much harder for the body than 6x300 at lowers speeds with shorter rest. right?

A 51 second 400m will have you swim in the lactate at 300m. At to slow a pace the lactate will not come and your capacity will not improve.

2 sessions per week devoted to pure speed during competion period will be enough for that? If I do more I feel more the other qualites will suffer. such as speed endurance and spesial endurance.

I agree, maybe extend your microcycle to 10 days and put a rest day in on Sunday and a light tempo on Tuesday.

can you suggest a better session than my 80ms on tuesday?
Lets say the goal is improving speed endurance. Or you can just give me a session which improves what is needed for me. speed/speed endurance. etc..

So in conclusion I should change my thursdays workout to something like 3x300m with 15min recovery now? competions are about 1 month away from now.

what about the 60m on saturday and 150m on sunday? bad combination?

taake - 07 May 2008 02:06 PM

Also I wonder if the saturday and sundays sessions can be rigth after each other?
Both are quite taxing on the cns I guess. Should they be splitted up with a recovery day for better effect?

How does the arrangment of my week look? (order of the sessions in the week)

The setup is a bit rough. You are doing 6 days of weights out of seven. I’d extend the microcycle to 10 days and add more rest or light tempo work. I’d also drop the weights to a maximum of 3 in a 10 day cycle. I suspect that you might be doing to many lifts for this phase of the season.

In the pre-comp phase you should be focusing on SE2 runs and speed endurance. Speed endurance should include Glycolytic Short Speed Endurance (GSSE), Speed Endurance (SE) and Special Endurance 1(SE1. As I stated I suspect your short speed is not good enough so that should also be a considderation. I would have you do most of the running at a relative high speed with the hope that some speed is developed in the next month.

Your setup:
M:10 min easy+20 min extensive tempo+gs (recovery day)
t:7-8x80m 9.5 average speed. 4 min rec. Strength in gym (low volume and heavy)
w:same as monday
t:6x300m 45-50 sec speed. 2 min rec. strength in gym (8-12 reps)
f:same as monday
s:6-8x60m sprint. 5-6 min rec + strength in gym (low volume and heavy)
s:6x150m. 8-10 min recovery. times between 18-19.5

I’d have you do something like this:
1: 10 min easy+20 min extensive tempo (recovery day)
2: Speed dev + Strength
3: Tempo
4: SE2
5: Tempo + Strength
6: SE1
7: Rest
8: Speed dev + Strength
9: Tempo
10: Speed Endurance

taake - 07 May 2008 10:04 PM

can you suggest a better session than my 80ms on tuesday?
Lets say the goal is improving speed endurance. Or you can just give me a session which improves what is needed for me. speed/speed endurance. etc..

So in conclusion I should change my thursdays workout to something like 3x300m with 15min recovery now? competions are about 1 month away from now.

what about the 60m on saturday and 150m on sunday? bad combination?

With speed endurance you should cover all three types, Glycolytic Short Speed Endurance (GSSE), Speed Endurance (SE) and Special Endurance 1(SE1). All pace should mimic your 400m goal pace. Workouts could look like this:
Glycolytic Short Speed Endurance (GSSE)
3 x 4 80m @95% w/1 Min/4 Min [TT:8.8s]
3 x 4 80m @90% w/1 Min/4 Min [TT:9.3s]

Speed Endurance (SE)
Lactacid Capacity
1 x 7 150m @90% w/6 min [TT:18.8s]

Anaerobic Power
1 x 4 150m @100% w/10 min [TT: 16.9s]

Special Endurance 1(SE1)
1 x 4 250m @90% w/12 Min [TT:31.3s]
1 x 6 200m @95% w/12 Min [TT:23.7s]

I appriciate your feedback. I am a self coached athlete so your advices are valuable.

The setup is a bit rough. You are doing 6 days of weights out of seven. I’d extend the microcycle to 10 days and add more rest or light tempo work. I’d also drop the weights to a maximum of 3 in a 10 day cycle. I suspect that you might be doing to many lifts for this phase of the season.

In the pre-comp phase you should be focusing on SE2 runs and speed endurance. Speed endurance should include Glycolytic Short Speed Endurance (GSSE), Speed Endurance (SE) and Special Endurance 1(SE1. As I stated I suspect your short speed is not good enough so that should also be a considderation. I would have you do most of the running at a relative high speed with the hope that some speed is developed in the next month.

Your setup:
M:10 min easy+20 min extensive tempo+gs (recovery day)
t:7-8x80m 9.5 average speed. 4 min rec. Strength in gym (low volume and heavy)
w:same as monday
t:6x300m 45-50 sec speed. 2 min rec. strength in gym (8-12 reps)
f:same as monday
s:6-8x60m sprint. 5-6 min rec + strength in gym (low volume and heavy)
s:6x150m. 8-10 min recovery. times between 18-19.5

I’d have you do something like this:
1: 10 min easy+20 min extensive tempo (recovery day)
2: Speed dev + Strength
3: Tempo
4: SE2
5: Tempo + Strength
6: SE1
7: Rest
8: Speed dev + Strength
9: Tempo
10: Speed Endurance

I have a few questions:

1.when you write tempo, do you mean recovery day? I normally do 20 minutes of relaxed strides on soccerfield with short jog rest inbetween HR under 160 BM.
Is something like that you want me to do on a tempo day? If not can you give me an example of tempo session in the cycle you have suggested?

2. Is 3x300m at close to 400m pace with 15-20 min rec a good SE2 session? can I use this or do you have other suggestions?

3.If you dont mind could you give me example of a 7 or 14 day cycle? with hard days on tue-thur-sat. Or tue-thur-sun?. I have work and school so hard training on the same days in the week would be more practical for me. (so its easier to plan my week)

Again thank you for your help!

Does anyone know?

what about:

14 day cycle:

1:tempo (recovery)
2:(GSSE) +strength
3:tempo
4:SE2
5:tempo+gs
6:speed dev (low volume)
7:SE1
8:tempo
9:speed dev(80ms)+strength
10:tempo
11:SE2
12:tempo+gs
13:acc dev (low volume)
14:speed endurance

GS=sit ups, back extension, push ups.
Strength: deep Squat, bench, lunges.

setup looks good?