Elitetrack: Sport Training & Conditioning

There was a thread that was meant to have been moved here but got lost in cyber space re 400m for   a 41 year old.

So what how would set up a plan for someone in their early to mid 40's for 200 & 400?

I'd do it the same as for a younger athlete but I'd decrease the frequency of high-intensity days to 2 a week. Overall volume could likely stay the same for a well-trained athlete.

What about during GPP phase? 2 x full body w/outs pw?

Have a read of the following article:

http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=251run2

It's not sport specific (especially the IBUR routione), but it might be worth using as a basis for a GPP cycle.  I'm 46, and have used this method.

WiZ

Great minds think alike as I was thinking about that article the other day.  :smilegrin:
Personally I think IBUR and 400s as outlined are more suitable as tempo. That said I may use IBUR as intensive tempo.

The problem with IBUR for intensive tempo is that to keep the same intensity throughout the workout almost certainly requires the athlete to run faster than intensive tempo intensity because as fatigue increases so does demand (distance required to run).

Mike:

I don't fully understand what you mean by intensive tempo (but I'm not a track athlete, just an old guy staying in shape).

I have however wondered whether IBUR would be better being the other way around - i.e. starting with a long run (and long rest) and working down to shorter runs/rests; or even increasing the ratio of run:rest period, to try to minimize the effects of fatigue.  I certainly do go along with your comments on the fatigue increasing and thus making it more difficult to maintain a consistently high speed.  Up till now, I have just accepted that and not changed the program (on the basis that I don't really know what I'm doing).

Can you spare me a few brain-ergs and summarize what you think the pro's and cons of both ways are - IBUR and ISDR (i.e. interval slow-down running, or whatever it should be called)?

WiZ

LOL I read Mikes post then thought hmmm well what if it is reversed? then read Wizlon's post.

Wizlon, give Masters track a go. Like you I was just someone who ran to keep in shape till this year and have just completed my first ever season of track and loved it.

Well John, they say "great minds think alike", but maybe in our case it's the alternate version of "fools never differ"

I'm off to find out what the heck "Masters Track" is (because I've never heard of it before)...I know it will be defined somwehere.

WiZ

By Masters track I simply meant races for us oldies.

Yup, I found it.  Probably way out of my league (I haven't measured my times, and I know personal measurements are less reliable).  I am interested to the extent that when it warms up a little, I'll do some prep work and maybe measure my 100/200 and 400 times, just to see if I am the slowest slug on the planet, or whether there's some hope.   Thanks for the tip.

Have you (or anyone) had any more thoughts on "IBDR" - i.e. reducing intervals/rest periods rather than increaseing them for a session?  I have found nothing about that posted anywhere, which is curious.

I may just try it anyway out for my next session (another way of mixing it up as far as I'm concerned), just to see how it "feels".

WiZ

WiZlon - 28 February 2006 12:25 AM

Yup, I found it.  Probably way out of my league (I haven't measured my times, and I know personal measurements are less reliable).  I am interested to the extent that when it warms up a little, I'll do some prep work and maybe measure my 100/200 and 400 times, just to see if I am the slowest slug on the planet, or whether there's some hope.   Thanks for the tip.

Wiz,
don't be put off too easy. Like you I was reluctant and am in no way fast (100 = 13.48, 200 = 28.22, 400 = 65.87). I raced a few times at club meets here against the whipper snappers (some as young as 13) and got my ass well and truly kicked but didn't realise how much I missed simply being in a competitive environment.  I did a couple of Masters meets and really enjoyed them most were around my times, some faster and some slower but at the end of the day it was simply fun

I did a tempo session the other night using IBUR related times but transferred it to a distance and only rested 60 seconds between so it went 350, 300, 250, 200, 150, 100. It was ok and I may use it from time to time as for a change. I will be interested on your feedback using a more intense IBDR protocol.

Hi John:

My best time on 400m (self-recorded, so it's got to be iffy) is just under 70 seconds, but I wasn't actually trying to get one fast lap - it was one of a series of half a dozen or so, so there was some kinda sorta pacing in there (but not much).  I can't recall my 100m time, probably around 15 or so.  I'm not a million miles off then - maybe I can indeed have some fun too!

It's starting to warm-up a bit here in TN, so maybe this weekend I can go to the local track and get myself a "new-season" starting point for time (self timed again, but it's either that or nothing).

I'll try to sneak a IBDR session in before hand (possibly later tonight) - I'll run hard and fast, but it won't be measured distance wise, I'll just have to go by stop-watch time.  There's no rhyme or reason in my training right now, I'm just trying to stay fit, so this is as good a starting point as any.

I am also doing a lot of strength-training - again this is focused not on becoming a track athlete (never could I associate those words to me) but rather to again keep myself in good/better shape.  This will impact both my ability to run as well as my overall performance.  I expect my initial running times will be quite slow relative to where I got to last year, but I'll post them here anyway, just for the fun of it.

I'll also post my thoughts on IBDR after I've tried it out.  It'll be interesting to see if I do it just once or whether I like it enough to make it a staple part of my sprinting workouts.

I'm enjoying the conversation, I appreciate you taking the time to chit-chat on this - it's hard to find folks my-age who want to do this.

WiZ

WiZlon - 02 March 2006 02:49 PM

I'm enjoying the conversation, I appreciate you taking the time to chit-chat on this - it's hard to find folks my-age who want to do this.

No probs, I know what you mean.

Sounds like you are similar to where I was last year. I did weights and ran simply to keep fit and probably wouldn't have done anything more if my daughter hadn't done athletics.

Yes, sounds similar, but in my case my new fitness lifestyle is rubbing off on my daughter (she's 7) - she works out with me in my gym, and she's quite good!  My son (10) is still more interested in his playstation - she can beat him in arm wrestling matches, which is embarrassing.

I started on the fitness quest after a wake-up call 18 months or so ago, although I had actually started "moving" (slowly) even before that.

I love to sprint, and was reading up on it, thats' how I found this place.  Damn great web site - good advice, nice people, no BS.

I don't post much (this thread is the exception ), but I read a lot and am always finding something new to try.  And you now have me thinking about competing (for fun) in some track events now… :tumble:

WiZ

Hi folks - perhaps you may find this interesting.
I am a masters athlete (male 44)and started about 2 years ago.
My racing is mostly sprint to middle distance and i have a long
way to go yet!  My training varies quite a bit and involves a few
long runs each week as well as short sharp stuff (nothing too technical)
I post my daily workouts etc at -
http://40somethingathlete.blogspot.com  check it out if you like

Paul (stormbikes)