** Notice this is not what I would typically do with a runner, but I would not like for a mid-distance or distance runner to do a weight session without it being followed by a running session or have the weight session follow the running session. I also don’t like having to double like this in the base building phase or during the competitive season, but in this instance this runner needs to double and keep command of his pace/intensity during training.
I would suggest doubling up on 3 days (MWSa) with intervals and on Thursday double up with a of tempo 4 miles in the morning at 75% mile pace (mile time/.75) and in the evening do 2 miles at 5k pace or (mile pace / .85). Monday and Saturday do 2 miles at 5k pace in the morning followed in the evening by your interval work which should be race pace either 800 or 1500m pace. On Wednesday I would put in a 3 mile AT run in the morning followed by 400m repeats @ 5k pace with 1:1 recovery ratio meaning if you run a 70s 400m you follow it with 70s of rest.
I would also put weights on monday and thursday. You can do core/stability work everyday as it’s main benefits affect posture. I would do at least one Olympic Lift each session, I like mine to follow a squat or deadlift session while most others like do theirs prior to squatting or deadlifting. I would limit the weightroom to 4-5 lifts and nothing beyond the basic strength lifts and OL’s. Don’t do leg curls or extensions. You can do medball and general strength circuits as well as multi-throws whenever you need to loosen up, so define about 5-6 circuits of GS/medball work and 1-2 throws circuits of varying lengths so you can choose one to loosen up on the appropriate day. If you have access to hurdles you can add some hurdle mobility work as well.
Do your long runs on Tuesday and Friday night and never let the pace become a jog it must be a solid effort and vary it from 6 to 8 miles. If you are a miler there is no need to run longer than 8 miles ever in single bout (under an hour). In fact you only need 2 sessions a week in the 45 minute range of constant running to produce a stimulus for biochemical adaptations to become an effective miler and for most 4:15-4:30 milers this is between 5-7 miles.
Take Sunday off (active rest) 3-4 mile run at 65% mile pace and multi-throw session.
So it should look something like this.
Monday:
(AM) : Weights, 2m @ 5k Tempo
(PM) : Multi-throws, Hurdle Mobility, 10x200m @ 800m pace with 1:1.5 recovery ratio (27s activity:40s rest)
(Total): 3.25 miles of workout, 2-3 miles of junk (warmup/cooldown)
Tuesday:
(PM) : General Strength, 6 mile run at (60-65% mile race pace).
(Total): 6 miles workout, 1-2 miles of junk
Wednesday:
(AM) : Medball circuit, GS, 3 mile AT run (90% of 5k pace)
(PM) : Throws circuit, 10x400m @ 5k pace with 1:1 recovery ratio
(Total): 5.5 miles of workout, 2-3 miles of junk
Thursday:
(AM) : Weights, Hurdle Mobility (if needed), 4m tempo at (75% of mile pace)
(PM) : Hurdle Mobility (if needed), 2m at (85% of mile pace/5k pace)
(Total): 6 miles of workout, 3 miles of junk.
Friday:
(PM) : GS, 6-8 mile run at (60-65% of mile pace), Hurdle Mobility
(Total): 6-8 miles of workout, 1 mile of junk
Saturday:
(AM) : Hurdle Mobility (if needed), 2m @ 5k tempo
(PM) : 6x600m @ mile pace 1:2 recovery ration (1:37 : 3:14)
(Total) 4.25 miles of workout, 3 miles of junk
Sunday:
(AM) : 3-4 mile run at 65% of mile race pace
(Total) : 3-4 miles of workout, 1 mile of junk
Minimum Mileage: 47 miles (34 miles of workout, 13 miles of junk)
Maximum Mileage: 53 miles (37 miles of workout, 16 miles of junk)
For an 800m/1500m runner there is no need to go beyond 50-60 miles in training a week. This a GPP/Base week, a week during the competitive season would have 1/2 this amount of volume and be more intense. The runner should have either a valid race time for the mile or 5k race to use as his starting reference point and he shouldn’t vary from it. Every 4-6 weeks he could TT 1 mile and extrapolate that to 5K time and start to realign his intensities. If a runner cannot hit times or pace then the mileage needs to be backed off and not upped or the intensity needs to lowered on the 5k pace efforts. The average training mile (junk miles not included) works out to be 5:49 a mile for a 4:20 miler, which leads to very high quality training and what should be limited risk of injury.
please note these 2 articles on training for middle distances:
(some of the science is partially wrong)
http://www.serpentine.org.uk/pages/advice_frank13.html
http://www.serpentine.org.uk/pages/advice_frank15.html
