Here are my thoughts:
-Tempo volume should start higher. I think if the intensity is super low as is the case during the first meso, then the volume can be quite high without worrying about overtraining. Instead of having it follow a medium–> high –> low volume scheme, I’d recommend a high–> medium –> low scheme. I’d make an even stronger recommendation for this during the second mesocycle following the indoor season. At this point, the body will have enough training under the belt that you don’t have to go back to scratch and the volume can be really high as long as the intensity is really low. This recommendation is a personal preference and I’m fully aware of the argument that you should build both volume and intensity during the very begining of a macro but I don’t think it’s necessary if you keep the intensity low and the volume high.
-I would do some form of field testing on the 4th, 8th, and 12th week and then again sometime after indoor season (maybe week 34?).
-In general, I think the emphasis on flexibility is a little too much but I guess that kind of depends on what you plan on doing for flexibility work.
-You will really have to watch yourself on weeks 13-15 because you’ve pretty much maxed out every training parameter. I see you’ve got the rest emphasis on week 14 but you’ll still have to watch it.
-A general point which will help in many regards, keep in mind that to get to a point in a run where you’re working on speed endurance, you’ve got to pass through or come very close to max velocity; likewise, to get to max velocity you’ll probably have to go through some form of acceleration phase. As such, I think it’s best to really focus on acceleration first, then maximum velocity, and then speed endurance during the macrocycle. I think trying to focus on them all at the same time is asking for trouble.
-Keeping the previous point in mind, I personally don’t think you should be maxing out acceleration development, max velocity, and speed endurance all at the same time (which is the case in weeks 13-15). When you start working on speed endurance I think you should take the emphasis off of max velocity work. As soon as you start the speed endurance training I think you’ve pretty much decided (whether you know it or not) that you’re not going to get your max velocity any higher….you’re just going to train yourself to maintain it longer.
-I think the emphasis on acceleration development can be even higher at the beginning of the year. Even though this is really high intensity work, the velocities are lower, and thus the neuromuscular demand is lower and the body can recover from it much better. Also, fall is a great time to work on acceleration mechanics.
