Northern Arizona University Distance Running By Ron Mann, Head Track & Field coach Northern Arizona University   PHILOSOPHY If athletes follow sensible progressions of workouts throughout the course of the season, they will not experience what we often refer to as "peaking out." Workouts must be kept interesting, as well as challenging, to prevent athletes from imagining they are experiencing this phenomenon. However, if early season interval workouts, for example, are made too intense and if too much emphasis is placed on major competitions early in the season: Athletes will suffer a psychological let-down in motivation, and They will fail to improve on early season marks in the championship meets later in the season. Although it is important that the athlete establish a daily training regimen, the coach should recognize individual differences and be flexible enough to grant an athlete a period of "active rest" when he recognizes signs of overtraining. TRAINING MODULES At Northern Arizona we use the hard day / easy day approach in training. This means: If they train extremely hard on Monday, they should train with less intensity on Tuesday, and so on In addition, we train athletes on a 14-day work cycle so that they will not have the exact same workout every Monday, but rather varied workouts throughout the 14-day cycle. This removes the staleness athletes encounter when each week's workouts are the same. We use five methods of training in working with distance and middle distance runner. 1. DISTANCE TRAINING Over-distance training is essential in the balanced program of a distance runner. This training should be at a level that challenges the aerobic system. The workload should produce a heart rate of between 140-160 bpm. This consists of: Long runs at a steady pace covering from 6-8 miles for an 800 runner Up to 14-16 miles for a 10,000 runner Longer for a marathoner. These runs can take place in the morning before school or in the afternoon. The distance and amount of road runs they require will vary as to the aerobic and anaerobic needs of the athlete's primary event. 2. REPETITION RUNS The purpose of repetition runs is to allow the athlete to sustain a high quality pace for a fairly long period of time, thus approaching the anaerobic threshold creating a positive training effect on that system. Repetition runs are usually from 600 meters up to 2 miles in length. The recovery or interval between repetition runs is longer than in interval training. An example: 8 x 800m with 4 minutes rest between each 3. FARTLEK Fartlek training is a Swedish term for "speed play." There are two forms of Fartlek training: A. Holmer Fartlek is an individual training method and not a group method. It can be as hard or easy as the individual wants to make it. It includes all of the elements of a race in one practice session. Example: Assume the workout is to be one hour in length Begin with a slow jog warm-up at 7-8 minutes per mile for 2 miles (this is to get the body ready for the hard work ahead).   Then pick up the pace to what feels like race pace and carry it for 400-600 meters or until a genuine feeling of fatigue sets in.   Without rest, sprint for 100 to 150 yards until it begins to "hurt."   This is followed by a jog recovery.   A series of short sprints follows with an equal amount of rest between each. Next, imagine that they are racing an opponent over the last 200 meters of a race: Set a pace that they would use in the final stages of the race and hold it as long as possible until the fatigue feeling is felt again This race is worked on with a similar run and recovery. Repeat these activities until they have run for one hour.   B. Lydiard Fartlek is a method of gradual increase in pace and decrease in pace without a jog recovery. Example: 2 miles at 7-8 minutes pace for warm-up   3 miles at 5:30 pace   1 mile at 6:30 pace   2 miles at 6:00 pace, and   2 miles cool-down at 8 minutes per mile pace for a total run of 10 miles. 4. INTERVAL TRAINING Interval training is a system for endurance training which alternates measured runs at a measured pace with a set recovery between each run. = Distance to be run = Interval or rest between runs = Number of repetitions = Time to be run = Activity during the rest interval To vary a workout, any one of these five elements can be changed to give the training effect. Example: 12 x 400 in 65 seconds, 1 minute jog recovery A runner who is doing an interval training session should do from one to two-and-a-half times their racing distance in bouts, not including the warm-up or cool-down   The recovery that is taken between each run is determined by taking one's pulse, when the pulse returns to 120 beats per minute, the athlete is ready for another bout   The distance for each bout is less than or equal to 600 meters in interval training for maximum utilization of the system. 5. SPEED TRAINING The basic reason for speed training is to improve the speed at which the athlete can run relaxed and maintain running form. This training is done mostly at the end of the season just prior to the big meets. Example: 1 x 600 meters all out with a 20-minute rest interval Followed by 10 x 100m as fast as possible, with a 100m walk interval between each. Macro 1 / August-September (Early Cross Country) Goal: To increase mileage and aerobic capacity 4 days Distance Run 6 days Recovery Runs 4 days Fartlek   Macro II / October-November (Late Cross Country) Goal: Maintain aerobic increase fast runs 2 days Distance Runs 6 days Recovery Runs 4 days Fartlek 2 days Repetition Runs   Macro III / December (Winter Break) Goal: To maintain aerobic 6 days Distance Runs 4 days Recovery Runs 4 days Fartlek   Macro IV / January (Indoor) Goal: Increase anaerobic, become track ready 2 days Distance Runs 4 days Recovery Runs 4 days Fartlek 2 days Repetition Runs 2 days Intervals - SLOW   Macro V / February-March (Early Outdoors) Goal: Increase anaerobic track ready, become race ready 2 days Distance Runs 4 days Recovery Runs 2 days Fartlek 2 days Repetition Runs 2 days Intervals 2 days Intervals -- FAST   Macro VI / April-May (Late Outdoor) Goal: Maintain aerobic, race ready, increase speed 2 days Distance Runs 2 days Recovery Runs 2 days Fartlek 1 day Repetition 1 day Interval 2 days Speed 2 days Race 2 days Rest   Macro VII / June-July (Summer Break) Goal: Active Rest Swimming Easy Distance Runs Hiking A typical micro cycle will point toward the goals of the macro cycle and will be consistent with the overall training picture. The sample which follows is from the Macro V. It is only 7 days of a 14-day cycle. Monday a.m. 40 minute run p.m. 12 x 400m with 1:30 rest interval   Tuesday a.m. 40 minute run p.m. Recovery run -- lift weights   Wednesday a.m. 40 minute run p.m. 24 x 150m jog recovery   Thursday a.m. 40 minute run p.m. Recovery run   Friday a.m. 40 minute run p.m. Race   Saturday p.m. Fartlek--nothing longer than 2000m, nothing shorter than 800m   Sunday p.m. Distance run 40-60 minutes.   International Copyright © of CoachesEducation.com. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of CoachesEducation.com is strictly prohibited.