weekly schedule

Hello Joe,

I have learned a lot from reading your insights on other websites and would really appreciate some advice in regards to my weekly schedule during my base phase.

M - 10 miles easy
T- 7.5 mile LT run (marathon pace), 10 miles total
W - 10 miles easy
T - Fartlek (6 x 3 min hard, 2 min easy) or hills, 10 miles total
F - 5 miles easy
S - 10 miles w/ 8 x 100m strides
S - 15 mile long run

I am trying to run 65-70 miles per week, aiming for a late Nov/early Dec peak for XC. I guess my main concern is will I be getting enough recovery with the above schedule. I have thought about changing the 10 miles easy on Mon/Wed to two runs of 5-6 miles, do you think I should. It would be difficult to run twice a day (family and job committments) but I could do it. Running once a day is definitely easier for me but running 10 miles easy might be more than a recovery run. The 10 miles easy is 75 to 80 mins of running for me, somedays it might be more like 9-9.5 miles.

Thanks

Joe has been nice enough to offer me advice regarding his system in some other formats. I have taken his advice, and have recently switched my training to focus on prep work for the Chicago Marathon. I am just curious if I am on the right track:

Mon: Recovery 6-8 miles
Tues: am Harder workout
pm Recovery 4-6
Wed: Steady run 8-9
Thurs: Steady run 8-9
Fri: am Harder workout
pm Recovery 4-6
Sat: Steady 9-12
Sun: Long 16-22

Cycle through harder workouts as follows:
Fartlek with 3/2, 4/3, 5/4 totaling 30 min. fast
Tempo w/ 20-40 min. @ 85-90% MHR
15-20-X-Minutes
2-3-X-5K
Long runs alternate between steady efforts, and E/MP/E/MP or E/MP runs
I should also add that I do a bi-weekly 12-15 mile progression run.
I am trying to work up to doing doubles Thursday too, but I'm trying to be safe, and take my time getting there.

[Joe Rubio]

Oasis,

How old are you and how long have you been a competitive runner? Also, what's you're weekly mileage been the last year?

Doug E, good to see you here.

Joe

Hi Joe,

I am 39 yrs old and been running competitively for 6 yrs. Trying to get ready for some Masters road racing next year. My mileage is between 60-70 per week right now. The last couple of yrs I have been sort stuck at the same level and cannot break through. I have always run once a day and was contemplating trying some doubles but they would be difficult to do with my work/family committments. Singles would be the best for me but I really want to make sure I am getting the proper recovery.

PR's

3000m (indoors) - 9:44 (Feb. 2006)
5000m (track) - 16:52 (June 2005)
10k (road) - 35:49 (May 2005)

This season I ran 16:54 on the track and 35:59 on the road, there was no improvement even though I felt my training was sound. Look forward to your advice.

[Joe Rubio]

Oasis,

Probably the area that causes most athletes to stagnate is in failing to give themselves adequate recovery. The training effect states that for improvements in fitness to occur, you must stress the system, then allow it enough recovery time so an improvement over the previous level of fitness is allowed to happen. The fact you are at a plateau seems to indicate you aren't giving yourself enough active rest. 2 harder, faster workouts such as a tempo run, short intervals such as 200-400's, hill reps or 3-5 min intervals a week is plenty. Any more fast stuff, particularly if you are reaching weekly mileage PR's, plus doing the work thing and family thing will kill most everyone off. At the very least you'll stop improving. Even our young post collgiate types tend to do better when their mileage is fairly high and we keep the harder efforts to 2 a week. If we want 3 harder, faster days a week, it' usually for the 1500-5k track types who have dropped their mileage and compensate by doing 3 harder, faster days.

Something I've had people in their mid 30-40 age range do, particularly those with families and careers is what my wife and her trainng partners are doing right now as they prep for Cal International Marathon the first weekend in December. We make the hard days hard in terms of intensity and mileage. So we designate 2 harder, faster days each week that include a double days. We add a weekend long run and a mid week longer run to the mix as well. The rest of the days are 40-60 min easier runs or even a day off. The weekend when they aren't working, they are running pretty solid. So a hard workout Sat AM and an easy run in the evening. Then a long run early Sunday AM. Monday is a day off. Mid week, they'll do a harder workout Wed AM, then come back w/ a easy run at lunch or after work. Thurs is a mid week longer single run of 60-90 min. This allows them to have a single day (Wed) during the workout week where running is the priority.

Your schedule I would tweak a bit, making some days harder and faster, the others easier and slower. This is a suggestion not knowing your work or family schedule, just to be used as an example:

M - 4-6 miles easy
T- 6-7 mile easy run
W - Fartlek (6 x 3 min hard, 2 min easy) or Marathon paced tempo. Second run of 20-30 min easy
T - 10-11 in hills if available at strong effort if feeling good.
F - 5 miles easy or DNR and take the kids to the movies after work.
S - 200's-400's or hill reps. 10 total. Second easy run of 20-30 min
S - 14-16 mile long run

Pretty sure that adds up to 70 or so.

Thoughts or questions, fire away.

Joe

Thanks Joe,

That schedule looks great, one double during the week should be easy to do. You mention 200's/400's, what pace to do these in during the base phase, do you mean something like this:
1) 20 x 200m at 5k pace w/200m jog
2) 14 x 400m at 10k pace w/ 200m jog

[Joe Rubio]

Usually you don't need a ton of work in this area during the base phase. What the CIM gals are doing each week is the following:

20-25 min easy. 2 x 4-6 x 30 seconds on/off. ON's at 3k effort. 5 min between sets. 20-25 min easy. Next month it's be either the above or 2 x 3-5 x 45 sec on/off. The month after we'll dial in stuff closer to what you list, but in most cases the effort is 30-60 seconds in length w/ an equal recovery time. Effort starts at 3k and works down to 1500-3k efffort. Total volume of hard running is approx 2400m in base phase.

Joe

Oasis:

I want to appologizing for tromping on your thread. At the time, I thought that I was starting a new thread, and obviously that did not work. Hopefully you gained soem benefit from my post.
As I said before, I have been using Joe's system since the first of the year, and have definately had sucess with it.