Our Training Philosophy
There are many books that provide training topics, which are a great starting point. But most of them leave out some important basics that you only learn from years of running, and years of coaching.
Guiding Principles for Palmetto
- Develop a love for the posrt or running and also the activity of running (in that order)
- Find the athlete's stregths, and train their strengths
Rules for Training
- Pick your parents well (but you can still hit your own amazing potential)
- Train Smart (find a group that is smart helps)
- Dont get injured
- Tie your showes before the gun goes off.
Types or Runners
We all have natural preferences. Some of us will excel at short distances, some at long, and some are reasonably capable of both. Our training should be adjusted to suit our strengths. People that excel at long distances tend to like long runs, long runs at quick paces, tempo runs, and short rest between repetitions when doing speed training. They also don’t really like to go “sprint” fast but do love “comfortable” fast, long warm-ups, and long cool-downs. Distance runners need a few days of recovery between workouts. Short-distance runners hate long runs, don’t seem to have that “moderately hard run” gear (comfortable fast), they like to go “sprint” fast, preferably for 300 meters or less, and strongly prefer long breaks during a workout. They also hate warm-ups and cool-downs, but the next day they can go hard again. The All-purpose runner is a blend of those traits. Coaches also fall into these categories. A distance coach will always think the “sprinters” are lazy because they need so much rest after just 200 meters of running. Sprint-type coaches will think the distance runners are slow, and not trying. At Palmetto, we know runners, and we know ourselves!
Patterns of Training
Phase 1: Conditioning Period
Think of this phase as simply preparing the body to be able to train. The length of this phase and the types of runs depend on the starting point of the athlete. Most young runners adapt quickly, so we get the freedom to deviate somewhat. Adults are different because years of previous habits can either put an adult close to the ready-to-train stage, or put them a year away! Drills to strengthen the core and lower legs are vital in this stage.A typical training week in this phase should include three easy pace runs, one of them being a “long” run. A 4th run should be a threshold run (AKA Tempo Run). Threshold runs are “comfortably quick.” This pace is usually your 5K pace plus 30 to 37 seconds, depending on how long you sustain the pace, and also what type of runner you are. The total time should be 20 to 30 minutes. Going faster than “comfortably quick” does no good, and adds risk of injury. Best advice to completely avoid VO2 Max type of running during this stage (See Training Rules #2 and #3). Repetitions are OK but should be at low volume, just to engage speed. For example, during the training phase, a repetition training cycle would be 12x400. In this phase, you should only touch the surface, like 2x400 in the middle of an easy run.
Phase 2: Training Period (~ 8 week cycle)
When your body is ready to sustain hard workouts without a reduction in mileage, you can graduate from the conditioning period. Your body will let you know when its ready! Once graduated from the conditioning period, its time to get the body to go faster. In this phase, we target improvements of V02 max. This is best accomplished by doing 800s and 1000’s at 2 mile race pace. Pick a distance that requires no more than 4.5 minutes to complete. Active Rest period between should be about 80% on time (typically about 3 minutes, endurance runners like less rest, the other types like the full 3 min).
A typical training week in Phase 2 will continue with the long run day, a threshold run, and the easy runs days, but now VO2 max runs are added, and repetitions are phased in as well, toward the middle and end.
Phase 3: Racing Period (~3 to 6-week cycle)
As the goal races approach, training becomes specific to the race. For 800/mile racers, mileage is greatly reduced, and the training pace is rarely faster than race pace. Rest periods between repeats get longer...full rest keeps speed sharp, legs fresh. But again, the best runners rarely go faster than 800-meter race pace.
For the mile to 5K runners, volume is cut, but not as much for the 800 runner. And VO2 max training is reduced, but not eliminated. For the 5K and up runners, the same trend occurs, except threshold runs are still kept in the mix, as the aerobic engine is such a major player at these distances. T-pace runs are a great way to keep the heart in shape without trashing the legs.
The last effective workout is about 7 to 10 days prior to the goal race. You can only do stupid stuff in that last week (see rule #2). In the last few weeks, training at a pace faster than the race pace is a bad idea. A few strides are acceptable, 150 meters tops.
Guidance to run by:
(1) The last effective workout is about 7 to 10 days prior to goal race. You can only do stupid stuff in that last week (see rule #3).
(2) Training faster than “ideal” is less than “ideal.” In fact, its dumb. See rule #2.(3) At the first real sign of injury, back off, and assess what needs changing. (See rules #2, #3).
(4) Talk to an accomplished runner, and discover how seldom they train at a pace faster than mile race pace, and how controlled their workouts are.
Threshold Runs – Classic Threshold run is a sustained effort of 20 to 30 minutes at a pace of 5K plus 30 to 37 seconds. This run can also be “intervalized”, but the rest period should be extremely short. Like a minute or LESS. For segmented, the pace increases slightly, to 5K plus 25 to 30. McKeel's favorite is 5 miles of tempo at 5K plus 37-40.
VO2 Max Runs – Also known as intervals. Pace is around 2-mile race pace, and distance is whatever works out to keeps you around 4.5-minute duration on each. A typical session is 5 x 1000 meters, with ~ 3 minute active recovery. Per the volume chart, the total should add to 5000 meters, or 6 x 800 would also suffice. McKeel style is N x 1000 with 2-minute active recovery,
Repetitions: These are shorter segments, usually run at mile race pace. The rest period is 1:1 as a norm. Pace can be slowed some to allow shorter rest.
F-Pace: These don’t really have a name, other than “Fast Speed”. These are done at 800-meter race pace and are almost exclusively performed be runners training for mile or less. Palmetto likes to touch on this pace early in season to build speed. Then forget it for a while, only to bring it back at the end.
Strides and Flys: These are the speed drills that you can sprinkle into your training week. Common is 8 x 100-meter strides, at ~85%. Almost universally, from sprinters to marathoners, the maximum distance you should hold top speed is 50 meters to 70 meters. Holding top speed longer is counter to rule #2 and #3! The rumor is Michael Johnson never touch his top speed, except during a race. Whether this is true or not, who knows? But, I’ve been beaten by many runners that abide by these rules!
