I just came across a range of possible sessions that could be used by 400m
athletes or on occasions with 800m athletes

Ofcourse there are many more possible sessions. These are just a few that
people may find different than the ones they are using.
I have just selected a range of sessions to share.

General Preparation Period

-Special Endurance
3 x (300 - jog 200m -200) jog600m between sets

- Special Endurance
3 x (250-jog200-150) jog600 between sts
-Recovery activity


Later in General Prep

-Speed Endurance I
400 300 200 100 200 300 400 @ 85% with walk back recoveries


-Special Endurance
2 x 300m @90% 12-18min rest
4 x 150m @90% walk back recovery

-Special Endurance
2 x 250m @90% 12-18min rest
5 x 150m @90% walk back recovery


Early pre-competition

Stress endurance
500+100  30s between and  1lap walk between sets
400+100
300+100
200+100

Speed Endurance I
Block starts 6 x 60m
100,110,120,130 - full bend at 90%
140,150,160,180 - off bend to finish line@ 90% - all walk back recoveries

Special Endurance
1 x 400m @ 95% 6 x 120m @ 95% with full recovery

Special Endurance
2 x 350m run with first 150m fast then 50m float then 150m fast with full
recovery



Early comp phase

Rhythm
6 x 300m @85% 5, 4 , 3 , 2 , 1 min
-Weights Medium

Speed Endurance I
300m + 4 x 60m  - rest 30s after 300m , walk lap between sets
200m + 4 x 60m
100m + 4 x 60m
Pre-peak


-Speed Endurance I
300m + 60, 50, 40, 30  - @ 90% rest 30s after 300m , 10-12min between sets
200m + 60, 50, 40, 30
100m + 60, 50, 40, 30


Peak

Speed Endurance I
3 x (100, 150, 180) @ 90% walk back between reps and 1 lap walk between sets


Block starts 6 x 30m
3 x (120+80+40) @ max with full recovery, turn around recovery
-Recovery activity



regards
Steve Bennett
www.oztrack.com


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Hello

Last night someone posted a message to this list from the IP
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Sorry for any inconvenience caused.

regards
Steve Bennett
www.oztrack.com


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Yours ID famvlxveyp
--
Thank

I have been doing a considerable amount of research of training programs
used by everyone and assessing comparing the key issues.

The idea that has grown is that the simplistic argument of athletes doing
either
1/ A low volume program that has high intensity - the supporters of these
styles of programs talk specificity and aim for developments in particular
in the anaerobic system.
2./A high volume program of lower intensity (so that the volume is
manageable). The supporters of these sorts of programs will talk about
longer term development and the risks associated with excessive intensity
and anaerobic work that is too big a part of other peoples programs.

It seems very apparent that both extremes have key points and weaknesses.
However I believe that a smart combination of both is the answer not one or
the other. The solution is also not simply intermediate volume and
intermediate intensity.  Although a successful program for an athlete may
look like this.

There is huge benefits in a Lydiard like program - where athletes build up
their capillarization and mitochondria density from a large volume of steady
work.  Also adding into this recovery runs at an intensity that is so low
for them to be true recovery runs. I believe most athletes do these too fast
initially.  The key training element needed to be added to a Lydiard type
program in the 21st century is sessions all year aimed at improving race
pace economy. This means running some reps at race pace relaxed and with
enough rest that the session could not be considered to be a lactic session
of any kind eg. 3 x 4 x 150m rest 3min at 800m pace with 6min between sets.
This could be an easy session and would be run well within the athletes
ability almost all year.  The other addition to a Lydiard type program would
be to make the most of technology and sports medical services such as
physiotherapy to ensure the athlete is in optimal biomechnical condition.


Athletes who are used to high intensity lower volume training could also
benefit I believe by having at least 4 months of the year operating at a
lower stress intensity and integrating some longer runs into their training
maybe 2 x 60min runs and a 90min run.  These can be performed a any
manageable intensity. This will prevent the athletes from missing out on the
gains in capillarization that comes from this form of training.

Statistically it seems that most of the worlds top athletes who also have
longevity come from higher volume programs of possible a slightly lower
intensity.

There are shortcuts to made with intensity to get to the top but possible as
the athletes try to train more and more intense that a point can be reached
pyschologically or physically where extra improvement is prevented by the
overtraining stress. The athletes in many countries that have excelled do
seem to be athletes that have accumulated a large volume of training base of
many years with many African athletes maturing first.

I know Andrew Bucher was performing a program with a good mix of intensities
and volumes a few years ago. He was training for 800m with more than 140km a
week during parts of the year, later on doing heavy weights and good plyos
for power and ofcourse all the intense speedwork necessary to run 1:42

In summary,
beware of intensity only in a program
beware of excessive volume at expense of runing form and ease of race speed
dont discount the value of doing low intensity speed work at race pace not
all speed sessions need to be intense and targetting energy system
development.
beware of extremes and avoid overstressing the athlete - sometimes more at a
lower intensity is easier for the athlete to cope with.

regards
Steve Bennett
www.oztrack.com


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http://www.oztrack.com/order400.htm

 

I recently read an article called "How does V02 evolve during the 800m?" by
Hanon, Thomas, Chevalier, Gajer and Vandawalle. It is in edition 3/4 2002 of
IAAF New Studies in Athletics. The researchers studied many physiological
parameters during 800m race conditions. The athletes used were about 2min
athletes. Their findings make interesting reading. The summary follows:
Phase 1- During about the first 315m or around 45s that VO2 increased.
Phase 2 - The next 215m up until about 535m VO2max was maintained. This was a
total duration of just 33s. The furthest anyone in the study maintained V02max
was 640m.
Phase 3- V02 gradually decreased to reach an average of 83% of VO2max at the
finish line. The average decrease was 20% (range 13-27%)

The explanation for the dramatic change in Phase 3 was suggested to be
hyperventilation, lowered blood pH, fatigue of respiratory muscles and a
decrease in heart stroke volume. All of these factors contributed to result in
the reduction of gas exchange with the blood.

It is apparent that only 33s of 120s in the athletes tested was spent at V02max
which is 27%. However the decline phase lasted an average of 43s which is 36% of
the race.

The 800m race is run at an average pace which is well above the Maximal Aerobic
Speed(MAS). In this study the average pace was 124% of Maximal Aerobic Speed.
Even in the final phase in the last 25m the athletes speed was still an average
of 112% of MAS. This emphasizes that the speed capacity is being provided to a
great extent by the anaerobic system.

In my view it is certainly worth working the V02max and improving it. But it
seems that an athlete could improve VO2max and maybe not be able to sustain it
for very long. It seems more desirable to be able to sustain it for longer or
prolong the distance decline starts to occur. It is also apparent that athletes
also need to fully develop their anaerobic systems since the speed is always
going to be well above MAS even when in the final 25m. It is no point having a
highly developed aerobic system and an under-developed anaerobic system.

Running at any given speed during an 800m race will require the energy to
maintain that speed to come from all of the bodies energy systems. At race pace
mid race the athlete is not accelerating and all they have to do is maintain
momentum, Fundamentally all this required is a certain magnitude of force being
delivered to the ground.

One extremely  important aspect to have a long term view about is in developing
the athletes efficiency at race pace. This is because with improved efficiency
there will be a lower energy cost to run at race pace. This way whatever their
energy systems will be able to provide in total will be able to result in a
faster performance. A useful analogy may be it is no point supercharging a race
car at great expense and ignore improving its weight, aerodynamics, tyre
pressure, gearbox etc.

The added problem with running is that training that may optimize energy system
outputs may also have the undesirable effect of decreasing running efficiency.
This can come about as the result of the natural shaping effect on efficiency
that occurs from the athletes practising the running habit in a way that
exhibits bad running form. Bad running form can easily occur in any athlete who
has not worked directly on improving its maintenance. Most athletes when
fatigued can easily lower their centre of gravity by having a more bent support
leg, lowered hips, low knee lift, overstriding in attempts to maintain stride
frequency, excessive rotation of torso, footstrike not straight, etc.
The same session in one athlete may shape improved efficiency where in another
underprepared athlete may impact to decrease efficiency eg Wilson Kipketer doing
20 x 200m in 26s regardless of rest between would tend to hold great form and
make that pace look really easy. He would get slower if super tired because of
loss of prime mover power but it would not be accompanied by overstriding,
wobbling etc. However a common under conditioned athlete may do a similarly
intense session and look like a fun runner after 5 reps and then practise
progressive worsening loss of form for the next 15. They would be typically
overstriding, twisting, low knee lift - obvious long contacts , straining etc.
This athlete may finish the session proud and satisfied because they know that
this speed session wll make them fitter i.e. it will improve their energy system
outputs. The sad part is that performance in races may decrease due to the
negative impact that this session may have on their efficiency. People may argue
that if the athlete improves in each session then the session must therefore be
worthwhile. The flaw in this thinking is that the energy system adaptations that
are happening may be of a short term nature. The improvement in efficiency is
much more longer term. As is the damage to efficiency much more longer term.
This is not the sort of thing that an athlete can detect "this season". However
it is a fault that will have a great impact long term on athletes who train
under coaching regimes that ignore the concept.

No technical training will improve an athletes efficiency "today", try running
on a treadmill a a certain speed and change your technique, you will not be able
to impact on heart rate at all. This is because the effect of running form
changes on efficiency is a very much slower changing adaptation than we used to.
I think coaches & athletes enjoy the quickness of so many of the adaptations
that we can bring about with training that we ignore some of the bigger slower
ones. EFFICIENCY should targetted and underpin our training philosophies because
it is this important area we compromize when we forget about it. The problem is
athletes often try to run with a better technique and feel that it is not
working and this is because it isn't.  It is just like the first time someone
shows you how to swing a golf club. It initially starts of feeling really
"fake"and it is. But eventually it becomes the habit and is totally normal, this
happens after much shaping and then it is effective. Efficiency is like this.

Training short term (season by season) in the area of energy systems can be a
long term disaster for the athlete. This is especially true if young athletes do
not have programs that target predominantly the development of efficiency first
so that good habits are in place. They could then later introduce higher levels
of energy system focused training as they improve their tolerance to maintaining
really good form under high levels of fatigue.

regards
Steve Bennett
www.oztrack.com

• Pilates
• Swiss Ball
• Bounding methods
• Theraband exercises
• Lower leg conditioning ideas
• Gym ideas
• Speed Drills

regards
Steve Bennett
www.oztrack.com

It includes information suitable for children and right through to Elite athletes.
Training for 800m is just
It can be purchased and downloaded to print instantly.

More information is HERE

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Kevin Prendergast is an engineer and mathematician by profession, and he is an accredited Level 3 coach with the Australian Track and Field Coaches Association. His special interest is the application of scientific principles to running, and he has been published often in New Studies in Athletics and Modern Athlete and Coach. Two of his works are in the fourth edition of the book Middle Distances, published by Tafnews Press.

He was one of the most successful middle distance coaches in Australia during the 1990s. His squad has included athletes from interclub to international standard. The most prominent is Brendan Hanigan (1:45.03) , the third fastest Australian ever over 800m at the time of printing, who finished fifth in the 1994 Commonwealth Games and fourth in the 1994 World Cup.

This comprehensive e-book (of 169 A4 pages + pictures) is an attempt to provide an intelligent approach to middle distance running, in which everything is reasoned, and based on scientific concepts, evidence and logic. It looks at the evidence to decide what middle distance running is and what characterises it, determines the attributes required, and deduces a training regime that will develop those attributes.

I have particularly enjoyed the sections on the enjoyed thd chapters on history of the events and the analysis and comparisons made by the author.

More information is at www.oztrack.com/fundamd.htm

regards

Athletics Enthusiasts
I have just released on Oztrack an e-book called "Modern Speed Training".  It was written by Adrian Faccioni who was the former course convenor of the Sports Coaching degree at the University of Canberra, Australia and is a Level III Sprints Coach.

Adrian has travelled and studied the methods of a variety of coaches of the worlds best sprinters. He now acts as a consultant to a wide range of sports and is developing an innovative miniature GPS Device that can be used to monitor velocity and position during sports.   http://www.gpsports.com

Modern Speed Training  is a comprehensive guide and contains 183 A4 pages of the latest information about Speed Training.

I have purchased everything related to this area that I can find and believe it is the the best Speed Training book available.

More information is at http://www.oztrack.com/faccionispeed.htm

regards
Steve Bennett
http://www.oztrack.com