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Question:

In my opinion Iwould do the 30-40 mile weeks with 2 to 3 speed sessions a week including a couple of hill work-outs; these really build strength.

Response:

ANY THOUGHTS WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED

Ok then… Obviously you and/or your coach need to know how YOU best respond to training. Focussing on YOUR current strengths/weaknesses as appropriate. For the weight training, I must say I’m a ‘non-believer’ (this is a religious issue . Sure, hit the weights regularly (I do), but RUN training should be the PRIORITY. Consider, if you were able to increase your 1-rep max squat by 25%, what difference would that make to your 1500m times… As to weekly mileage, 50-60 mpw is a lot *depending* upon what you are used to (it’d be too much for me). 30-40 mpw should be more than sufficient to bring out most of your potential for 800/1500m. —  "Focus. Relaxed Form. Stay smooth. Flow. Breathe."   – gapo ‘98 Cut the .over.the.rainbow if you prefer to reply by email

Response:

ANY THOUGHTS WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED

Hang on, I haven’t finished yet!!! (hit SEND by mistake) Speedwork. THIS should be your priority. During the off-season don’t worry about the stopwatch too much. Just put do the sessions, week-in, week-out. Marking off the distances up a hill out on the street is a possiblity. The pre-season build-up will be the time to start pushing the envelope. For 800/1500m, 3 sessions of speedwork would be great if you can manage it. 2 is going to be a minimum. For trackwork the permuations of distance, volume, pace, recovery are almost unlimited. *Ideally* you’d like to incorporate regular sessions with the following focus:   1) Sprint repeats: e.g. 60-150m.   2) Speed repeats: e.g. 300-500m   3) Longer repeats: e.g. 800-1600m   4) Threshold run: e.g. 30 mins steady then 20-30 mins ‘fast’. (Obviously these ‘categories’ are for illustration only, in truth there is no clear delineation on moving from 200m to 300m to 400m to etc… Recovery and total volume will lead to a great deal of overlap).   Miles —  "Focus. Relaxed Form. Stay smooth. Flow. Breathe."   – gapo ‘98 Cut the .over.the.rainbow if you prefer to reply by email

Response:

ease remove xxx if replying Is it better to build up to a track season in which the focus will be 800m-1600m with: a) 50-60 miles per week for about 2 months previous to season with weights(4-5 times per week) and a speed session once a week, or b)30-40 miles per week for the same time period, but with more intense weight training(3-4 days) and speed sessions 2 or 3 times a week? ANY THOUGHTS WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED

The debate on weight training for runners seems to go on and on. Some a wear by weight training others swear at it. I am sure that some weight training will not hinder performance. However, some question wether it truley helps performance in any way. If you look at some of the top middle distance runners in the world(the African runners in particular) it appears that they have never been near a weight room in their lives. Yet these men and women are running world class times.An article that was published on the sport science web-site said almost outright that weight trainig for endurance athletes of all kinds(swimmers, cyclists, runners) was a waste of time. The time invested in weight training could better be spent putting in more time training in the specific activity of the athlete. Steve Fleck

Response:

Your best option is to talk with a coach, or someone who can personally identify where you are and what you need to work on.  My belief, is that for 800 or 1500, it is best to put in only quality runs.  I would do about 10 to 20 miles a week with a lot of speed work.  One good strategy is to alternate runnuing a hard 1 mile with one 100 yard sprint, or something similar to that.

Response:

My Intuition screams that it is pre-season and A would be the correct answer. Given that those are the choices and you indeed will and are able to do one or the other. Wow both sound intense. Be sure to get more opinions. Signed: Robert Pickens (Mile to Marathon)

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I can’t resist being asked for my opinion. In my view, if you want speed, train for speed. First, establish a good base of mileage, e.g., 4 – 6 weeks of 30 – 50 miles a week at an easy pace (e.g., 75% of your MHR).  One day a week should be a long run of at least 60 minutes.  This conditions your body and mind for the harder work to come. Second, build on that base with 4 – 6 weeks of tempo workouts twice a week, e.g., 20 – 30 minutes at 85 – 90% MHR, or 4 to six 1000M to 1 mile runs at 85% MHR.  Once on week on your non-tempo days, do numerous (8 – 12) fast 200 – 400 M repetitions at race pace with plenty of rest in-between.  And once a week do a hard interval session, e.g., 300 – 400 meters at 98% MHR. Alternate hard and easy workouts.  Continue your long runs once a week.  The tempo runs build your aerobic capacity, the repetitions help you learn to run economically at your race pace, and the intervals expand your anaerobic threshold–critical for 800 meters. Third 4 – 6 weeks, switch to two interval workouts a week and one tempo workout a week.  Remember to maintain the specified heart rates.  A too slow interval workout doesn’t build the anaerobic capacity you want, and a too fast tempo workout helps little in building aerobic capacity, but can leave you drained and tired when you have to do those hard interval sessions later in the week.  Continue doing the fast rep and long run sessions once a week, and alternating hard and easy.  Substitute a race for a interval session if needed, but follow up the race with a tempo run. The final four to six weeks is race time.  Back off you mileage by 20% in everything you do, e.g., shorter long and easy runs, less reps, shorter tempo runs (20 minutes instead of 30, 4 x 1 mile instead of 5 or 6), less and/or shorter interval sessions and intervals only once a week.  Start this at least three weeks before your first important race. And take a day off when you feel you need it. I ran a 1:58 in the 880 back in 1970 when I was a junior in HS.  I wish I knew then about running what I know now.  Credit for this goes to Jack Daniels’ (not the whiskey, the coach).  For more info pick up The Running Formula by Jack Daniels (www.amazon.com).  It will provide more specifics and some target times to use if you don’t have a heart rate monitor. Steve Vineski Potomac Runners – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Is it better to build up to a track season in which the focus will be 800m-1600m with: a) 50-60 miles per week for about 2 months previous to season with weights(4-5 times per week) and a speed session once a week, or b)30-40 miles per week for the same time period, but with more intense weight training(3-4 days) and speed sessions 2 or 3 times a week? ANY THOUGHTS WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED

Response:

I run 800 and 1500 to a reasonable standard (1:55/3:55) but have never done weight training. Maybe I could have gone faster if I did or maybe I would have ended up good at lifting weights but slow and lethargic. Regular speed sessions are the key to 800/1500 but  only on a reasonable base which should be maintained as you go along. Mileage is very individual – do as much as you can without getting injured and/or tired. — Tim Grose Please remove xxx if replying – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Is it better to build up to a track season in which the focus will be 800m-1600m with: a) 50-60 miles per week for about 2 months previous to season with weights(4-5 times per week) and a speed session once a week, or b)30-40 miles per week for the same time period, but with more intense weight training(3-4 days) and speed sessions 2 or 3 times a week? ANY THOUGHTS WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED

Response:

Is it better to build up to a track season in which the focus will be 800m-1600m with: a) 50-60 miles per week for about 2 months previous to season with weights(4-5 times per week) and a speed session once a week, or b)30-40 miles per week for the same time period, but with more intense weight training(3-4 days) and speed sessions 2 or 3 times a week? ANY THOUGHTS WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED

Response:

It all depends where you are at right now, what you have done last year and the year before that. Do you have a foundation to build on, or are you starting from scratch. P. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Is it better to build up to a track season in which the focus will be 800m-1600m with: a) 50-60 miles per week for about 2 months previous to season with weights(4-5 times per week) and a speed session once a week, or b)30-40 miles per week for the same time period, but with more intense weight training(3-4 days) and speed sessions 2 or 3 times a week? ANY THOUGHTS WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED

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