XLR8 PERFORMANCE LAB
MID-DISTANCE WORKOUTS WITHOUT A TRACK
Training tips from the elite high school training group in the Midwest. Simple strategies to continue middle distance training when access to facilities is limited or non-existent due to COVID-19.
TRAINING DURING A PANDEMIC - BOOK 1
TRACK-FREE WORKOUTS TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 MAX VELOCITY Top-end speed is an essential component of all middle distance training. Don't leave this important skill behind while waiting to get back on the track.
2 SPEED EXTENSION Often referred to as speed "endurance", these workouts are an essential component to staying race sharp at all times.
3 LACTATE TOLERANCE Skip these workouts at your own demise. Tolerating a flood of lactate into the muscles is a key component in differentiating champions and also-rans.
4 V02 INTERVALS For the more aerobically-based middle distance runner these workouts are an absolute must. Keep them in your regular routine with some creative planning.
5 RACE SIMULATIONS No races? No problem. Use these key workouts to stay sharp and race ready to stay a step ahead of the competition for when racing resumes.
TRACK-FREE WORKOUTS March 2020
ISSUE NO. 1
Max Velocity Why it is essential: Top-end speed is one of the cornerstones of all athletic competition. And yes, it can be developed. Having more "gears" than your opponent will keep them in constant fear as the race unfolds. Championship races are often won off of slow paces that come down to the best kick. Having this weapon at your disposal gives you a chance when the sprinting for glory starts. Secondly, top-end speed creates efficiency at all sub-maximal speeds. While max velocity may only be needed for 10-15 seconds in a middle distance race, the faster this speed the more you will have in reserve at slower paces.
Workouts 1-2 Times per Week Uphill Sprints 6-10 x 30-50 meters max velocity with a slow walk down recovery Find a moderately steep street or grass hill of at least 50 meters. If you can, have a flat run-in so that you reach full speed by the time you reach the base of the hill. Drive the arms and feet straight down so you are keeping good posture and pushing away from the hill with maximum power. Resist the urge to lean into the hills, but rather stay tall and concentrate on your best sprinting form. Your recovery should be 2-3 minutes between hills, so take your time walking back to the starting location. Downhill Sprints 4-6 x 30 meters max velocity with full recovery walk back to the start Find a 30-50 meter section of road or solid grass surface that has a very slight downhill. Running downhill at top speed allows for what is called "over-speed" training. This should be done carefully and not overdone. Run full speed for around 30 meters down the hill. Make sure that you keep your feet underneath you and do not lose form. Decelerate easily after the 30 meters and slowly walk back to the start. Similar to uphill sprints, do not rush the recovery. Stick with 2-3 minutes. Hit/Float/Hit 6-8 x 20 meters hit/20 meters float/20 meters hit with full recovery Find a long flat stretch of straight running surface. You will need between 80-100 meters to complete the full intent of the workout. Using 4 cones (markers of any type), place that each approximately 20 meters apart. Give yourself a run-in zone before the first cone and a deceleration zone after the last cone. Accelerate fully to cone 1. When you reach cone 1, "hit" the ground with force at top speed. When you reach cone 2, relax into a "float". This is not braking, but rather simply removing the forceful hitting action used in the first zone. When you reach cone 3, once again resume the hitting action used in the first zone. When you arrive at the 4th cone you will slowly decelerate until coming to a complete stop Rest 3-4 minutes before starting the next repetition.
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Speed Extension Why it is essential: Often referred to as "speed endurance", this key component of middle distance running is the next step in utilizing your speed to positively impact your race performance. Once you have made improvements in your max velocity it is time to be able to develop the ability to extend it as far as possible before the muscles begin to flood with lactate. It goes without saying that adding all of the top-end speed in the world is of very little value in races over 100 meters if you are not able to adequately extend it. The best middle distance runners have this skill in abundance and you should too.
Workouts 1 Time per Week Uphill Timed Runs 4-6 x 20 seconds up a moderately steep hill with 4-5 minutes between repeats Find a moderately steep street or grass hill of at least 100 meters. Most cities have approximately 100 meters in a block. It is entirely possible that you can simply find a city block that takes you right around 20 seconds. Similar to the max velocity short hills, the timed hills should be run with exceptional posture and form. You will likely begin to start fatiguing in the final 6-8 seconds. Do not fight the body. Continue to pump the arms and drive the chest forward and up until you reach the full 20 seconds. For added fun you ease or fun you can bring a marker (cone, beanbag, etc.) with you. Place the marker at where you finished the first 20 seconds run. From there you have two options. Simply run to that point each time so you do not have to check your watch. Or try to reach or exceed that point on each successive run within the 20 seconds. Descending Timed Ladder 20 sec, 18 sec, 16 sec, 14 sec, 12 sec, 10 sec runs in descending order with shortening rest (4:00, 3:30, 3:00, etc) This workout can be done anywhere you like. A trail, a park, a sidewalk, a hill, etc. The goal of this workout is to avoid the ever increasing bad form and tensing up that accompanies intervals of similar duration as you go through the workout. But to account for that you simply shorten the rest between the shorter repeats. Avoid the urge to strain and lean as you go through the workout. Keep your form and relax into the speed as much as possible. On the 4:00 20 minute continuous run where you start every 4th minute with a max-effort run of 15-20 seconds before resuming running at your previous pace This run provides the more distance-inclined middle distance runner to keep the feeling of a more normal "aerobic" run while injecting the speed endurance component into the middles. This has the added component of learning the skill of "surging", a necessary skill for all middle distance runners. An added benefit is this type of run will break up the monotony of only utilizing a small workout space. Instead, you can head out to your favorite trail or park and just focus on enjoying the run. More experienced runners can add minutes to this run as long as they can maintain good form on the surges.
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Lactate Tolerance Why it is essential: Any athlete who has raced distances between 400-1500 know the feeling of legs turning to concrete and the brain screaming to relent. Pictures of bodies on the ground around the finish line abound in middle distance races. Why? Well, a bunch of science mumbo-jumbo amounts to lactate flooding the blood stream to attempt to help continue the effort. But ultimately the system gets overwhelmed and failure is imminent. While the term "flattening the curve" has been used to describe containing the viral outbreak, the same principle is in effect here. The body has multiple sources of fuel to prevent failure, a sudden rush of lactate cannot be adequately cleared by the system and everything fails at once. This may be the most important of all middle distance skills.
Workouts 1 Time per Week Uphill Timed Runs 2-4 x 45 seconds up a moderately steep hill with 8-10 minutes between repeats As you can see throughout this guide, hills are your friend! Find a moderately steep street or grass hill that is long enough to require as much as a full minute of max effort running. If you cannot immediately think of one, drive around your area and you will be surprised by what you find. Prepare yourself mentally for this workout. If you start out the hill too fast you will not be moving well at the end. But run too slow and you will have missed the benefit of "tolerating" the lactate as it enters your system. Form will inevitably breakdown near the end of each rep. But stay focused and do your best to keep good posture. Expect the pain, these workouts HURT! Broken Minute 30 seconds at near max effort, 15 seconds of a slow jog, 15 seconds of max effort with 6-8 minutes of rest before starting the minute over again Breaking up the effort in a lactate tolerance workout can be a great way of building this skill as you start out in these types of workouts. You can better maintain form and control of the pace with a break in the middle of the effort. These are great workouts to do at a park or your favorite running trail. Again, get creative! As you progress you can build to things like broken 90 seconds and so on. Use this workout as a jumping off point to developing your own specific need. Match Your Mark 50 seconds at max effort where you will place a marker to be reached on successive efforts of 52, 54, 56, 58, and 60 seconds with progressively longer recovery starting with 5:00 and adding 30 seconds after each successive repeat A great workout to do on a winding stretch of park or trail. Let it fly for 50 seconds and place your mark. Take the full 5:00 recovery between cutting it loose on the second repeat. As the body progressively struggles to keep up the same pace as before you have been given the "gift" of 2 extra seconds to reach your initial mark. To add another element to this workout you can use the same location and try to beat your initial 50 second mark upon repeating the workout. This provides easy feedback of your improvement in your fitness.
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VO2 Intervals Why it is essential: Heart and lung power are crucial contributors to middle distance racing, particularly for the 800 and 1500. This is the "engine" to go with your "wheels". Failure to train this system will result in an athlete who is susceptible to a strong early pace in a competition. The best kick in the world is of little value if you are too far behind to make it matter. Additionally, this builds capacity. A strong aerobic power athlete can manage a higher load in individual workouts. The higher the manageable load in training the more likely you are to bring more tools to the task when the gun goes off.
Workouts 1 Time per Week 2-Person Relay Each runner runs 3:00 before figuratively "passing the baton" to the teammate to be repeated up to 8 hard efforts each While social distancing is a key component of preventing the spread of the virus, teaming up with a fellow runner in a safe manner is a great way to break up the monotony of isolation while also practicing responsible social behavior. A key component of VO2 max training is equal recovery to the run time. A relay provides the perfect opportunity to use this strategy. You will need a location where you can go out 90 seconds before turning and running back. Again, this can be easily done at a local trail or park. The pace of the 3 minutes should feel a little slower than you might race for a 1500. Try to hold a consistent pace throughout as opposed to hammering the first 90 seconds on the way out and then massively slowing down on the way back. Classic Fartlek 2:00-4:00 fast followed by an equal amount of jogging steady before starting the next repeat Most runners who have been competing for any length of time have heard of "fartlek" running, a Swedish term for "speed-play". This is perhaps the original non-track interval training. All that is required is a place to run and a watch. Pick your preferred length of time and run at slightly slower than mile pace for that duration. When you hit the time simply slow down and settle into a steady, comfortable pace. When you have matched that amount of time just jump back into the faster pace. Continue this for 3045 minutes. The continuous nature of this workout is another great opportunity to learn the skill of managing your fast-pace stress so you are not simply keeling over at the completion of your repeats. Pick Your Mile One mile of running at 2-mile race pace with 5:00 recovery between repeats With online mapping tools it can be easy to map out a mile-long stretch of road, trail, or park. Find your favorite and check it out to make sure it will work for the nature of this workout (no stoplights, etc). Simply run hard (approximately 2-mile race pace) for the mile and then recover for 5:00. Up to 5 of these can provide a great workout to boost your heart and lung power. Get creative and look up new locations each time you attempt this workout.
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Race Simulations Why it is essential: When racing has been suspended, it is important to build race tactics and skills for when the time comes to resume competition. Race simulations are great for both the mental and physical preparation of the specifics of your race. Younger runners are particularly susceptible to the lack of consistency in racing as they do not have the same number of races under their belts as older competitors. Another necessity during this current pause in competition is to keep your competitive edge. Workouts in this section are a way to challenge yourself in a way that is similar to what you may experience in a competition.
Workouts 1 Time per Week 60/30/30 90 seconds at 800 race pace followed by a 30 second rest and ending with 30 seconds at or faster than 800 race pace with 8:00-10:00 between repetitions A classic workout of 800 runners is running the first 400 or a repeat in the same manner you would race it. Go out with gusto and then settle in to your race pace. When you reach 60 seconds simply stop or go to a very easy jog. After this 30 second respite you will crank the pace back up and imagine that you are kicking the final 200 of a race. Stay tall and pump the arms. Resist the urge to allow your form to fall apart in search of a faster pace. Doing 2-3 of these can be very intense and is all that is necessary to simulate your 800 race. Adjusting the times and paces can make this workout fit for 400 and 1500 runners as well. The Chaser Partner workout where one runner starts with a slight head-start and the teammate attempts to chase them down by the "finish-line". Leading and chasing are the only two options in competitive racing and both require practice. At your favorite trail or park you can map out a start and finish line as well as a "course". Try to find something that will take between 1:00-5:00. You will need a workout partner of similar ability or else you will need to be more diligent in "handicapping" the start times of the runners. After 5-7 minutes of recovery you can switch who leads and start again. If one athlete is significantly faster you may need to make the challenge something like increasing or decreasing the time/distance gap as opposed to catching the other runner. Time Trial Find a route that you can "race" that is similar in distance to your competition distance and time yourself in a max effort A true staple of all middle distance training is the time trial. What better way to fire up your competitive engine than to announce you are going allout for your best time in a practice environment. Dress to go fast. Enjoy the opportunity to test yourself after utilizing all of the workout ideas in this guide. Set a "record" for the course and challenge others to beat it. Post your results on social media and keep the competitive juices going until the races resume once again.
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