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Speed work (Read 180 times)

Birdwell


    Is it a good idea to incorporate a weekly speed work session during base building?

     

    I fell off the wagon due to some injuries (broken foot and other things) and am starting over again. I've lost a good bit of fitness from the couple months off. My plan is to get to a 30-38 MPW average over the next two months. Is throwing in an occasional track or interval workout going to hurt or help? Current plan is 5 days a week running.

    Any help appreciated.

     

    Thanks!

    stadjak


    Interval Junkie --Nobby

      I have a whole 600 days of experience to throw behind this unflinching assertion: It'll help.

       

      Unless you really just getting of the couch.  You probably need a minimum 3x the distance of the speed session before it's safe.  That is, if you're at 10miles a week, you speed should only be 3miles (including warmup and cool down -- so that doesn't leave you much).  Probably need at least 20 to get in a [safe] workout.

       

      It's always good to keep some speed work in the line-up.

       

      Nobody ever died from a 4x400 . . . well, a couple did, but we didn't need them anyway.

      2021 Goals: 50mpw 'cause there's nothing else to do

        There's always room for speed work, just like there's always room for jello.

        The FAQ sticky thread in Running 101 references a few threads pertaining to speed work you may find helpful. good luck

        "Famous last words"  ~Bhearn


        MoBramExam

          My two cents is that track or interval workouts during base phase are unnecessary and take time and effort away from your primary objective.  Fill your schedule with easy runs, tempo runs, and your weekly long run.  Meanwhile, hold your speed with some striders and running drills a couple times a week after or during one of your other daily runs.

           



          Birdwell


            There's always room for speed work, just like there's always room for jello.

            The FAQ sticky thread in Running 101 references a few threads pertaining to speed work you may find helpful. good luck

             

            I've been through most of that.

            Thanks for the reference!

              Base work should definitely have a variety of efforts and speeds. Whether they need to rise to the level of formal track and interval work or whether they are more like fartleks or just running rolling hills or snowshoe running could be discussed. Speed work (go faster) or anaerobic work? The actual hard stuff (not including wu/cd, recoveries) is probably less than 5% of your volume during base.

               

              In base, I prefer the alactic type stuff, partly because it's hard to find traction for long stretches to do anything fast for very long. But, I'm back of pack.

              "So many people get stuck in the routine of life that their dreams waste away. This is about living the dream." - Cave Dog
              scappodaqui


              rather be sprinting

                I don't think speedwork during base building is necessary, per se--at least not structured speedwork.  Especially something like 5k pace specific work, since from what I understand, you can peak doing Vo2max pace after only 6 weeks or so.

                 

                A good plan might be to go Brad Hudson style and add in a few hill sprints after two or so runs per week.  Gradually increase the number of them.  Or add some strides in addition; those are good and will get your body used to accelerating.  Fartlek, strides, hills, and then work up to a tempo run to begin training at your lactate threshold... what are people's thoughts on lactate threshold training before structured speedwork?


                I've had a coach recommend non-continuous tempos for the beginning of speed training.  (I.e. 1 mile, 1 min rest, 1 mile, 1 min rest, last mile).

                PRs: 5k 19:25, mile 5:38, HM 1:30:56

                Lifting PRs: bench press 125lb, back squat 205 lb, deadlift 245lb


                MoBramExam

                  ... what are people's thoughts on lactate threshold training before structured speedwork?

                   

                  Consider those high value workouts...don't want to build a penthouse on top of a straw hut.

                   

                  If those workouts are structured correctly, can steal a lot of quality LT minutes at slower efforts avoiding some of the counterproductive effects the true "speedwork" would have on basebuilding.

                   



                    At your\my level I think some "speed work" type running will be helpful provided you can do it and stay healthy.  I think a lot of time we read about training minutae and try to apply it to ourselves when it is written in the context of elite athletes who have be running 100 mile weeks for years. A lot of times for us as 10-60 mile a week joggers it just doesn't apply.  Elites are running and training at the absolute limits of what they can physically.  We run when we want to and what we can fit in to our lives.  I think a lot of those rules are written to try and get the last 2% out of their training, it doesn't make a tonne of sense when there is the other 75% that we haven't even touched yet.

                     

                    Will doing some speed work consistently help you get faster quicker....yes.

                      Fartlek, strides, hills, and then work up to a tempo run to begin training at your lactate threshold... what are people's thoughts on lactate threshold training before structured speedwork?

                       

                      I think it depends on your definition of structured speedwork. I also think it's useful to think about intensity more than whether something is structured. Intensity is pace x duration. It's fine to do *some* running at mile race pace every week all year round. It's fine to do 400s on the track with a group because it lets everyone of a range of speeds get back together for the recovery jogs and keeps it social. Its fine to do 200 on 200 off. Hell it's fine to do mile repeats. It's fine to do any of this as long as you manage the volume and intensity. If you're not someone who can't manage the volume and intensity and keep from turning every workout into a race then it's a good idea to either learn, or stay away from the track during base training.

                       

                      I think it's a really good idea to do *some* speed all the time, year round, even in base training.

                       

                      I don't like the term lactate threshold training simply because it takes what are some really basic, fundamental and longstanding types of workouts and makes them sound like a science project. But long hills, cruise intervals, fartleks of long intervals and short recoveries, tempo runs and progression runs are your best bang for the buck besides just more mileage. So yeah do lots of those before you do real peaking or sharpening workouts like 3+ miles worth of intervals at 5k pace or faster.

                      Runners run

                      joescott


                        A good plan might be to go Brad Hudson style and add in a few hill sprints after two or so runs per week.  Gradually increase the number of them.  

                         

                        I have had unbelievably good success with this approach.  In fact, just this alone, volume + some hill sprints sprinkled in, has in the past got me into really good shape that I've not been able to improve on very much with bigger doses of intervals of OR tempo running.  I am also a big fan of the weekly 3-mile tempo run, but I'm just sayin' that I suspect these little hill sprints have been very effective for me at times in developing a "speed base."

                         

                        modified to correct a meaning-changing typo.

                        - Joe

                        We are fragile creatures on collision with our judgment day.


                        Future running partner.

                          My two cents is that track or interval workouts during base phase are unnecessary and take time and effort away from your primary objective.  Fill your schedule with easy runs, tempo runs, and your weekly long run.  Meanwhile, hold your speed with some striders and running drills a couple times a week after or during one of your other daily runs.

                           

                          +1.  I consider base training not so much just getting in miles, but more of a way to work the ends of the spectrum when it comes to speed and endurance training. Develop endurance with steady mileage as usual. Develop raw speed with striders, short hill sprints and sprinter type  drills for muscle strength and neuromuscular development. As you progress the speed sessions get longer and slower, aerobic runs get faster. As the training season progresses, your speed and endurance workouts sort of come together as a combination of speed and endurance specific to the event you are training for.


                          Why is it sideways?

                             

                            +1.  I consider base training not so much just getting in miles, but more of a way to work the ends of the spectrum when it comes to speed and endurance training. Develop endurance with steady mileage as usual. Develop raw speed with striders, short hill sprints and sprinter type  drills for muscle strength and neuromuscular development. As you progress the speed sessions get longer and slower, aerobic runs get faster. As the training season progresses, your speed and endurance workouts sort of come together as a combination of speed and endurance specific to the event you are training for.

                             

                            Ah, it sounds so easy when written out like this.