Workout Plan
Paces
Easy/Aerobic Run - Mile Time x 1.5-1.7 OR 135-150bpm Heart Rate
Enter Mile Time
Easy Pace: ??:?? - ??:??
We want to keep these slow for a reason. The limiting variable in how much you can train is not mileage, or number of workouts, or sleep, or diet, it's a combinatation of everything we refer to as systemic fatigue. What really matters for your training outcomes is the amount of time you spend in the relevant training zones, so long as you are able to recover. Running too fast for these runs will increase systemic fatigue (lengthening recovery time), without giving you any additional time in this zone. The two most common things that happen if you do these runs too fast, is struggling to increase your mileage (time spent slow), and worse, being too fatigued to effectively run your workouts.
Tempo - For most, 2 mile - 5k effort
Especially for younger runners, heart rates will be drastically different person by person in this zone. More recently, elite runners have been using lactate zones, as they seem to better indicate what your body is doing than heart rate. The lactate zones are more correlated to race efforts than race paces. For example, 400s will be run faster than 800s, and reps with a 1 minute rest will be slower than those with a 3 minute rest, because we want them to be the same effort. Elite adults will be around their hour race pace effort when in this zone. High School runners have not had as much time to develop their aerobic system, so we will use shorter reference distances, such as a 2 mile, or 5k. Those with a longer running history will dial it back from there.
Anaerobic - One step below race effort
This is where you develop speed. We will not do a lot of this in cross country because most high school runners have better speed than endurance, so our effort can be better spent elsewhere. For example, a 5 minute miler should be just under 17 minutes in a 5k. Even if you add 30 seconds to make up for the fact that times are run on XC courses, not tracks, 90% of High Schoolers do not convert that well.
Friday, July 5
10am - Run at Sky Country Trailhead
Weekend, July 6, 7
Optional Klahani 5k Saturday at 8am at the Lakeside Pool
If you're not new to running and not doing the 5k, get at least a couple slow miles one of these days!
Monday, July 8
9am - Easy Run. Adjust the run for the heat. 5x 20s stride within run
11am - Weights at Skyline
Tuesday, July 9
9am - Easy Run. Adjust the run for the heat. 5x 20s stride within run
Wednesday, July 10
9am - Fartlek Workout in BLP
11am - Weights at Skyline
1-2mi Easy
3-6x (
3min on
2min off (faster than aerobic)
)
1-2mi Easy
Paces are track effort, the trails will slow you down
Enter Mile Time
On Pace: ~??:??
Off Pace: ~??:??
Thursday, July 11
9am - Easy Run. 5x 20s stride within run
Friday, July 12
10am - Adventure run from Tradition Plateau
12pm - Las Margaritas
Weekend, July 13, 14
If you're not new to running, get at least a couple slow miles one of these days!