Looking at training programs of successful high school, college, and professional distance runners. For more insight visit: http://www.ScienceofRunning.com

1. Training
The actual nuts and bolts of it

2. Decision Making in Coaching
• Heuristics- Creating “Rules of Thumb”
• Close enough to right without messy details
• Conceptualize
• *Recommended Read: AntiFragile by Nassim Talib

3. • This is what we are trying to do…
• Balance
Speed
Endurance

4. Classification
General
Speed
Specific General
Endurance
Support Support
Direct
Support
Direct
Support
SPEED Endurance
6x60m with
full rest 13mile long
run
Ex for 5k
runner:
or
3x1mile
with 90sec
rest @ 5k
goal pace

5. Starting off:
Questionnaire and Dialogue
• Assess:
• Aerobic Abilities
• Mileage, Long run, paces
• Speed/Anaerobic Abilities
• Workout strengths, weaknesses, examples
• Get examples of avg. workout in each area
• Assess Recovery time for each
• Overtraining/staleness clues
• ASK- mileage, workout types, what causes staleness
• Injuries
• Peaking
• Training Log

6. Add what is not there
• Examples:
• Pro’s:
• Jake Edwards (3:58 miler)- Pure Speed
• Tommy Schmitz (3:56 miler)-
• Jackie Areson (15:12 5k)- Aerobic work
• Felix Heintschel (8:40 steeple)- consistency
• Sara Hall (52:54- 10 miler)- Longer aerobic work- BALANCE
• College:
• Drevan Anderson-Kaapa (1:49.0)- Aerobic strength
• Yonas Tesfai (1:48.4)- high end aerobic work + Pure Speed!
• Janae Bottoms (4:31 1500)- Threshold
• Brian Barraza (14:12 5k/29:42 10k XC)- Mileage/general aerobic

7. Training:
• Workout Progressions
• Overall Periodization

8. PROGRESSIONS

9. • Workout Example: Specific Endurance for 5k- Jackie Areson (15:12
5k)
• Every 3-4 weeks
Progress Everything
Dec. 4mi alternating 400m/ 1000m (4:58 pace/6:00min pace)
January 4mi alternating 500m/ 1000m (4:56 pace/6:00min pace)
February 4mi alternating 600m/ 1000m (4:52pace/5:53min pace)
March 4mi alternating 700m/900m (74 pace, 5:52 pace) ALTITUDE (5:33avg)
April 3mi alternating 800 in 2:30/2:50. 3min rest. 1.5mi of alternating 400 in 72 400
in 86ish.
May (1k,1800,1mi, 800) with 400m jog rest (3:01, 5:32, 4:48, 2:14)

10. 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
16.5 17 17.5 18 18.5 19 19.5
1st
test
2nd
test
4/30/
12
MAX
Test 1:
61.8-13.7
Test 2:
59.8 14.2
Test 4-
58.7 -14.2

11. Mile Speed progressions
• Tommy Schmitz-3:56.45 mile (June 5th)
March 28th 3 sets of (500, 400, 300) with 75sec rest AND 4min between sets
goal-74, 58, 43
April 10th 900- (1:59 through 800)
600-1:26
2x400-57 with 2min rest 4min rest between sets
May 8th 4x400 58 w/ 1min rest
3x400 57
1x400 56 4min rest b/t sets
May-26th 600-1:25,
4x400-57 with 1min rest
500- 1:11
2:30 rest b/t sets

12. Sprint Progression
6x8sec Hill Sprints
8x8sec HS
10x8sec HS
4x60m flat sprints
8x10sec HS
5x80m flat sprints
10x10sec HS
2x60m, 2x80m, 2x100m
8x10sec HS + 1x25sec MAX
4x60m, 1x150m AMX
4x100m + 2x170m MAX

13. OVERALL PERIODIZATION

14. HS Training
Monday Tuesday Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun
LT-25min, split 6xHS, 2x20sec
hills
Hill Circuit 2 Long run
LT-20min,
3min rest, 6min
at 10kish
4x100m,
2x150m sprints
10miler
will-54:30
BASE: (for two kids who ended up running 8:54 and 9:15)
Circuit 2: 3x the following w/ 5min rest”
400m- 85 10x full squats
200-40 10xpush ups
200-40
10xsingle leg squats
200-40
10xsquat jumps
200-35
10xbound
100-fast

15. HS Training
• Mid-Season
-Aerobic Fartlek starting at
threshold working down to
10k pace (20min total of hard
work)
9x200m w/
200m jog
33’s down,
last one in
28.0 (going
14.9, 13.1)
Kingwood
True Team
(will tony
down
week)
(9:12-ry
21
800,400,800, w/ 45sec rest at
3200, slow lap jog
,600m at 3200, 3x150 w/ 50m
jog, 150s at threshold, 600m
at 3200 down to mi pace
5min easy,
5min steady
(mid 5’s), 5
easy, 5
steady, 5
easy, 5min
of 10sec
hard, 50sec
easy
Klein
Relays
(4:16,4:19w
ill,
9:38tony)_
28

16. HS Training-Peak
Regionals
(9:01-1st,
9:15 PR-5th
Regionals
(4:13-1st,
4:30+…tired
)
3x800m
w/4min rest
first 600m at
3200m pace,
last 200m at
mile
(2:09,2:09,2:
11)
Medium
long
600,300 at
3200 pace,
4x200m at
mile pace w/
200 jog b/t
everything
easy+strides State
State
Champ-3200
(9:00, splits
4:42, 4:18,
2:04 last half
(60 last lap)
5th-1600m-
4:17- looked
tired
Peaking- mid May

17. College XC- September 15th
• Brian Barraza- 4th at South Central Regionals-29:43- NCAA
Qualifier as a Soph
Mon- 6:45-
campus
7:00-herman
Tuesday- 7:30-
on campus
Wed-7:15- to
herman (7:30 at
herman)
Thursday-
7:45am
Fri-7:30- on
campus
Sat- 6:50- at
memorial
Sun-on own
Brian-
Alternating
600/1k-
5.5mi of
alternating
600-4:50
pace/ 5:45
pace
2:30-
STRENGTH
9mi
5mi, 8x10sec
HS, 2mi c/d
2:30-TEAM
MEETING/C
LASS
9mi
9mi
run
1.5mi w/up
and c/d
Brian-7.5mi
progression
tempo
(start- 5:38,
5:30, 5:21,
5:11, 5:03,
4:58, 4:51,
2:24)
Cross-Train

18. September 28
Mon- 7:05 to
herman (7:20 at
herman
Tuesday- 7:30-
on campus
Wed- Thursday- 7:00-
to spots park.
Fri-7:15- to
herman
Sat- long run-
memorial- 7:00
meet there (by
pool…)
Sun-on own
Brian-
800/800-
6mi of
alternating
800- 2:25/
2:45
2:30-
STRENGTH
9mi
,
9mi
Brian,
James,
Blake,
Yonas-
2mi- 10:00
3min rest
4x200m
hills
3min rest
4x1min
on/off-5k
effort
8mi
Secondary
run-5-6mi
Brian-14mi
Cross-train

19. Middle of October
Brian,
Yonas-
WITH ME
8x1k w/
2min rest-
ON GRASS
(avg- 2:50-
>2:42)
2:30-
STRENGTH
and Team
Draft
9mi
9mi
2x800
world
championsh
ips
(Brian-
2:01/1:59)
PM-5mi easy
9mi
Long run
13mi- Brian Cross-Train

20. Peaking
Mon- 7:15 to
herman
Tuesday- 7:15-
herman (7:30 at
herman)
Wed—7:40- on
campus
Thursday-
DEPART FOR
REGIONALS
Friday-
REGIONALS
Sat-RETURN
home
Sun-on own
Brian, Yonas
1mi-5:00
1200-3:40
800-2:22
400-68
2:30-
STRENGTH
8-Brian, Brian
3mi,
4x30sec
strides, 2mi
easy
2:30 Team
meeting
Jog first 5k,
strides, jog
finish loop
REGIONALS
- RUN
FAST!!
(4th-
29:43-
Killed it)
Brian-11mi Shakeout-
4-5mi or X-
train
depending
on how you
felt

21. Sara Hall
Racing Schedule- 2014
• 4/06/14- US 10-mile champs- 2nd- 52:54 (*under American Record)
• 4/22/14- US Road mile champs- 4:33.81 -3rd
• 5/04/14- Stanford 3k steeple- 9:42.10 -3rd
• 5/08/14- Twin Cities road mile-rained out…
• 5/18/14- Bay to Breakers- 12k- 40:27 -2nd
• 6/14/14- NYRR women’s 10k- 33:02- 4th American
• 7/4/14- 2nd at US 10k champs
• Appendix Burst- 8/20
• Then…
• Tufts Road 10k- 32:13
• 4th at US 12k champs (38:47)
• Won 3x72min Half marathon wins, 53:54 10mi win

22. BIG MODULATION!
The past 2 weeks- Training for Marathon
2mi w/up
8x1km w/
2min jog- goal
10k effort w/
work down
last 2-3
2mi c/d
Fasted-10mi Rhythm
changing-
2mi w/up
15x1min
on/off- 5k
effort
2mi c/d
Easy double
(shorter split
double Easy- single
run
16mi tempo
working on
carb intake
6:09 Average
at 8,400 FEET
(5:41 at sea
level
conversion)
easy-
Mileage-95
5
9mi
PM-4-5mi
easy
2mi warm up
5x1mile with
2min easy
Goal 5:20s at
8,400 feet
(5:03 at sea
level)
2mi cool down
13mi medium
long run
Two runs of 4
to 5mi- easy
recovery on
one
2mi warm up
4x400- 70
4x300- 50
4x200-30
200m jog b/t
reps, 400m
jog b/t sets
Single run-
short- almost
like an “off”
day- so 5-6mi
easy
2hr
medium/easy
run (1hr easy
then 1min
pickups every
5min)
mileage- 75

23. • What changes from HS to college to Pro?
• Volume (workouts, total mileage, etc.)
• Density (more moderate workouts included)
• More “stuff”
• Shorter build of base
• Elites have only 2-3weeks of “running only” training
• Freshman HS- might spend entire summer doing just mileage and
strides
• Longer specific period
• Competitive period
• HS- 4-6 weeks
• College- 6-8 weeks
• Pro- 8-12 weeks
What’s different between HS,
college, and Pro’s?

24. Monday Tuesday Wed. Thur Fri Sat Sunday
HS “elite”
base
20min
tempo
7mi easy 7mi +
6xHS
7mi 7mi easy 12mi long
run
off
College 20min LT +
2x3min
@10k pace
9mi easy 6mi, 8xHS,
2mi
9mi easy 8mi with
6x30sec
surge at
5k-10k
pace
14mi 5mi
Pro 8mi w/
8xHS
30min
split LT
PM-4mi
11mi 6mi/6mi
with
8x30sec
surges in
the middle
4mi,
20x200 w/
200 jog
(3k-1mi
pace), 3mi
c/d
16mi run
w/ last
15min
pickup
9mi
Comparing Training-5k Base