Steve Magness emphasizes individualized training strategies for runners to maximize their performance and adaptability throughout their athletic careers. Key principles include classifying athletes based on muscle fiber types, progressively increasing training intensity, and balancing endurance and speed work tailored to each athlete's specific needs. The document outlines structured training periods from high school through professional levels, highlighting the importance of maintaining foundational skills while transitioning to more specific workouts.

1. Steve Magness
University of Houston

2.  Get the most out of them in 4 years?
 Help them earn a scholarship?
 Set them up to run well in peak maturity
years?

3.  Why?
◦ Fosters Love of the sport
◦ Steady more consistent improvement
◦ Run the best when they’re ready to.
 Counter argument?
◦ Don’t get scholarship/run as fast in HS?
◦ Mostly bunk- going to run well regardless

4.  Training is
simply
◦ Stimulus->
Adaptation
◦ In order to
improve, must
provide enough
stimulus to
change, but still
can recover and
bounce back
Source: Science of Winning
Jan Olbrecht

5. 1. Individualize
2. Start at the extremes.
3. Progress Everything.
4. Always have somewhere to go.
5. Work towards specificity.
6. Never leave anything behind.

6. •Exercising at 75% VO2max:
•Wide range of stimulus
•WHY give everyone training for
the same event the same
workouts?!
•How to individualize?
•Classify- fast twitch or slow
twitch FOR the event
Rosenberger et al. Exercises at given
percentages of VO2max. Journal of Science and
Med. in Sport, 2009

8. Vollaard, N. B. J., et al. (2009). Systematic analysis of adaptations in aerobic capacity and submaximal
energy metabolism provides a unique insight into determinants of human aerobic performance. J
Appl Physiol, 106, 1479–1486 .

9.  How to tell?
◦ Lactate testing
 Max lactate (after 400-600m)
 18+= very FT (expect mid distance or shorter)
◦ Workout performance
 ST- better at long runs, threshold runs, long repeats, recover
quicker during rest periods
 FT- better at speed work, anaerobic work, need longer rest
periods, not as good at doubling
◦ PR comparison
◦ Power testing
 Standing broad jump
 25m one legged jumps for distance
◦ Stride mechanics
 Elastic and reactive VS. flat and “grinder”

10. Fast Twitch Runner Slow Twitch Runner
Long Run Shorter, less frequent, pace Longer, faster, can include more “stuff”
modulated
Aerobic/ More progressive, less right on the Higher volumes, more near threshold
threshold threshold, lower volume
work
More Igloi style Aerobic intervals
“Anaerobic” Need longer progressive period to reach Less needed to reach peak shape.
work max. Spices of work.
Speed work Need pure speed and some speed Mainly pure speed work.
endurance/anaerobic capacity. Needed to
countbalance endurance work!
Specific Short to Long development with Top down approach- increasing speed while
Endurance speed always specific reducing recovery
Lower volumes. Broken into sets Can handle larger volumes/density
Maintenance More speed maintenance

11. Classification Name Pace level 3,200m runner example
General Endurance 3 race distance up +/- Steady running to
Threshold running
Aerobic Support 2 race distances up +/- 10k pace +/-
Direct Aerobic Support 1 race distance up +/- 5k pace +/-
Specific Race pace +/- 3200m pace +/-
Direct Anaerobic Support 1 race distance down +/- mile pace +/-
Anaerobic Support 2 race distances down +/- 800m pace +/-
General Speed 3 race distance down +/- Speed endurance
Neuromuscular Pure speed/sprints Pure speed/sprints

12.  Creating a Neuromuscular
base 6x8sec Hill Sprints
8x8sec HS
◦ Increases muscle fiber pool 10x8sec HS
◦ Most specific strength work that 4x60m flat sprints
can be done. 8x10sec HS
 Hill Sprints -> Flat Sprints 5x80m flat sprints
◦ Why?
10x10sec HS
2x60m, 2x80m, 2x100m
 Transitions from more strength to 8x10sec HS + 1x20sec
more plyometric/power 4x60m, 1x150m
◦ Add speed endurance 8x10sec HS +2x25sec
component if needs to be
developed

13.  General Endurance
◦ Steady mileage
 Increase, then qualify (increase pace, add “stuff”)
 There’s more than just easy and hard. Some “mileage” days
should be moderate
 Add “stuff”
◦ Long Run development
 Extend- lengthen
 Qualify
 “Stuff”
 Surges (14mi w/ 8x30sec surge at the end)
 Pickups (last 1-3mi pickup to near threshold)
 Progression
 Fasted

14.  Tempo/Threshold development
◦ Long tempos- 5mi, 7mi, 10mi- steady pace
◦ Short tempos- 15min ,20, 25 split, 30 split (ex: 20min,
rest, 10min)
 Progression
1. Intro- Progression runs
1. Small Spices of work (pickups last 1-2mi)
2. Progress- increase time (15min,20,25,30,etc.)
 “Split up” as get higher- 20min, 2min rest, 10min
 For FT or people struggling with thresholds,split up!
3. Uphill threshold runs
4. With “stuff”
 Example: 20min threshold, 2x1mile at 10k pace
 Trains more FT fibers aerobically
 Serves as a transition

15.  Workouts
 Variables to manipulate
◦ Pace
◦ Length of intervals
 Increase length= enhance ability to endure
 Workout 1- 12x400 in 75 with 45sec rest
 Workout 2- 8x600 @ 75 pace w/ 60sec rest
 Workout 3-6x800 @ 2:30 w/ 90sec rest
◦ Hill
 Increases strength component, changes muscle fiber
recruitment
 Example: 4x1k with 3x20sec hills in between

16. ◦ Recovery
 Decrease/Increase Rest
 Jog vs. walk
 Steady run= more specific/work on lactate utilization
 Ex: Alternations (next slide)
 “Stuff” between
 Sprints- force muscle fiber recruitment
 Strength work- force muscle fiber recruitment/strength
component (ex: Strength circuits with running in
between)
 Aerobic work- increases lactate take up, permits higher
volume (i.e. 4x150 at tempo effort with 50m jog as the
rest between sets)

17.  Workout Example: Specific Endurance- Jackie
Areson (professional)
◦ Every 3-4 weeks
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)

18.  Example- Anaerobic/1500m pace
progression:
Intro/maintenance 12x200 w/ 200m jog at 3k down to 1500m pace
Early/maintenance 9x300 w/ 100m walk alternating 3k/1500 pace
Mid 3x(400,300,200) w/ 60sec rest) w/ 3-4min b/t sets
Mid 4x200, 3x300, 2x400, w/ 60sec rest
Peak workout 3x(500, 300 w/ 60sec rest) w/ 4min b/t sets

19.  Season to Season
◦ Mileage
 High School- Fr-40-45 So-50 Jr-55 Sr- 60-65
◦ Workouts
◦ Density of training
 Base for early HS= mileage + strides+ steady runs
+long run
 Base for College= 1xHS, 1xtempo/threshold + rhythm
work +long run
 Base for Pro- 1xHS/FS, 1xtempo/threshold + 1x
strength endurance/aerobic workout

20.  Don’t go somewhere until you need to go
somewhere.
◦ “Next Logical step”
◦ If you do 8x200m in 30sec with 200m jog, next
step isn’t 20x200m at same pace!!
◦ Example: 15:14 and 15:20 5k women runners
Sample wkout Jackie Areson Sara Hall
Aerobic 4x( 1200, 3x20sec hills) 5xmile with 90sec-
Support with 90sec jog- 5:10 pace 2min rest 5:10 pace
Specific 1k, 1mi, 1mi, 1k at 4:55 1200, 2k, 1mi, 1200 at
endurance pace w/ 2:30 rest 4:55 w/ 3:30 rest
Max Mileage 65miles 85-90miles

21. High School
College
Professional
Competition
Pre-Competition
Base

22.  HS
◦ Develop general base of all qualities
◦ Emphasis on extremes, spices of other stuff
◦ Races=specific training
◦ Actual Specific training- every 14-17 days starting 8-12 weeks out
◦ “Anaerobic work”- spices of work in last 6 weeks
◦ Only 8-12 weeks of “workouts” per season
 College
◦ Start assembling the “qualities”
◦ Specific work- every 14 days starting 12-14 weeks out
◦ Emphasis on continual Aerobic development, maintaining speed, but working
towards more support and specific work
 Pro
◦ Finishing touches
◦ Specific work- every 10-14 days, starting 16-18 weeks out
◦ Long Build up with more gradual progression
◦ Late pro career- mileage actually drops, and neuromuscular stuff has to increase

23.  Build and maintain
◦ Emphasis shifts throughout season/career, but you have
to maintain what you built
◦ Example:
 Maintenance for Aerobic system
 Long Run- weekly even during competition phase
 Long tempo- every 3-4 weeks even during season
 Tempo
 Maintenance for Specific/Anaerobic system
 During Base:
 Rhythm work (cruise 200s at 3k-5k pace)
 Strides
 “surges” (moderate fartleks- 50min run with 6x45sec surge
with 90sec easy between)

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

25.  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

26.  Presentation and further training information
and schedules can be found at:
◦ www.ScienceofRunning.com
◦ SteveMagness@gmail.com