Alright, if anyone on here is a competitive runner like myself, you know there are several different types of training for running. You have paavo, Lyriard based, many other styles, and mixes between each.

Generally during the summer and winter, you want to build your mileage base for the next season.

I've written a schedule for myself for the winter break, and one for females as well.
Each day the runner should lift weights and keep their upper body in shape, toned, not building a lot of muscle.
Boys
Saturday - Dec. 23 - Long run 8-10 miles or 70 minutes group run
Sunday - Dec. 24 - 6 miles or 50 minutes on your own
Monday - Dec. 25 - Christmas OFF, or run your own recovery run
Tuesday - Dec. 26 - 8 miles or 55 minutes on your own
Wednesday - Dec. 27 - 8 mile or 55 minute fartlek, 3 minutes fast pace, two minutes recovery pace group run
Thursday - Dec. 28 - eight miles or 55 minutes group run
Friday - Dec. 29 - 8 miles, 2 mile warm up, 4 mile tempo (steady state, keep the same pace for four miles), two mile warm down on your own
Repeat workout for next week, new years off/recovery run

Girls
Saturday - Dec. 23 - Long run 6-8 miles or 55 minutes group run
Sunday - Dec. 24 - 5 miles or 40 minutes on your own
Monday - Dec. 25 - Christmas OFF, or run your own recovery run
Tuesday - Dec. 26 - 7 miles or 50 minutes on your own
Wednesday - Dec. 27 - 7 mile or 50 minute fartlek, 3 minutes fast pace, two minutes recovery pace group run
Thursday - Dec. 28 - 7 miles or 50 minutes group run
Friday - Dec. 29 - 7 miles, 2 mile warm up, 3 mile tempo (steady state, keep the same pace for four miles), two mile warm down on your own
Repeat workout for next week, new years off/recovery run

This should build a runner's base up, and make longer runs less challenging. After break, start doing some intervals and do slowly put faster track workouts into the schedule. This should build a runner for track and help them become efficient from the 800-3200 meter runs.

 

 

 

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Why don't you try adding running in the mountains if you want to work for peak endurance. Running at high altitudes can be extremely difficult at first, but once your body gets used to it (by producing more red-blood corpuscles) your endurance at sea level is more than exceptional. This is because your blood is capable of holding and carrying far more oxygen than that of a 'normal' human, thus giving you a considerably higher endurance and 'breath'.


I don't run long distance any more - it tends to turn the body into a 'running machine'; giving you a physique suitable for long distance running instead of all-round capability, and all-round capability is what I usually advise people to train for. However, I was a marathon runner a few years back, and have two or three medals, including a gold - anyway, running in the mountains used to be my method of training before an important event. I would train in the mountains for around three months, and then have little difficulty doing well in the event.


I'd say that competitive, professional long range running is one of the most 'testing' of sports - it forces you to push your mind, body and spirit to the utmost, and beyond, and the reason I walked away from it is it occurred to me that pushing oneself so much beyond the limit might not necessarily be a good thing.

 

 

 

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Yeah, high altitude training is definitely something one would want to do, but not everyone has control of where they can train.
I've heard of high altitude simulation tents, where it lowers the oxygen levels, and while sleeping, your body adapts itself to a higher level of altitude.

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That High Altitude stuff is best left for after you have a firm base of conditioning which the schedule rejected presents is intended to provide.

In my opinion, there are too many miles in that schedule for a beginner, but it would work for someone who has been training through the Fall chedule. I thought the trend was for less days per week and nice slow long runs. I would alternate the distances more, as well, 4-6 miles one night, 7-10 the next, but somewhat slower.

Anyway, to each their own. Don't forget to stretch, warm-up and have fun.

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Yup, Rejected's program has too many miles for a beginner, but Rejected doesn't intend it for a beginner, more for competitive athletes, for which it's pretty good, I think. Alternating the distance is good, keeps your body on it's toes, hehe.

As for the high altitude (or low atmospheric density) training, it's good for almost any kind of training, not just for running. Unfortunately, as Rejected says, not everyone can choose where to train - I have a reasonably high hill almost at my back-door, that's really convenient. I teach kids the martial arts, we climb the hill, train at the top, and then descend, it makes for a good workout.

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That's about how much mileage I was doing during this year's xc season. Well I plan to kick it up and do about 30 a week now, 40-50 a week over the summer and be doing about 55 throughout the season next year.

I'm not that competitive, but I think I could be before next season.

Thanks for the plan.

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god i can only run about 3 miles

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Thats very similiar to what my cross country does off season. Don't bother with weights, you should do push ups and situps. We do 3 sets of 40 pushups and 60 situps. Going pushup-situp-pushup-etc. and after the run we do a set of 8 100m strides which is at a sprint pace for most of going. We also will switch every day between doing an abdominal routine and a set of exercises called GS. Our training is based of the North Carolina State University cross country team. We are Enloe Cross Country.

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