I will get to a discussion of the sexier stuff in due course, but please just be aware that it will be described with the assumption of being implemented by a well-trained (aerobically) runner, and attempting the training without a VERY STRONG aerobic foundation will not be particularly productive.
@bryano
When I've used the term "mastered" in this thread so far, it's been in the context of mastering a given aerobic effort level. Simply put, it means being able to run at a given elevated HR range (say 87-90% as the top end aerobic target range) for 60-75 minutes without having to slow down to keep HR under control, and finishing the session "knowing" you could carry on and do some more.
(As an aside, nearly every had work session in Hadd's training should be finished knowing you "could" do some more, although you might perhaps not "prefer" to do some more, so even in the very hard stuff, there's no knee-bent puking by the side of the track, although as I've said, some sessions get to be very, very hard)
When I can find a bit of time, I'm going to give an illustrative example to show what I mean by "mastering" a given level, and to better illustrate how this Phase I aerobic training unfolds.
I would point out, though, as a matter of (I think considerable) interest, that there is a very simple and unequivocal test to see if you can benefit from this phase I training, assuming you know your HRmax. Head down to the track, HRM strapped to the chest, and start running continuous laps at a strong, but conversational aerobic effort. Let your HR creep up over the course of a mile or two into the 87-90% HRmax range. Run laps for 75 minutes, keeping HR pegged under 90%. If your pace starts to fade, or if you just can't even finish the session, this reveals that there is work you can do to improve your aerobic fitness.
The more you fade in this test session (which is, BTW, pretty good at identifying FT types, who will tend to suffer more horribly than their ST counterparts), the more you can benefit from a solid round of Phase I training.
Sound like a hard test? It is!
But I'll guarantee it is an accurate indicator of whether you could benefit personally from a cycle of this training.-------------
BTW - I'm not particularly endorsing the idea of someone trying this test straight out of the box... it would be extremely difficult for a relatively untrained or younger runner to finish this session, and very hard for a well trained runner who in't in the later stages of marathon training. But starting the session and seeing how far you can get before the pace starts to dive off will tell you all you need to know. If the pace starts to fade before and hour, and it will for 99% of runners I expect, this training can benefit you, and the earlier it starts to fade, the more you can benefit
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Likely won't get at the illustrative example today, work deadlines and all.
For info, while I've tried to present a fairly comprehensive overview of Phase I training (primarily including the original description by John himself), when I delve into later phases of race-specific training, the discussion will be more general, using examples to illustrate concepts, but not attempting to provide any kind of "unified approach," or cook book formula.
His approach to training is responsive to the individual, taking account of many factors including "type," background and current fitness, current and long term goals, current "life" situations, response to last week's training, etc. So while there is always a general direction the training is headed, it is designed/assigned a week at a time. This makes it really impossible to boil down into a prescriptive, menu-driven system.
Couldn't find time today to give a detailed illustration of Phase I training unfolding, but I have a few minutes to make a few more general comments.
There are five aerobic effort zones you will use during the Phase I (aerobic base) training, let's label them as follows:
E (easy) - 70-75 % HRmax (or less)
D - 80-83 %
C - 82-85 %
B - 85-88 %
A - 87-90 %
What happens over the course of the training is that you wind up improving the pace you can run at each of these levels, and increase the dration you can sustain the effort/pace. Consequently, you end up pushing the paces associated with each effort level closer together.
At the beginning, these efforts might correspond to the following paces (as a conceptual example):
EASY - 7:45/mile
D - 7:20
C - 7:00
B - 6:40
A - 6:20
However, the runner would not be able to sustain these paces at those HRs for the full ~ 75 minutes.
At the end of Phase I, this same runner could be looking at the following range of paces:
EASY - 7:15/mile
D - 6:40
C - 6:30
B - 6:20
A - 6:10
There would be an increase in pace at all efforts, and the range in pace over that span of HR ranges would narrow from 60s to 30s. Further, the athlete would be able to sustain these paces for the full 60-75 minutes within those HR ranges.
So might be thinking, OK, so what? Who cares if we can improve strong aerobic running at ~ 90% HRmax to 6:10/mile, that won't win any races.
True enough, this doesn't do anything in paticular for the immediate ability to run a fast 5k or 10k. But it provides the aerobic foundation to start, survive and thrive on really strong training for those distances (well, for 800-M).
When you've completed this Phase I training, that "A" level effort will correspond fairly closely with expected M-race pace.
And, if you were to race a 5k off thi training, you would finish it without your regular ability to kick, wondering what happened to your speed. But in spite of being unable to run faster in the 5k, you will finish feeling like you could continue around again at the same effort. Meaning your 10k pace is now not so far off your 5k pace. So you've squeezed ALL of your paces together.
Now to get to racing a good 5k (or 1500, or HM) after a solid round of Phase I training, takes a whole 'nother chunk of training. Which we'll get to, AFTER I find the time to give a live working example of Phase I training
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