John "Hadd" Walsh Training Part 5

Continued below...

I realize this claim may come across as a bit bold to some people:

peteq2

A very fit Walsh-trained runner can be very close to race fitness across a wide range of distances (say 1500 to HM) basically all year, needing only a short period of focussed preparation to get race ready.

I make the claim without proof, offering only that this has been my own personal experience, and I've witnessed it in a large number of other runners.

I will offer what I think is the explanation for this phenomenon: it's a simple result of the disproportionate (in comparison with many other training systems) emphasis on very deliberate, careful and complete aerobic preparation through the Phase I training I've been trying to describe, and maintenance of aerobic fitness through continued emphasis on strong aerobic training in all subsequent phases of race-specific training
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Hey John, I'll come back to this when I can find the time to do the last couple of pieces justice.

On the question of HR for the marathon, a well-trained runner should average something like 88-90% of HRmax. HR might take a couple-few miles (possibly the whole first half) to creep up into that range at M-pace, then hang steady for most of the race. A "less-well" prepared runner will average something lower, possibly more like 85% of HRmax.

For interest, when a runner "hits the wall" (AKA the legs run out of glycogen), HR starts to nosedive.

Wetcoast

(1) A test run was never in the cards during the aerobic phase - no anaerobic work whatsoever, but an AT paced run or somewhere sub-AT if it is say well over 60 minutes for faster runners or well over 80 or 90 for mortals. The run now would likely to be referred to as "tempo run". It would be over a familiar route, where the same effort was put out and the time recorded when finished was analyzed. As long as progress was happening at the SAME EFFORT LEVEL as before the phase would continue, once a plateau happens - move on....

Anything like that in the Walsh aerobic phase 1?

(2) I notice...that Walsh used percentage of maximum HR to establish effort levels. This makes sense if you are going to be guided by the monitor. They resemble the....OK I will say the name...Lydiard 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and 7/8ths efforts to pace - which appear vague however, if one is in-tune with their body and they know their fitness level, they can or their coach can figure out within a reasonable range what their pace would be.

(3) I am pretty sure I did not see you mention (I am sure you are not done yet) alactic strides during the aerobic phase, running them under 10 seconds. Lydiard had his athletes typically do them once per week, but saying that, every situation and every athlete was treated as unique. Greg McMillan of McMillanElite has his athletes as a group (I think) do them several times per week.

Any neuro-muscular speed/stimulation used in phase 1?

Thanks,

Wetcoast

@Wetcoast

Hey Chris, a few quick answers.

(1) First off, in the Phase I aerobic base training, there is no "tempo" running in the normally accepted sense, where "tempo" typically has the connotation of involving a pace in the vicinity of HM pace. I like to call the aerobic work efforts, which are guided by HR not pace, "easy tempo" work. Because of their eventual duration, they become a significant work load, but at an effort that is easier than traditional "tempo."

Of interest, the range of paces most runners will see in the four aerobic work efforts, once fit, will fall squarely in the "junk mileage" effort range, in Daniels-speak, faster than his E pace, but (mostly) slower than M pace (except at the highest level.

As for "out and back" test runs, I've generally run many of the long aerobic work sessions as out and back runs just to make it easier to see whether the pace is falling off for the same effort.

(2) I suppose one might try to equate what I've called levels D, C, B and A with something like Lydiard's 1/4 to 7/8ths, at least conceptually.

(3) No, he doesn't generally include strides in phase 1 training, at least not as a rule, but I will qualify that.

First, a lot of people worry about "losing touch with speed" during heavy base training and include some fast short work to compensate. That's a real outcome, but if you're confident in your training it's a needless worry. Any "speed" you will preserve by paying attention to in base will come back fairly quickly once you change gears to faster training, so it's not really necessary to include strides or the like. The phenomenon of the legs losing a bit of snap, and development of a more "shuffling" stride in base is not a permanent change, like the loss of speed that comes naturally with age.

All that said, depending on the athlete, he can and does include a sprinkling of very light faster running in base training, including the following possibilities:

* sessions of 2 x 12 x 200/200 (maybe once or twice during phase 1, maybe not at all) - the fast 200s are run at about 5k pace, not faster, the slower "float" 200s at 15-20s slower than the fast bits. If the float 200s need to be slower to recover between fast bits, the fast bits need to be slowed down. This session stays entirely aerobic if done within the limits described.

* short hill sprints (maybe once or twice during phase 1, more likely not at all) - 1-2 x 8-10 x 8-10s "all out" short sprint up a very steep grade, with long walk (2 mins+) walk back down rest. These are a relatively low stress was to improve neuromuscular coordination and put some real snap in the legs. This can be stressful first time attempted, so only 1 x 8 first time, and 8-10 min jog rest between sets first time 2 sets are tried.

* 10 x 100/100 during warmups for selected work sessions (only for fit, experienced athletes, before SOME sessions - this is similar to your "alactic strides) - these are done at a strong, relaxed pace, running within oneself, with 40-45s float 100 used to control the pace. If this needs to be longer, the fast 100s are too fast. First time these are included the pace might be around mile pace, eventually these become something like 800 pace. If done correctly, this only serves to get the legs fired up for the subsequent work session, and doesn't constitute a work load on its own

I'd rather not emphasize these components because they're not mandatory during phase 1, they need to be done with care (and sprinkled lightly in the training) and generally don't need to be done first time through this training, which is plenty challenging enough on its own without added complication.