Should you vary the type of speed session week on week ?

Seres

hello just a question re speed session
Is is better to stick with the same speed sessions for a good number of weeks eg 1k intervals every week fors comparation purposes or should you change the type of sessions regularly eg 1k reps two weeks , hills other weeks , tempo runs ?

Traning for 10k at moment

cfitz

Switching them around each week might work well but I'd have more experience of working on session for a while (3-6 weeks) and then moving to a different type of session. When doing one type of session over a period of a few weeks, it can be a good idea to change one variable as the weeks go by - for example you could reduce the recovery by 10 seconds every week or something like that.

Don't know if that's any better than switching it each week, but I find it works well for me.

911sc

Seres wrote: »

change the type of sessions regularly eg 1k reps two weeks , hills other weeks , tempo runs

I would think so, but change on a more regular basis e.g. 1k reps on Monday, hills on Wed, tempo on Friday.
Then on a weekly basis, change the effort e.g. 1k reps with 90sec recovery, then 60sec.
But rather than thinking in terms of distance, may be consider cardio rate e.g. reps of 3min in Zone 5, then 90sec Zone 3. Overtime increase time in Zone 5, reduce recovery time and increase the number of reps.

Seres

911sc wrote: »

I would think so, but change on a more regular basis e.g. 1k reps on Monday, hills on Wed, tempo on Friday.
Then on a weekly basis, change the effort e.g. 1k reps with 90sec recovery, then 60sec..

Is that alot of speed close together in one week ?

911sc wrote: »

But rather than thinking in terms of distance, may be consider cardio rate e.g. reps of 3min in Zone 5, then 90sec Zone 3. Overtime increase time in Zone 5, reduce recovery time and increase the number of reps.

dont tend to measure my heart rate ever ! maybe this is a bad idea , not really familiar with the zones how do they work ?

ss43

One way of structuring your training is use different paces to dictate your sessions. Some faster, some slower, some at race pace.

For example with 10k:
Your faster than race pace session could be 4x1k at 5k pace with 3 mins recovery which can be developed by adding reps, reducing recovery or increasing speed. I prefer the idea of working at the 5k pace you want to end the season at and adding reps and reducing recoveries as you go along.

A race pace session could be 4x2k off 2mins recovery and build it up to 6x2k with 1min recovery.

A slower than race pace would be a tempo run or reps so that could be 20-30mins hard or can be broken up into reps to allow you do more time at the same pace e.g. 3x15mins

To work on pure speed you could do hill sprints - 6x80m uphill with almost full recovery.

If you work each of those aspects into a cycle along with easy or steady runs you should have most things covered. How long the cycle needs to be depends on how many days you need to recvoer after a tough session. It could take ten days/2weeks, whatever works for you. Some people can go hard/easy/hard/easy while others need two easy days between each hard one.

Peckham

I alternate between tempo running and intervals each week. This week was interval, next week will be tempo.

I feel both are crucial to my training (tempo improves lactate threshold and the ability to hold speed for a longer period fo time, whereas interval improves V02 max). It's too much to do both every week, so hence why I alternate.

Stupid_Private

To avoid boredom it's a good idea to mix it up a bit. Here's a copy of the Tuesday session that my old club have been doing over recent weeks. They're training for the London marathon. I used to love this session last year. We did it on a totally flat riverside path

(Recovery in brackets - they really don't do recovery in the UK. 20 seconds recovery after 2 mins at Lactate Threshold! 10 mile pace. You've barely stopped before you start again. )

03 Feb 09 -5x[800+800] (90) @LT then 10k or 5k

10 Feb 09 -2x6min (60), 2x5min(50), 2x4min(40), 2x3min(30), 2x2min(20) @LT

17 Feb 09 - 3x2m (80) or 3x1.5m (70) @LT

24 Feb 09 - 8x1k(45)@LT

03 Mar 09 - 5x[800+800] (90) @LT then 10k or 5k

10 Mar 09 - 10-12x600 (2 min jog) @5k

17 Mar 09 - 6x1200 (2 min jog) @5K

24 Mar 09 - 6-8x1k (2 min jog) @5k

31 Mar 09 - 5x[800+800] (2 mins) 10k then 5k pace

07 Apr 09 - 10-12x600m (2min jog) @5k

14 Apr 09 - 6-8x1K (2 min) @5k then 3k

21 Apr 09 - 4-6x800m (2:30 jog) @3k

shels4ever

Peckham wrote: »

I alternate between tempo running and intervals each week. This week was interval, next week will be tempo.

I feel both are crucial to my training (tempo improves lactate threshold and the ability to hold speed for a longer period fo time, whereas interval improves V02 max). It's too much to do both every week, so hence why I alternate.

Have to say I find tempo runs great and love them, but love doing sessions of 400's too but havent done them in years. Will start again in June/july

ss43

Peckham wrote: »

I alternate between tempo running and intervals each week. This week was interval, next week will be tempo.

I feel both are crucial to my training (tempo improves lactate threshold and the ability to hold speed for a longer period fo time, whereas interval improves V02 max). It's too much to do both every week, so hence why I alternate.

Why is it too much to do every week? That seems strange to me. Why would you need seven days between each? You could even do both in the same session if you worked up to it - 20 mins tempo followed by 4x1k.

Peckham

Maybe that should read "too much for me".

I find that speed sessions take a lot out of me - doing two sessions a week, or one very intense session would jepordise my long run (which I rank as a more important session from my training).

shels4ever

Peckham wrote: »

Maybe that should read "too much for me".

I find that speed sessions take a lot out of me - doing two sessions a week, or one very intense session would jepordise my long run (which I rank as a more important session from my training).

+1
Yep in regards to marathon training i'd agree, I was planning on 2 speed session a week but followd the advise of peckham and a few others and left it at 1. This was more then enough and I wouldn't have been able for me.

In regards to 10k plans I think 2 sessions a week is very much possible as your long run won't be as long 71-90 mins i'd guess.

ss43

Peckham wrote: »

Maybe that should read "too much for me".

I find that speed sessions take a lot out of me - doing two sessions a week, or one very intense session would jepordise my long run (which I rank as a more important session from my training).

That's fair enough for marathon training as a long run is essential. The long run for 10k isn't as demanding and could be done the day after a session without too much difficulty.

Peckham

ss43 wrote: »

The long run for 10k isn't as demanding and could be done the day after a session without too much difficulty.

Note to self - become a 10k runner!

Stupid_Private

Off topic to the main post but relates to the last few. There's no reason why someone training for a marathon isn't doing two workouts a week and a long run. The three of them are key - with the long run only becoming that extra bit more important in the last 8 weeks or so. You're not going to be doing 18-20 mile runs 6 or 7 months before a marathon. If you are, you'll be burnt out closer to marathon time. Obviously this doesn't take into account people that are capable of running 2:20-2:30 marathons. For us mere mortals 20 mile runs are not something that can be done year round.

Only in the run up to the marathon does the training differ from 10k training. The long run for most of the year shouldn't take that much out of you that you feel like you wouldn't be able to do a hard session two days beforehand and another two days afterwards. If you can't do the long run with a days break after a tough session then you either need to cut the distance of your long run back, cut the speed back or take a few days break because you're overtrained.

mrak

Hi sp - those look like interesting sessions - they look quite complicated though! Stupid question what does "5x[800+800] (90)" mean.?

Stupid_Private

mrak wrote: »

Hi sp - those look like interesting sessions - they look quite complicated though! Stupid question what does "5x[800+800] (90)" mean.?

For the most part they're tough more than complicated. That's the only confusing one I think. All the times in brackets are the recoveries.
5x[800+800] (90) @LT then 10k or 5k

I'm fairly sure that means the sesssion was 10 x 800 alternating between 10 mile pace and 10k/5k pace. 90 second break after each one.
One set being 800m @ 10 mile pace, 90 seconds rest, 800m @ 5k pace, 90 seconds rest. Repeat x 5

ss43

Stupid_Private wrote: »

For the most part they're tough more than complicated. That's the only confusing one I think. All the times in brackets are the recoveries.
5x[800+800] (90) @LT then 10k or 5k

I'm fairly sure that means the sesssion was 10 x 800 alternating between 10 mile pace and 10k/5k pace. 90 second break after each one.
One set being 800m @ 10 mile pace, 90 seconds rest, 800m @ 5k pace, 90 seconds rest. Repeat x 5

I would have thought it meant you do 800 at LT and then pick up to 5/10k pace for 800 without stopping with the 90 sec after. You wouldn't really need 90 seconds after 800 at LT.

Obviously, if they're your old club you'd have a better idea what they mean but seeing as you weren't sure I thought I'd put up that suggestion.

Stupid_Private

ss43 wrote: »

I would have thought it meant you do 800 at LT and then pick up to 5/10k pace for 800 without stopping with the 90 sec after. You wouldn't really need 90 seconds after 800 at LT.

Obviously, if they're your old club you'd have a better idea what they mean but seeing as you weren't sure I thought I'd put up that suggestion.

In fairness I thought the same as you initially. Had a quick look at last years training log though and there was one session I have written down that was 6 x 1k alternating between 10mile and 5k pace with 90 seconds between each. From that I decided that's probably the same session this year except shorter with more reps.