General Theory of Running Periodisation

1. Base building – improve aerobic fitness.
2. Strength and speed building – improve LT, strength and speed.
3. Specificity and peaking – improve aerobic threshold (marathon pace).
4. Tapering.

Specific Periodisation Approaches

My Combined Approach

Based on all the reading I’ve done, this is my preferred approach to periodisation, specific to me and the marathon distance.  I use this training periodisation with nutrition periodisation.  In big chunks: build aerobic base (Aerobic HR Zone), build lactate threshold (Lactate Threshold HR Zone), build aerobic threshold (Tempo HR Zone), taper and race.

Base (12 Weeks Duration, 25-13 Weeks Out)

• Maffetone method only.  Nothing of higher intensity, with the exception of strides which are excellent and won’t compromise your metabolism.  Do a variety of distances, and vary the heart rate within the Zone 2 / Aerobic / Maffetone range.
• Gradually build volume to around 50 miles per week.  Must push volume to enable physiological adaptation – the “training effect”.  Back to back long runs on the weekend is one way to do this.
• Include barefoot runs to improve form and lower leg strength.
• Incorporate fasted runs and fast days to improve fat adaptation and metabolic efficiency.
• No need to worry about specificity, so can do hilly off-road miles as base training for a flat, fast marathon.  Best thing is to include a variety of speeds, hills, and running surface.
• Include squats after long runs (the harder days), including one legged squats, squat and holds, and side raises.  Must do these on harder run days, not on easy days (otherwise they won’t be easy days!).  To activate the vastus medialis, do a full depth squat, or sitting leg contractions.
• Include weekly foam roller / rolling pin / self massage and weekly foot scrub and moisturising.
• Include 2 x pressups, 2 x pull-ups and 2 x planks.
• Include plyometrics after medium runs / MAF test, consisting of jump rope, single legged hops, side stepping.
• Include short strides / hill bounds into workouts as desired.  short duration so as not to disrupt metabolism.
• Do daily balancing on one leg with eyes closed (while brushing teeth!).
• Variation is the key – so stress the body with a variety of distances, surfaces, speeds (within MAF HR zone).
• Really think about the goal for each session and the weekly goal.  Think about variety compared to the last session or the last week so that you are always building and progressing gradually.

Strength (6 Weeks Duration, 13-7 Weeks Out)

• Downhill intervals and higher intensity type stuff.  Start with high speed short reps, then gradually get more specific (going into the Specificity phase).  I.e. build V02max first (not much focus needed on this), then lactate threshold, then get more specific to build aerobic threshold (marathon pace) which is more specific to the effort needed for the marathon race.
• To determine duration of a session at intensity go on 10% of weekly mileage (for both LT runs and V02max sessions).
• The key in this phase is to keep varying the stress on your body to produce adaptations.  So do a variety of intervals, hill reps, tempo runs, long runs etc to get the maximum benefit.  Essentially try to avoid training monotony.
• Back-to-back long runs are great at improving adaptation to fatigue accumulation.  This same benefit can be achieved with a high weekly mileage.  Or try a long tempo on Saturday then a long easy run on Sunday for a similar benefit of running long on tired legs.
• Ease into the hill and speed work after the long period of base building to avoid injury and to avoid having to take time of training to recover from sessions.
• This is a good time to do short races for their training effect.
• Peak volume and peak intensity should be reached during this phase, but watch out for signs of overtraining (inconsistent MAF tests, change in resting HR or depressed workout HR, illness etc).
• After hard sessions ensure that you are fully recovered before doing another hard session otherwise you will not get better but will get worse.  This is why it is important to not leave your race in the training session but to hold some back so that you don’t need too much rest afterwards.
• Include squats after hard runs, including one legged squats, squat and holds, and side raises.  Must do these on harder run days, not on easy days (otherwise they won’t be easy days!).  To activate the vastus medialis, do a full depth squat, or sitting leg contractions.
• Include weekly foam roller / rolling pin / self massage and weekly foot scrub and moisturising.
• Include 2 x pressups, 2 x pull-ups and 2 x planks.
• Include plyometrics after medium runs / MAF test, consisting of jump rope, single legged hops, side stepping.
• Do daily balancing on one leg with eyes closed (while brushing teeth!).
• Really think about the goal for each session and the weekly goal.  Think about variety compared to the last session or the last week so that you are always building and progressing gradually.
• Maintain fast days, but start to dial in run nutrition with perhaps more carbohydrates.  Maintain body composition.

Rest Block (As required)

• Insert 4-5 day rest block as required.  This is short enough that you will not lose any speed, strength or endurance.  This is arguably better than going for a “hard, harder, recovery” weekly periodization, because you only take the recovery when you absolutely need it.  By “rest” I mean cut out junk miles and reduce the volume significantly of the other days.  Very similar to a taper.

Specificity (4 Weeks Duration, 7-3 Weeks Out)

• Specific running at goal pace.  In these last weeks don’t do any training too much faster than goal pace.  Instead focus on goal pace, and the specificity of the race.  The exception is strides, which are great for maintaining running economy and staying loose.  For example, the form of fatigue in a marathon is very much tempo endurance, so run at this pace or a little faster to improve it.  For a 5k, fatigue is due to acid base, so improve this by doing lactate / V02max intervals.
• Tempo and long runs back to back would work well here as that is very specific to the marathon race.  Last peak long run should be 5 weeks out.
• Reduce or eliminate barefoot runs as they are not specific to the goal.
• Volume would be slightly lower than the peak achieved in the Build phase.  Intensity about the same due to marathon-specific tempo and speedwork runs.
• Maintain squats, but reduce in volume.
• Include weekly foam roller / rolling pin / self massage and weekly foot scrub and moisturising.
• Include 1 x pressups, 1 x pull-ups and 1 x planks.
• Include plyometrics after medium runs / MAF test, consisting of jump rope, single legged hops, side stepping.
• Do daily balancing on one leg with eyes closed (while brushing teeth!).
• Really think about the goal for each session and the weekly goal.  Think about variety compared to the last session or the last week so that you are always building and progressing gradually.
• Maintain fast days to maintain body composition.

Taper (3 Weeks Duration, 0-3 Weeks Out)

• Taper for 2-3 weeks (depending on how much muscle soreness you have after key sessions).
• Do not decrease intensity, other you will detrain; keep intensity and reduce volume and you will actually get better (this is the science behind tapering).  Speed / strength detrains after ~7 days, hence the importance of keeping this in the final week.  A good workout would be 3 x 2 miles at tempo / goal pace.  Follow the same hard-easy-easy principle for the timing of sessions during the taper.
• Reduce volume significantly (see http://fellrnr.com/wiki/Practical_Tapering for an exponential taper calculator).  No benefit in doing easy runs, so eliminate, or maintain at low volume for same frequency of running as pre taper.
• Don’t do any workouts at slower than marathon pace.  Run at marathon pace, as a tempo run, but keep it short (10 miles max. two weeks out, 4 miles max. in the final week).  Cruise intervals are also good, but with low volume and full recovery.  Don’t do downhill intervals.  Don’t do much faster than goal pace either – keep it specific.
• Have the last long run at the beginning of the taper.  There is simply not enough time for any endurance benefit closer than that (it takes ~14 days for endurance to detrain).  Goal is to simply maintain fitness.
• Iron out muscles using foam rolling and self massage.
• Stop squats and plyometrics and balancing exercises.
• Foot scrub of calluses and moisturise feet
• The goal is to rest to get better, not train to get better.

Post Race

• Following the A race, you may have another race a month apart.  Firstly, recover well, using active recovery (walking, swimming etc).  Don’t do any running until the soreness has gone.  Next, the key is to maintain (not build) fitness.  This is done with intensity, not volume.  So with a 4-week gap, you could do one long run (~2 hours) then mostly tempo stuff.  There is no point in junk, easy volume at this stage.
• Aerobic endurance takes a long time to build, but a long time to lose. It is speed that is lost quickly. If there is only a period of 4 weeks between two major ultra races, then it is relatively easy to maintain endurance – it is speed that detrains quickly. Take one week to properly recover, then ease back into normal running before starting a taper again.

Joe Friel – The Fast Marathoner

Joe Friel outlines the following 12 week approach in his method (The Fast Marathoner – Joe Friel), on the basis that a solid aerobic base has already been developed:

• 4 weeks of long runs, tempo runs and start building cruise intervals.
• 4 weeks of long runs, with every other long run with a tempo finish.  Increase number of cruise intervals, start building downhill intervals.
• 2 weeks including long runs with tempo finishes, start to reduce volume, peak at cruise intervals and downhill intervals.
• 1 week include a standard tempo run, then half the volume of cruise intervals and downhill intervals.
• 1 week, the last week, include a tempo run at marathon pace, but only of 20 mins and early in the week, everything else should be nice and easy.

Arthur Lydiard

For a good read on Lydiard’s training methods, see here and here; here and here. Also this pdf and this pdf. Essentially, he recommends the following:

• an extensive (as long as possible) base period, with only aerobic running (so very similar to Maffetone).
• then for about 12 weeks, gradually introduces strides / hill bounding, then time trials (so tempo / lactate runs), then power intervals, then more specific time trials.

Phil Maffetone

The Maffetone method is well-described here and here.

• Train at the aerobic HR of 180 – age.
• Do this for as long as possible, pushing volume, until the MAF test shows a plateau.
• 4 weeks of anaerobic is usually sufficient to peak for an important race. If including anaerobic training for a longer period, then carefully monitor the MAF tests to check that performance does not get worse, which would indicate over-training.
• Due to cardiac drift, heart rate is only really useful for the first hour or so, after which it is important to maintain pace / perceived effort, as heart rate will no longer be a good indication of effort (mainly due to dehydration which means heart has to pump faster).

Workout Types

Long Run

Long runs – 2.5 to 3 hours is the maximum that you need to build to for your long runs for a marathon.  Should be Zone 2 / Maffetone HR, although see below for combining with a tempo run.  As fitness improves during base training, cardiac drift should become less pronounced, and is a good alternative measure of fitness.  Endurance takes ~14 days to detrain, so really long runs (2+ hours) only really need to be done every other week.  Less chance of injury this way too.  Use some long runs to practice nutrition, although some can be done in a fasted state for the first hour to improve metabolic efficiency.

MAF Test

Maximum Aerobic Function test.  Easy 1 mile warmup.  Then 3 miles are Maffetone heart rate.  1 mile cool down.  Record the average pace for the 3 miles at Maffetone HR.  As the base training progresses, cardiac drift during a MAF test should become less pronounced (as you adapt to the accumulation of fatigue whilst running).  Ideal you should stick with Maffetone until a plateau is reached, but if cardiac drift is <5% this is also a good indication of a plateau.  One of the first signs of overtraining is loss of consistency in recent MAF tests. Marathon pace is approximately 15 seconds per mile faster than MAF pace.  Also include longer (5 mile) MAF tests to better monitor cardiac drift for longer events.

Tempo Run

Standard Tempo Run

30-45 mins at around about goal marathon pace (shorter tempo runs should be faster, longer ones should be marathon pace). Can also be incorporated into the long run, by doing say 60 mins at Zone 2 HR, then 30-60 mins at tempo.  This is a great specific workout for the marathon.  Build up to a long tempo run of 12 to 15 miles.  There is also good benefit for doing a tempo effort over a hilly course.  Use long tempo runs to practice race nutrition and equipment (clothes, shoes, calf sleeves etc).  Don’t push tempo runs too close to LT or you may actually lose benefit – for example 10k pace is too hard for a tempo run.

Progression Run

Another variation is a progression run, where you go up through the HR zones until you are at lactate threshold, finishing the workout with a near maximum effort sprint.  This can even be preceded by some 100 metre sprint intervals with full recovery to develope power, prior to the accumulation of any fatigue.  This is a brilliant workout as it works all the energy systems.  This can also be done on a hilly course in a less planned manner – so start in Zone 2, at a long hill go Zone 3 (tempo), at a short hill go hard at maximum effort (power), for a medium hill hit Zone 4 (lactate threshold), recover on the downs.

Cruise / Tempo Intervals

Another variation on the tempo run is to run it as intervals, at a slightly faster pace.  For example, 4 x 1 mile at 20 to 30 seconds / mile faster than marathon pace.  Then you could build  the volume of the interval and reduce the speed to more specific marathon pace, building to say 4 x 4 miles at marathon pace. Mile repeats at a bit faster than marathon pace.  Joe Friel recommends 6:35 pace (no faster) for a sub 3-hour marathon, building to 10 repetitions.  For race pace intervals, the stress comes from keeping the rest duration short (<2 mins) as the pace is not excessively high.

Hilly Run

Great for building strength and endurance, particularly early in the periodization.

Interval Training

The general options for interval training are:

• Power / Strength – 20 to 60 seconds at near maximum effort with full recovery (so that fatigue doesn’t limit development of power / strength).  Because of the high strain on the muscles for these intervals, you must have a good base and ease speed training with other workouts first.  Do as many reps as you can until form and / or pace drops off, which shows that you can no longer develop the full power, which is the point of the session.  Full recovery can probably be determined by HR dropping below a certain value, so try to determine this HR.  Basically it is when you feel like going again though.
• V02 Max – 1.5 to 5 minutes at V02 Max effort (about 3k to 5k pace), with nearly full recovery (this is important – without full recovery you won’t be able to hit VO2 Max effort and hence won’t get the appropriate benefit).  Improve ability to buffer lactic acid.  Of most importance for racing 5k and 10k races.  Less use for the marathon, as lactate threshold will be raised by running at threshold which is much more specific (i.e. don’t do too much of this for marathon running, and do it further out from your race).  Not too many reps (4 would be fine).
• Lactate Threshold - 5 to 10 minutes with similar length recovery.  The less recovery, the more like a tempo run this would be because the pace would have to be slower.  See also Cruise / Tempo Intervals.  More reps as the stress comes from the slightly faster speed and the incomplete recovery and the more reps.

Ensure that you warm up and cool down prior to interval sessions.  Don’t push yourself too hard in interval sessions – it is important to leave something in reserve, that way you won’t be too sore for the rest of the weekly training.  Don’t leave your race in the training session.

Yasso 800′s

10 x 800m (0.5 mile) at 5k pace with 3 minute recovery.  Pace for this session is a good indicate of marathon performance.

Downhill Intervals

Eccentric contraction of the muscles causes your muscles to adapt to the soreness of marathon running. Also good for turnover and economy due to the fast pace.  Don’t go flat out, and try to do these on soft surfaces initially, although building to doing them on tarmac is a good idea for the specificity of running a marathon.  12 x 1 minute.  The benefit of downhill intervals lasts 4 to 6 weeks.  Don’t worry about pace or HR for downhill intervals as the training stress comes from the eccentric contraction not the pace.

Uphill Intervals

To build power, do 30 to 60 seconds of uphill running at nearly maximum effort, with full recovery.

Mile Repeats

4-6 x 1 mile at 10k to half marathon pace with 1.5 minute recovery.

Kilometre Repeats

5 x 1km at 5k to 10k pace with 2 minute recovery.

Strides

These are good to increase range of motion, without compromising your metabolism as they are very short in duration.

Fartlek

On a run, add bursts of speed of various intensities and lengths.  For example, to a run, add periods of marathon pace.  Or, on a hilly course, go hard uphill or downhill and recover on the flat.

Training Paces and Heart Rates

I prefer to train with heart rate, mainly because Devon is so hilly that pace becomes relatively meaningless quite quickly.  The following table is a summary of my specific HR zones, from a number of different sources:

In summary, and simplified, these are my key heart rate training zones:

• Aerobic (Zone 2): <150 bpm (Maffetone, corresponds to ~20 bpm less than LT, or 180 minus age).  This is also known as aerobic threshold.
• Tempo (Zone 3): 160 bpm (this corresponds to LT minus 10 bpm or Maffetone plus 10 bpm).  By still being below LT, metabolism is not compromised.  This is marathon pace.  For longer runs, lower end of the range, shorter runs at the upper end.
• Lactate Threshold (Zone 4): 170 bpm (although this is a moving target, but general is HR in last 10 mins of a 5k or 10k race).  This is also also known as anaerobic threshold.  It is generally the effort you can sustain for 1 hour.
• VO2 Max: 180 bpm (corresponds to LT plus 10 bpm).  Maffetone puts VO2 Max at 180 bpm, to derive his formula.
• Power / Strength: short (<60 secs) efforts at near maximum speed / effort.  HR is meaningless for this short duration and high intensity.

The McMillan Running website has an excellent training pace calculator.  The fellrnr site has an excellent Jack Daniels VDOT calculator for training paces (shown below for VDOT=55).  And similarly is an excellent little Excel spreadsheet for training zones.

Ultra Running Specifics

When training for ultras, back-to-back long weekend runs are a good idea, but only do then every 4 weeks or so.  25 to 30 miles is a good long run distance for up a 50 race. For a 100 miler, there really need to be long runs of up to 40 miles! Also for a 100 miler, try to run through the night for some training runs, and use shorter ultras as long run training. For ultras, try running with a backpack to get additional specific conditioning.

The reason for back to back runs is to adapt to the accumulation of fatigue.  The same adaptation can occur without back to back runs if you instead go for a higher weekly mileage base, this way you would go into your one long run wit more fatigue from the high volume week.  Another alternative is to do one long run without high weekly mileage by the long run a monster of 30+ miles.

Back to back long run options:

1. Higher intensity long run on saturday; longer, slow run on sunday – less risky than the other way round and more specificity for ultrarunning.
2. Long, slow run on sat; faster less long run on sunday – more risky, but also more specific to marathon running where you have to maintain pace when fatigued.

Or;

1. If doing two slow runs, then can go longer on saturday and shorter on sunday – again less risky
2. Mentally it is good to do the longest run when you’re most fatigued – perhaps do this only a few times rather than every week.