Threshold Running

Iowa Track and Field Coaches Clinic
December 11th 2009

Cross Country/Distance Running:
How to structure and implement a
program for High School Athletes

coachjayjohnson.com
coachjayjohnson @ gmail.com
Friday, December 11, 2009


coachjayjohnson.com

1. Focus on two quotes from two iconic coaches

coachjayjohnson.com

“There are champions everywhere.”
- Arthur Lydiard

coachjayjohnson.com

- Arthur Lydiard
“You can train anywhere. Use what you have.”
- Dr. Joe Vigil
coachjayjohnson.com

“There are champions “You can train anywhere.
everywhere.” Use what you have.”
- Arthur Lydiard - Dr. Joe Vigil

coachjayjohnson.com

“There are champions “You can train anywhere.
everywhere.” Use what you have.”
- Arthur Lydiard - Dr. Joe Vigil

2. Spend $50 and invite four good coaches to a BBQ
coachjayjohnson.com

coachjayjohnson.com

So how can a runner best
develop their aerobic
metabolism?

coachjayjohnson.com

So how can a runner best
develop their aerobic
metabolism?
What workouts best develop
the aerobic metabolism?
coachjayjohnson.com


coachjayjohnson.com

✴ Repeat 400’s

coachjayjohnson.com

✴ Repeat 400’s
✴ Repeat Miles

coachjayjohnson.com

✴ Repeat 400’s
✴ Repeat Miles
✴ Long runs

coachjayjohnson.com

✴ Repeat 400’s
✴ Repeat Miles
✴ Long runs
✴ Tempo runs

coachjayjohnson.com

✴ Repeat 400’s
✴ Repeat Miles
✴ Long runs
✴ Tempo runs
✴ Fartlek runs

coachjayjohnson.com

✴ Repeat 400’s
✴ Repeat Miles
✴ Long runs
✴ Tempo runs
✴ Fartlek runs
✴ Repeat 1,000m
coachjayjohnson.com

✴ Repeat 400’s A good coach could take any of
✴ Repeat Miles these workouts and develop
the aerobic metabolism...
✴ Long runs
✴ Tempo runs
✴ Fartlek runs
✴ Repeat 1,000m
coachjayjohnson.com

✴ Repeat 400’s A good coach could take any of
✴ Repeat Miles these workouts and develop
the aerobic metabolism...
✴ Long runs
but it’s a lot easier to use
✴ Tempo runs these workouts to develop the
✴ Fartlek runs aerobic metabolism.
✴ Repeat 1,000m
coachjayjohnson.com

✴ Long runs A good coach could take any of
✴ Tempo runs these workouts and develop
✴ Fartlek runs the aerobic metabolism...
these workouts to develop the
aerobic metabolism.
coachjayjohnson.com

Which of these these workouts to develop the
is the hardest to aerobic metabolism.
teach?
coachjayjohnson.com

teach?
Why? coachjayjohnson.com

teach? Tempo runs.
Why? coachjayjohnson.com

teach? Tempo runs.
Why? Because it’s about feel. coachjayjohnson.com

“There are champions
everywhere.”
- Arthur Lydiard

photo by Todd Straka of BoulderRunning.com coachjayjohnson.com

“There are champions “Everyone knows the ingredients
everywhere.” but few know the recipe.”
- Arthur Lydiard - Arthur Lydiard

photo by Todd Straka of BoulderRunning.com coachjayjohnson.com

“Everyone knows the ingredients
but few know the recipe.”
- Arthur Lydiard

Lydiard’s Ingredients

coachjayjohnson.com

- Arthur Lydiard

✴ Long Aerobic Running

coachjayjohnson.com

- Arthur Lydiard

✴ Fartlek running

coachjayjohnson.com

- Arthur Lydiard

✴ Fartlek running
✴ Jogging

coachjayjohnson.com

- Arthur Lydiard

✴ Fartlek running
✴ Jogging
✴ Easy Aerobic running

coachjayjohnson.com

- Arthur Lydiard

✴ Fartlek running
✴ Jogging
✴ Time Trials

coachjayjohnson.com

- Arthur Lydiard

✴ Fartlek running
✴ Jogging
✴ Time Trials
✴ Hill Training
coachjayjohnson.com

- Arthur Lydiard

✴ Fartlek running
✴ Jogging
✴ Time Trials
✴ Hill Training
coachjayjohnson.com
✴ Developmental Races coachjayjohnson @ gmail.com

- Arthur Lydiard

✴ Fartlek running
…most of the questions that
night focused on these two
workouts, which leads me to
believe that the majority of
people don’t know the ingredients coachjayjohnson.com

I would argue that both Lydiard’s Long Run and Fartlek
runs were types of threshold running...
and threshold running is the key to becoming a better
distance runner, regardless of primary race distance.


I would argue that both Lydiard’s Long Run and Fartlek
runs were types of threshold running...
and threshold running is the key to becoming a better
distance runner, regardless of primary race distance.
Threshold Run = Tempo Run = Steady State Run = etc.

So what is “Threshold”?


So what is “Threshold”?

These three books all talk about
threshold training

Figure 4.2, Martin and Coe, Better Training for Distance Runners


Late season interval training



For the majority of the year you want to....



So what is the correct name for
“Threshold” running?


What’s in a name?


What’s in a name?
✴ Jack Daniels, PhD


What’s in a name?

✴ Daniel’s Running Formula – 1st edition


What’s in a name?


✴ Daniel’s Running Formula – 2nd edition


What’s in a name?



✴ “Threshold: Tempo/Cruise”


What’s in a name?



✴ “Threshold: Tempo/Cruise”

✴ “86-88% VO2max”


What’s in a name?
✴ David Martin, PhD


What’s in a name?

✴ Better Training for Distance
Runners


What’s in a name?

Runners
✴ Second Threshold


What’s in a name?

Runners
✴ Lactate Threshold?


What’s in a name?

Runners
✴ Ventilatory Threshold?


What’s in a name?

Runners
✴ “Lactate/Ventilatory Threshold”


What’s in a name?

Runners
✴ “Lactate/Ventilatory Threshold”
✴ “80%-90% of VO2max”


What’s in a name?

coachjayjohnson.com

What’s in a name?
✴ Arthur Lydiard (sans PhD)

coachjayjohnson.com

What’s in a name?

✴ His athletes earned 6 Olympic Medals,
4 Gold medals

coachjayjohnson.com

What’s in a name?

✴ His athletes earned 6 Olympic Medals,
4 Gold medals

✴ Snell’s 1962 800m World Record: 1:44.3

✴ Stood for 11 years

✴ Ran on a grass track

✴ Still the Oldest National Record
recognized by the IAAF coachjayjohnson.com

What’s in a name?

“For best results, aim for a level of
70% to 100% of best aerobic effort.”

coachjayjohnson.com

What’s in a name?


- p. 8, Running the Lydiard Way (1978)

coachjayjohnson.com

What’s in a name?


- p. 8, Running the Lydiard Way (1978)

✴ That means 70-100% VO2max

70-100% VO2max is a huge range,
so what’s the real answer?
coachjayjohnson.com

✴ Lydiard’s definition includes all three types of
“aerobic development” running
✴ Long Runs
✴ Fartlek Running
✴ Threshold Runs


✴ Lydiard’s definition includes all three types of
“aerobic development” running
✴ Long Runs
✴ Fartlek Running
✴ Threshold Runs

Slower Faster

Long Runs Fartlek Threshold

Threshold Running How To


✴ Where should you conduct these workouts?


✴You don’t want to run too hard in these workouts


✴You need to get some data every 60-90 seconds


✴ Grass Track – Ideal


✴ Synthetic Track – Good Idea


✴ Loop at a local park – Good Idea


✴ Loop at a local park – Good Idea
✴ How do you know if an athlete is running too hard?


Use a Heart Rate Monitor?


✴How do you know if athletes are running too hard?

✴You watch them and learn their “tell”
✴This will take some time, so...

✴You need numerical data and optical data


How can I remember to to run a
controlled threshold run?


How can I remember to to run a
controlled threshold run?

Remember Ted Williams and Ben Hogan

✴ Ted’s strike zone is 77
baseballs


baseballs
✴ The .400 zone is just 3
balls away from the .275
zone


baseballs
zone
✴ A pitcher can get Ted
Williams out 3 out of 4
times with the .275
pitch….


baseballs
zone
✴ A pitcher can get Ted
Williams out 3 out of 4
times with the .275
pitch….
✴ …but the problem is it’s
inches away from disaster


“After all, the point of
tournament golf is to get
command of a swing which,
the more pressure you put
on it, the better it works.”
- Ben Hogan
Five Lessons (p.14)


training is to empower the
athlete with the ability to
race to their potential in
the most intense, most
prestigious races.”


“You taught me something

about ATs. You could run
with the guys on an AT,
yet you were barely
running with them. It
was basically a race for
you.”
- Mark Wetmore


Practical Military Necessity

yet you were barely
you.”
- Mark Wetmore


Ideal Situation Practical Military Necessity

yet you were barely
you.”
- Mark Wetmore


✴...but this is better than 8x400m in Aug. and Sep.


Threshold Running Check List To


What don’t you want to have happen?



You don’t want them to run too hard in the workout




How do you know if they’re running too hard?





Teach them to pay attention to their breathing






C’mon….is paying attention to breathing really THAT important?






C’mon….is paying attention to breathing really THAT important?

Yes !!!

Threshold Running - Practical Application


✴ I put the ATs in the training
schedule (4 total for the fall
XC season)


XC season)

✴ Friday AM was the scheduled
time


XC season)

time

✴ 1st AT - 2 miles for women and
3.5 for men


XC season)

time

3.5 for men

✴ 4th AT - 3.5 for women and 5.0
for men


XC season)

time

3.5 for men

for men
Did it work?

XC season)

time

3.5 for men

for men
Did it work? No!


Did it work? No!


=
Did it work? No!

“The two arrangements were the same in
the number of chestnuts did not change.
But in the one case the animals were
displeased, and in the other they were
satisfied. The keeper had been willing to
change his personal arrangement in order
to meet the objective conditions. He lost
nothing by it!”

- Chuang-Tzu

(translation by Thomas Merton)


So, I gave them what they thought were intervals



✴ 1600m loop at Mae Dennis Park



✴Two 800 Segments



✴Two 800 Segments
✴Broken into either 200/600, 300/500, 400/400, 500/300 or 600/200



✴Two 800 Segments
✴They ran race pace, then ran “steady”



✴Two 800 Segments
✴They ran race pace, then ran “steady”
✴I logged the data from each week and then showed them their
progression


- Arthur Lydiard

coachjayjohnson.com

“You can train anywhere. Use what you have.”
- Dr. Joe Vigil

coachjayjohnson.com

Iowa Track and Field Coaches Clinic
December 11th 2009


Questions
coachjayjohnson.com

Typical DPS Schedule for the
2009 Cross Country Season


1. Add the key meet of the year


2. Add two key meets?


3. Add the “dream meet.”


4. Add other “race hard” meets


5. Add early season baseline meets


6. Annoying obligatory meets


7. Plan the weeks of the key meets


7. Plan the weeks of the key meets
8. Annoying meets - “Flip the script”



Question - Did your team
have a great summer of
training?



Question - Did your team
have a great summer of
training?

Yes!!!
...then let ‘em have some fun
at an early season meet and
let them show off


Question - Do you have a
release valve in your season?
If not, why not?



Question - Do you have a
release valve in your season?
If not, why not?

This is more important for a
serious, hard working team
than a team who is just
starting to establish a culture
of hard work and fast racing.


Question - Is you team
healthy and ﬁt after a solid
summer of training?


Question - Is you team
healthy and ﬁt after a solid
summer of training?

Yes???
...then kill ‘em the week
before school with two hard
workouts...see where they’re
at and scare them into
seriousness for the rest of
the season


You made the state meet

Congratulations!!!



You made the state meet

Congratulations!!!

...so keep ‘em smiling and
keep them rested because
“the hay is in the barn.”



...sort of ironic, isn’t it, that
these workouts come after
16 other slides...


Threshold Running

Recomendados

Recomendados

Mais conteúdo relacionado

Mais procurados

Mais procurados (17)

Semelhante a Threshold Running

Semelhante a Threshold Running (6)

Mais de Jay Johnson

Mais de Jay Johnson (7)

Último

Último (20)

Threshold Running