Sprinting for distance running and my training plan?

Hello,

I read in an electronic newsletter I get that the kenyans do
more sprint training than most other runners. There is also
a distance runner going to the olympics who does more sprint
training than LSD, he sprints from 1-3 minutes in most of
his training. What are your thoughts on including sprint
training, especially for shorter distances like 5k?

The 5k route I train on is in a park so it is unpaved with a
lot of short hills so it's kind of like intervals. I also do
a LSD day and I was thinking of doing sprints on another
day. I try to get out biking most of the other days. Does
that sound like a decent training plan?

Thanks.

In article <6902ac92.0404241908.40b9cd04@posting.google.com>, Chris Hansen wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I read in an electronic newsletter I get that the kenyans
> do more sprint training than most other runners.

I think it's pretty hard to say what "the Kenyans" do. Apart
from the fact that "the Kenyans" is a huge generalisation,
there are few authoritative accounts of what they do.

> There is also a distance runner going to the olympics who
> does more sprint training than LSD, he sprints from 1-3
> minutes in most of his training. What are your

If you can do it for reps of 1-3 minutes, it's not
sprinting. Not even close.

> thoughts on including sprint training, especially for
> shorter distances like 5k?

I think throwing around terms like "sprint" is a bad idea,
especially if your usage is not even correct. It is better
to talk in terms of mile pace, 800m pace, 5k pace, etc.

Many programs call for *some* training at a fairly high
speed, 800m pace or so. It's difficult to hold this pace for
more than 200m. One way to start incorporatng high speed
training like this is to do strides at the end of a run.
Google for these, it's been discussed already.

> The 5k route I train on is in a park so it is unpaved with
> a lot of short hills so it's kind of like intervals.

Not really. It's only "like intervals" if you run it hard.
But most of your training should be at an easy pace. Take a
look at http://www.panix.com/~elflord/vdot.html for
recommendations on different training paces.

The "E/L" pace is a good pace for long runs, "R" pace for
short intervals, "I" pace for long intervals. For 5k
performance, you should include both of these in your
program at various stages.

> I also do a LSD day and I was thinking of doing sprints on
> another day. I try to get out biking most of the other
> days. Does that sound like a decent training plan?

It doesn't sound like a training plan (let alone a
decent one)

Before you begin, there are some questions you need to think
about. It's impossible to even begin to formulate a training
plan without addressing these:

(1) how much milage are you currently running ? and how many
times a week do you run ? What does your typicaly
training week look like at present ?
(2) how much time do you have to devote to running ? Are
you interested in increasing the volume of training you
are doing ?
(3) how important is biking versus running ?
(4) what are your goals as a runner ?
(5) have you done any speed work before ? If so, what ?
(6) have you been injured at any stage ? If so, when and
what was the injury ?
(7) what is your current performance gradient ? Are you
improving rapidly on your current training ? [probably
more, but that's all I can think of now]

Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/

I think I still have a lot to learn.

"Chris Hansen" <chrishansen2003@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:6902ac92.0404260254.34f35131@posting.google.com...
> I think I still have a lot to learn.

You have come to a great place for that learning; it would
be a good idea to read through the FAQ if you haven't done
so already. For training advice and questions not addressed
in the FAQ there are many regulars here that give great
advice. Donovan in particular is well-respected (by me
anyways) and has asked several great questions.

It is fun and a bit awe-inspiring to read about how "the
Kenyans" or any other distance runner trains, but it would
be a mistake to emulate the training plan just because they
are successful. Even following the training schedules of the
more successful runners posted here would be overtraining
for me, and I would imagine for you as well.

FWIW the FAQ mentions books for beginning runners. The best
in the bunch IMHO is the older one by Jim Fixx which is
available in most public libraries. A newer book not
mentioned in the faq (IIRC) that would be useful to you is
The Runner's Handbook by Bob Glover.

Best of luck, Matthew

In article <6902ac92.0404260254.34f35131@posting.google.com>, Chris Hansen wrote:
> I think I still have a lot to learn.

Let's start with the important stuff for now --

Keep running, mostly at an easy pace.

Don't make sudden changes to your training -- your body can
only adapt so quickly, and you'll only hurt yourself if you
change your training faster than your body can adapt.

Good rule of thumb for changing training: make a slight
change every 3 weeks if you like. A 10% increase in milage,
OR a slight increase in speed work (e.g. add an extra rep to
a speed session). Don't increase two types of stress at the
same time -- one or the other.

Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/

In article <108qa9hf4ibq29c@corp.supernews.com>, "El Paisano" wrote:

> It is fun and a bit awe-inspiring to read about how "the
> Kenyans" or any other distance runner trains, but it would
> be a mistake to emulate the training plan just because
> they are successful.

This is an excellent point.

I remember reading somewhere, I think it was Daniels, about
how great runners often receive questions about "what
training do you do". But the problem with these questions is
that they ignore the big picture -- the process that the
athlete had to go through to get to their current training.
Another problem is that often, the reported "routines" of an
elite may reflect a week during peak training, something
that they build up to each season as opposed to something
they maintain year-round.

Most great athletes (unlike many of todays beginners) didn't
just suddenly decide to start running marathon from doing no
training. The 100+ mile per week workloads were gradually
built up to over years of training.

One of the bitter lessons I learned early on is that the
human body really does not like surprises. Increases in
training load need to be very gradual. If you're prepared to
build up over a year, you will get good results, but if you
want to build up over a few weeks, you'll just get hurt. I
have been able to run several 60+ mile weeks this year and a
70 miler (with intervals 3x/week), but I built up to that
very gradually over several months (using about a 10% milage
increase every 3 weeks). This is in contrast to the end of
'03 where I almost reinjured myself on 40mpw training with
two fairly easy speed workouts each week. The problem at
that point is that I just jumped into training without a
good training plan, and pushed training load too quickly on
too many fronts.

So the training routines of the elites should not be seen in
a vacuum, because there are usually two bigger pictures to
consider: how the "training routine" fits into the athletes
yearly calendar, and how one builds up to a level of fitness
where such a routine can be considered.

Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/