Training

MAD ABOUT TRAINING!

Third Annual Mad Marathon
July 7, 2013

My wife Dori, the owner of the Mad Marathon, asked me, Ian, web designer and assistant, to include a training schedule on the website. When I was a runner I was introduced to Arthur Lydiard. After reading his books, especially Run the Lydiard Way, I was hooked.

Lydiard Arthur Leslie Lydiard, ONZ, OBE, (July 6, 1917 – December 11, 2004) was a New Zealand runner and athletics coach. He has been lauded as one of the outstanding athletics coaches of all time and is credited with popularizing the sport of running and making it commonplace across the sporting world. His training methods are based on a strong endurance base and periodisation.

Fifty years ago at the Rome Olympics, athletes guided by legendary New Zealand coach Arthur Lydiard made history. Among Lydiard’s protégés were a total of 17 Olympic medalists, including Peter Snell (800 and 1,500 meters), Murray Halberg (5,000 meters) and Barry Magee (marathon).

Lydiard never changed his training advice over the decades, and why should he? His ideas work. Moreover, if you look carefully at the most popular and successful programs today, most have a Lydiard emphasis. For Lydiard, running to your potential is about having a substantial mileage base and not overdoing your anaerobic training. There are no shortcuts.

The Lydiard training system is based on a balanced combination of aerobic and anaerobic running. Aerobic running means running within your capacity to use oxygen. Everyone, according to his or her physical condition, is able to use a limited amount of oxygen each minute. With the right kind of exercise, you can raise your limit.

"Lydiard claims that repeats on a track are not the way to prepare our youth for running at the collegiate level. He advises *high* mileage during the teenage years -- not this "5k maximum daily average" that so many coaches advise (at least around here). The mileage produces strength and adaptation that is used for a base in the marathon -- and in shorter events like the 5k and 10k."

There is no doubt that Lydiard is a proponent of higher mileage, but understand that quality is also part of his regime. Like Percy Cerruty, Lydiard believes in laying down a long base of miles before going into the specific training period. He then believes in pointing for hills and strength for a period of time, then working toward a period of speed training, and then the racing season. The problem with the Lydiard system is that it is a well balanced system that incorporates lots of "work" and along with lots of endurance runs there is lots of speed. Taken from his book "The Lydiard Way" here is a sample of his workouts for "experienced runners" training for the marathon. This by no means totally explains his method, but it will give you some idea how Lydiard's method is not just "long, slow, distance".

For as Long as Possible - the conditioning phase

    * M. Long aerobic run 1 hr.
    * T. Long aerobic run 1 1/2 hrs.
    * W. Easy fartlek running, 1 hour, on hills
    * T. Repeat Tuesday's session
    * F. 1 hr. jogging
    * S. Long aerobic running, 2 hrs. or more
    * S. Repeat Tuesday's session

For 4 weeks

    * M. Hill springing or step running, 1 hr.
    * T. Kibg aerobic run 1 1/2 hr.s
    * W. Time trail, 5,000 meters
    * T. Repeat Monday's session
    * F. Leg speed, 10 X 100 meters
    * S. Easy Fartlek running, 1 hr.
    * S. Long run, 2 hrs. or more

For 4 weeks

    * M. Reps, 15- 20 X 200 meters
    * T. Long aerobic run, 1 1/2 hrs.
    * W. Time Trial 5,000 meters
    * T. Easy Fartlek, 1 hr.
    * F. Leg speed, 10 X 100 meters
    * S. Time trial, 10,000 meters
    * S. Long run, 2 hrs. or more.

For 2 weeks

    * M. 10-12 X 100 meter wind sprints (one every 200 meters)
    * T. Long run 1 1/2 hrs.
    * W. Time Trial, 5,000 meters
    * T. Long run 1 1/2 hrs.
    * F. Easy fartlek run, 1/2 hr.
    * S. Time trial, 25 Kilometers
    * S. Jogging, 1 1/2 hr.s

For One week (getting tired yet?)

    * M. 10-12 X 100 meter sprints (1 every 200 meters)
    * T. Long run 1 1/2 hrs.
    * W. Time Trial, 3,000 meters
    * T. Easy fartlek run, 1 hr.
    * F. Jogging 1/2 hr.
    * S. Time trial, 20 Kilometers
    * S. Jogging 1 1/2 hrs.

For One week

    * M. 20 X 45 meter sprint (one every 100 meters)
    * T. Easy Fartlek run, 3/4 hr.
    * W. Jog, 1 hr.
    * T. Easy fartlek, 3/4 hr.
    * F. Jog, 1/2 hr.
    * S. Time trial... full marathon
    * S. Jog, 1 hr.

For 1 week

    * M. Jog 1 hr.
    * T. Jog 1 hr.
    * W. Time trial, 5,000 meters
    * T. Jog 1 1/2 hr.
    * F. Jog 1 hr.
    * S. Time Trial, 5,000 meters
    * S. Long run, 2 hrs.

For 1 week

    * M. 10 x 100 meter sprints (one every 200 meters)
    * T. Long run 1 1/2 hrs.
    * W. Time trial, 3,000 meters
    * T. Easy Fartlek, 1 hr.
    * F. Jog, 1/2 hr.
    * S. Time TRial, 10,000 meters
    * S. Jog, 1 1/2 hrs.

For one week

    * M. 20 X 45 meter sprints (one every 100 meters)
    * T. Easy fartlek, 1 hr.
    * W. Time Trial, 3,000 meters
    * T. Jog 1 hr.
    * F. Jog 3/4 hr.
    * S. Time Trial, 5,000 meters
    * S. Jog, 1 1/2 hrs.

For One week (Includes the Mad Marathon Race)

    * M. Easy Fartlek run, 3/4 hr.
    * T. Time trial, 2,000 meters
    * W. Jogging, 1 hr.
    * T. Jogging, 1/2 hr.
    * F. Jogging, 1/2 hr. or total rest day
    * S. MARATHON RACE
    * S. Jogging, 1 hr.

This is for experienced runners but can be scaled back for runners of less ability. Good luck.