So I was watching the athletics world championships (eurosport rocks) and I got to thinking.
What is the difference in the training for all the runners?
I know the 100 and 200 meter runners usually train the same, same with the hurdlers. Sprinting is more of a born gift than anything (unlike endurance which can be improved quiet a bit).
So now my questions started. How many kilometers per week to the 100 and 200 do? What about the 400 and 800? It’d be interesting to have a comparative chart (anyone have one?)
What about the 1500 and 3000, how does their k per week compare with lets say the 5000 and 10000 which run around 100-150k per week (right?).
I know marathoners run more than 200k when they are in full volume training. And btw look at those walkers, they walk faster than most people can run (it’s really amazing, and it looks difficult too).
There is no easy answer for this question. So much depends on the actual runner and who is coaching them. Sprinters typically don’t run very much volume, middle distance runners can be all over the place. Sebastian Coe used to do very low mileage with lots of intense sessions since he was so injury prone and high miles would hurt him. During the same era Steve Ovett would do way more volume and even race as long as half marathons. 5k, 10k and marathoners are usually 70-120 miles a week but there is no magic number that you’ll find. Alberto Salazar and Carlos Lopes ran great marathons off “shorter” (ie. 85-90 mile) 10k style training but others need to do 120. So much depends on the individual just like with tri-training.
Sprinters: No group of athletes have surpassed the results obtained by Bud Winter’s “stable”: Bud winter had his spritners complete 10 mile per day easy running in the off season, and if you read his books you will find that each session in the specific preparation adds up to about 10 miles! He coached a runner who ran 10.00s/100m in lane 1 on a dirt track, forget the name off the top of my head, but still regarded as the greatest ever 100m. Incidently Winter also only included body weight resistance training of a more practical/plyometric type: no-wieght room acitivity.
Distance:
800m-1500m 160-200k per week, less in competition season
3000m-5000m 180-220k per week, less in compeition season
5000-10000m 200-240k per week, less in competition season
Marathon 220-250k per week, don’t reduce until taper
Athletes with less speed over 400m need greater stamina so higher volume to achieve the same results of an athlete with greater speed. Regardless however the athletes full potential will not be realised until they meet those volumes, only reason some runners seem to do well of less volume is that they have greater natural speed - they are still not reaching thier potential just out performing those around them with less talent, and as one of the US presidents said there is no greater tragedy than that of unrealised talent:
Triathlon:
Olympic Distance 120-160k per week
Ironman 130-180k per week
That is what the athletes who hope to reach their potential will do, anything less is selling themselves short. The worlds best Triahletes over Olympic distance are now running more than they ride (by time).
The best information on all this sort of stuff can be found in Tony Benson and Irv Ray’s book “Run With The Best 2nd Edition” available on-line throgh track and field news (www.trackandfieldnews.com)
Tony Benson (www.benson.com) is head lecturer at African Nations Running Coaching courses: he is the man the best in the world are learning off. I’m telling you straight when this man talks over there they listen - and then simply go out and do it - and look at the results that have followed.
I don’t know any triathlete pro over the IM that runs anywhere near 180km. and I know many of the germans who are doing monster hours of training.
Some do reach 120 to 140km in big training weeks
(like 2 weeks training camps), but there is noone currently running that much for an IM…
that would just ruin your legs for the bike anyway.
Yup. I know a guy that just ran 2:49 at IM Canada on 60-80k per week running. Finished third overall, too.
As I said: anyone that is performaing well on less volume is simply not reaching their potential: 2:49 however impressive some people think is really not that fast, it ain’t even 4 minutes per km!
As far as ruining legs for the bike well that arguement has been proven time and time again to be incorrect - running has never been shown (with significance) to diminish bike performance - however the opposite is all too frequently correct: over biking does have poor transference to run.
Triathlon/triathletes as a whole is delusional regarding run perforamnces in the sport. Partially because the sport has very little depth, partially because the sport has very little ability to look to other endurance sports for standards, and partially because for some reason people see 4 minutes per km as some sort of barrier whether it be off the bike in Olympic or Ironman. In the days of Lydiard and co they would run 160km per week at an average pace of 3:20/km + and additional 30-40km (some 80km) per week at easy speeds. We get excited when someone runs 2:49 for a marathon off the bike!
I do know of athletes aiming for the volumes I listed. The run volumes are definite and no question. The triathlon volumes are more of a target for any aspiring athlete to take things to the next level: don’t forget triathlon performances have stagnated somewhat. Just because you don’t know of anyone doing it (running those volumes) does not mean it can’t or shouldn’t be done. i know for certain several “elite” Olympic guys are running 150km+ per week, and still cycling the same or better as always with half the bike volume - and they are running out of sight!
I can find you plenty of evidence of athletes running average (which some people might call good) times off low volumes: there is no evidence that exists that athletes reach their full potential off low volume: because they simply don’t.
Read the Benson book and do the maths, or checkout the website I think it has articles relating to what I am saying.
Some people ask why some ask why not etc…
I’m straight: I tell it how it is and I’ve told you!
Yes, sorry about that the Benson website is www.benson.com.au
i forgot the .au - and now have been told!
I just had a look at it, it seems to be different to the one I remember and not as much on it so maybe they are building a new one - the book has the best info. I am not sure if Irv Ray has a website.
Was watching the coverage last night on BBC with input from Michael Johnson and Colin Jackson who both seemed to think that the 800m runners have the hardest training schedules followed by the 400m guys. MJ commented that the races were always much, much easier than the training.