dre125038 posted it on my Hill Training thread. This was just too good not to post in a thread by itself. Lydiard was one of the first coaches to really nail down a solid system that was easily explained. Though he wasn’t a scientist, he seemed to have a real knack for the “art” of run training.
It differs a little from Daniel’s Formula, but it is still really good stuff. The only important element that I see missing is Lactate Threshold training, which I don’t think was real common back then (could be wrong).
Anyway, do me a favor and bump this after reading it. I think it would be a real shame to let something like this drop behind some less contributory threads.
My college coach during the late 70’s was influenced by Lydiard. I thought the explanation was going to be: Run shit-loads of miles, then run some more. It works, if you don’t get injured.
I think that his LT training is somewhere in the ‘anaerobic’ or ‘coordination’ phase. In his books, he talks about doing a pretty high volume of race-paced or slightly faster effort in the anaerobic phas. The coordination phase is race specific with some time trials, etc. So, I think that it’s there, just in a different terminology.
Lydiard was big on lacing shoes the right way…they shouldn’t pull down on the sinews and meatarsals on the top of your foot…I remember coming across a diagram in his book…I never tried it though…
Wow, there is a Lydiard foundation website? My former track coach was a big Lydiard fan. He made me go to the Boston Public library to find Lydiard’s old book copy it and read it like the bible!
Thanks for the hill training thread too.
Apart from the lsd twice weekly and the latter intensive speedwork in the weeks prior to peaking, the key is the hill springing. I’ve used this with great succes. You don’t rush this but each footstrike is a vertical relaxed spring. Work up to 3 or 4 of these on a fairly steep incline about l50 to 200yards and after each hill recovery walk for a few minute then 3X200yards at 3/4 sprint pace, walk jog back recover after each 200. Do the last 1 of the workout flatout. Time the 200’s and keep a record and you will be surprised at how quickly your times will come down. This workout 2 or 3 times a week will improve your times over all distances.
A word of warning though, this training is very hard on the achilles and calves. After running from home a few miles to warm up I do the first hill then stretch before the 200’s
Give it a try. If you can find a quiet dirt road in the bush it can be an enjoyable and challenging workout.
am i missing something or is this the same thing as every other training program (for every sport since the 70’s when the east europeans “discovered” periodization (and steroids))…and is pretty obvious…what is with all these running posts this week by people who think they have discovered something special?
Great stuff here, but nothing new. This is the way we were running back in the 70’s. My running/track coach at the time, followed the Lydiard system very closely. It’s simple and straight-forward. Not sure why so many of the other coaching programs make things so complicated.
Great stuff! Those are the powerpoint slides he used when he was touring and giving lectures. I was able to see his last one before he died in Boulder. Great night! Talked to him for a few minutes as well. Super funny guy.
Paul-
THere is no lsd in the Lydiard plan. The only lsd he does was for his top level athletes who would run 60min, 5-6 days a week in the morning as a warm up run. These runs were not included in weekly milage so many of his athletes were running upwards of 140 a week. All training runs were at marathon or slightly above marathon pace. You’ll notice how he has the runners start with out and back and use an even pace. Over time they would go further and faster per run, but never would they go long and slow.
Kiri-
You’re not missing anything. Lydidard is the one who found the basic pricicles that just about every coach uses right now. Most people have misread it and screwed it up by trying to add too much flash and thinking they’re missing something. Kinda like Paul thinking that there is lsd in the plan somewhere.
Flek-
You got it! Nothing new here, just people messing up a really good plan! KISS!!!
I think Brett Sutton is the only other coach out there who has come up with somehting new and different. Bowerman was creative, but based in Lydiard training. Daniels is basicly a more scientific look and controled program of lydiairds that may work a little better for time limited athletes or HS runners trying to meet frequent racing demands.
EDIT: And the shoe lacing. Basic idea, keep pressure off the foot. Real simple way to help keep stress fractures away.
