Hi All,
I just read the article on Gordo’s site titled “The Lydiard method: A Scientific Perspective”. I am very new to all this science type stuff so I was looking for a bit of expert interpretation.
From what I gathered, the author was advocating that to maximize base training, an athlete should complete 2-4 hours of ‘aerobic’ training per day, EVERY day, which would maximise the training stimulus. This was providing that the adequate rest of 10-22 hours was taken inbetween training sessions.
I read elsewhere on his site (can’t remember where it was) that 1-2 hours a day is probably adequate for most age-group athletes.
My question is this: Does this infer that during the base training period I would be better to substitute 1 hour of very easy training instead of total rest days? This would also mean that a rest ‘week’ would be no less than one hour per day easy training, EVERY day (min 7hr week). Furthermore, what are the pro’s/con’s of a total rest over active recovery?
I’ve trained under a modified Lydiard style program for running. What I would do is take one rest day every 2-3 weeks in a base period, and then try to run a minimum of 1hr daily. I had the odd day where I might only hit 45min, but my other runs would make up for it, since I’d typically run between 75-95miles/week. Just note that if you do go through a few months of heavy base in this type of program, you’ll need to give yourself at least 4-6 weeks before you can expect to have legs to excel in shorter events. After going through that summer of volume for 3months or so, I had good results, but I didn’t bust out with my best races until 6 weeks or so into our season. At that point I was still maintaining 50-60mi/week, but there was more speed work, and less emphasis on mileage requirements.
I was rarely set on my rest days, I’d take it when I started to feel fried, so it worked out to every 2-3weeks or so (usually the day before I threw in a race, I remember taking a day off the day before racing a 3000m trail race, I rode for 45min, ran 7km before the race, did the race and then ran 16km back to my coaches’ place and then jumped back on the bike and rode home another 20min).
“Why do you need a rest week during your base phase?”
Good point. I guess this shows my inexperience at building a training protocol. It’s obviously a seed planted in my head from the 2/3 weeks on, 1 week off, type training. Had’nt even occured to me. I guess with the 10-22 hours recovery between sessions . . that is my rest, unless I **feel **I need more.
Good point. I guess this shows my inexperience at building a training protocol.
Don’t worry about it, it happens to the best. In the same page you referenced, just check to see what happened to Clas Bjorling, and he’s coached by one of the best coaches around.