Week 3 Training Plan, 9/9-9/15

This is the last week of the season without a meet for the majority of the team, which means we can train without distraction before the competitive season gets underway in earnest next week. Monday through Friday practice is at the high school at 3:30. Saturday's optional practice is at the Lincoln Station parking lot, 145 Lincoln Road in Lincoln. If you can make this Saturday practice you will be doing the timed repeats there; if not you will do that particular workout the day before on Friday.

Mon 9/9 - warmup including burpees followed by a short run incorporating hill drills. Most likely we will be doing these drills on Wallace road which is less than a mile south of the high school. The total time for today's run, not including the time spent doing the drills, is as follows:

Level 1: 22-26 minutes
Level 2: 26-30 minutes
Level 3: 32-36 minutes
Level 4: 42-46 minutes

Tue 9/10 - warmup followed by cyclic long run. The length of each segment will be 30 seconds more than the last time we did a cyclic long run two weeks ago. This means the long run for each level will be 6 minutes longer than the last cyclic long run. Level by level it looks like this:

Level 1: 42 minutes (3.5 minute segments)
Level 2: 54 minutes (4.5 minute segments)
Level 3: 66 minutes (5.5 minute segments)
Level 4: 78 minutes (6.5 minute segments)

Remember the pattern is to do the first segment at an easy intensity, the next segment at a fresh/moderate intensity, and the next segment after that at a "good" (80% effort) intensity. Then the cycle gets repeated three more times over the course of the entire run.

Wed 9/11 - warmup including burpees followed by a medium length run at an easy effort level. The focus today should be on putting in the time without feeling the least bit exhausted or wrung out. If need be you should be able to keep going for at least half again as long as the recommended length of time and still make it through in relative comfort.

Level 1: 28-32 minutes
Level 2: 36-40 minutes
Level 3: 43-47 minutes
Level 4: 52-56 minutes

Thu 9/12 - warmup followed by a short length run at mostly an easy effort. Save the last 8-10 minutes of the run for two sets of short intervals on top of the aqueduct.

Level 1: 22-26 minutes
Level 2: 26-30 minutes
Level 3: 32-36 minutes
Level 4: 42-46 minutes

Fri 9/13 - warmup including burpees followed by either a medium length run at an easy effort level similar to Wednesday, or else the following workout:

Level 1: 4 minute-3 minute-2 minute-1 minute pickups with 3 minute recoveries. Warmup and cooldown are each a 5 minute jog.
Level 2: two sets of 3 minute-2 minute-1 minute pickups with 3 minute recoveries throughout, including between the two sets. Warmup and cooldown are each a 5 minute jog.
Level 3: 4 minute-3 minute-2 minute-1 minute-3 minute-2 minute-1 minute pickups with 3 minute recoveries. Warmup and cooldown are each a 6-8 minute jog.
Level 4: 2 sets of 4 minute-3 minute-2 minute-1 minute pickups with 3 minute recoveries. Warmup and cooldown are each a 10 minute jog.

The 4, 3 and 2 minute pickups are at race pace or something close to it. The 1 minute pickups are at faster than race pace.

Sat 9/14 - either a medium length run at an easy effort level similar to Wednesday (on your own), or else the following workout at Lincoln on the field loop near Mt. Misery:

Level 1: 4 minute-3 minute-2 minute-1 minute pickups with 3 minute recoveries. Warmup and cooldown are each a 5 minute jog.
Level 2: two sets of 3 minute-2 minute-1 minute pickups with 3 minute recoveries throughout, including between the two sets. Warmup and cooldown are each a 5 minute jog.
Level 3: 4 minute-3 minute-2 minute-1 minute-3 minute-2 minute-1 minute pickups with 3 minute recoveries. Warmup and cooldown are each a 6-8 minute jog.
Level 4: 2 sets of 4 minute-3 minute-2 minute-1 minute pickups with 3 minute recoveries. Warmup and cooldown are each a 10 minute jog.

The 4, 3 and 2 minute pickups are at race pace or something close to it. The 1 minute pickups are at faster than race pace. Whichever workout you did on Friday, you're doing the other one today.

Sun 9/15 - off