Periodization
By
Chris Graff
of
Trackcoach.com
To be a successful runner requires hard work and
determination, but hard work can be easily wasted without the right
direction. Experienced runners do not do the same workout every day,
and on a larger scale, do not do the same workouts during the fall
as they do during the spring or summer. They go through different
periods of training where they work on specific aspects of their
running. The term periodization, refers to the different phases or
periods of training that an athlete passes through during the year.
For the most part, there are three main phases of training: the base
building phase, the pre competition phase, and the competition
phase.
The base building phase is the first of the three steps.
During this time period, the athlete begins to slowly increase their
weekly volume of mileage until they reach their desired volume. The
athlete is often coming off of a period of little to no running due
to a much deserved rest, injury, or competition period. In the
beginning of the phase, the athlete will run at a comfortable pace
and simply get used to running again. The goal of the period is to
build general strength as well as heart and lung capacity. The
steady increase in volume alone will make one tired enough that
attempting to run quickly would not be advisable. After several
weeks, some faster running begins to be introduced. Tempo runs,
fartleks, and long intervals are introduced and as time goes on, the
paces become faster while the rest between surges or intervals
becomes less and less. In this way the intensity of the weekly
program can be closely controlled, as too much work too soon usually
only leads to extreme fatigue (unpleasant) or injury (very
unpleasant). The base period is by far the longest of the three,
since the greatest room for improvement in an athlete lies in their
nearly limitless potential to increase heart and lung strength, and
for elite runners can last for 30 or more weeks.
The second phase is the pre competition phase. During this
second period, the athlete gets callused to running at the desired
race pace. The concentration of the program changes from volume of
the base phase, to intensity....
