Ultra Short Training At Race Pace

Workouts don't change much during the season except to lower your target time. There is NO taper. You are always ready to race because the workouts are self - limiting, i.e. because you stop a set after 4 failures or two failures in a row, you don't over train. Here's what I am doing now each week: Monday - warm-up, 30 x 50 on :50 holding :32 (400 race pace for me) skip if missed, 200 - 300 EZ + 5 minutes, 30 x 50 on :50 holding :32 skip if missed, warm down Tuesday - warm-up, 40 x 25 on :30 holding :15, 200 - 300 EZ + 5 minutes, 40 x 25 on :30 holding :15, warm down Wednesday - warm-up, 3 x 50 holding :32, 1 x 400 time trial, 300 EZ + 5 minutes, 30 x 50 on :50 holding :32 skip if missed, warm down Thursday - same as Tuesday Friday - Same as Monday NOTES: First, I am training only for the 400 SCM. I am working into this schedule, i.e., I am doing Monday and Friday as written Tuesday and Thursday I am doing the 40 x 25 and a 20 x 25. Several weeks ago I tried to go this entire schedule all at once and was unable to do so. As a result I am easing into it week by week. I also do weights 2 days a week, Tuesday and Friday. Some people find this boring. I love it. I always have a way to measure my progress against what I did last week or last month. I have been battling an infection for the last week or so and my doctor put me on anti-biotics. In Mondays session I never hit my target time of :32. I was going :34s and :36s. What I did was adjust my target time to :34 and esentially did the same number of repeats I usually do in the first round, about 24. I also only did one round. Today I was able to do 22 of the 30 x 50 but was able to hit my target time of :32 on 18 of them. I also only did one round but did a second round of 20 x 25. I don't know if Rushall would approve, but my body approved! I'll go back to the regular schedule next week. And YES, your first tip is right on! It's really very simple, it's all about race pace.

Workouts don't change much during the season except to lower your target time. There is NO taper. You are always ready to race because the workouts are self - limiting, i.e. because you stop a set after 4 failures or two failures in a row, you don't over train. Here's what I am doing now each week: Monday - warm-up, 30 x 50 on :50 holding :32 (400 race pace for me) skip if missed, 200 - 300 EZ + 5 minutes, 30 x 50 on :50 holding :32 skip if missed, warm down Tuesday - warm-up, 40 x 25 on :30 holding :15, 200 - 300 EZ + 5 minutes, 40 x 25 on :30 holding :15, warm down Wednesday - warm-up, 3 x 50 holding :32, 1 x 400 time trial, 300 EZ + 5 minutes, 30 x 50 on :50 holding :32 skip if missed, warm down Thursday - same as Tuesday Friday - Same as Monday NOTES: First, I am training only for the 400 SCM. I am working into this schedule, i.e., I am doing Monday and Friday as written Tuesday and Thursday I am doing the 40 x 25 and a 20 x 25. Several weeks ago I tried to go this entire schedule all at once and was unable to do so. As a result I am easing into it week by week. I also do weights 2 days a week, Tuesday and Friday. Some people find this boring. I love it. I always have a way to measure my progress against what I did last week or last month. I have been battling an infection for the last week or so and my doctor put me on anti-biotics. In Mondays session I never hit my target time of :32. I was going :34s and :36s. What I did was adjust my target time to :34 and esentially did the same number of repeats I usually do in the first round, about 24. I also only did one round. Today I was able to do 22 of the 30 x 50 but was able to hit my target time of :32 on 18 of them. I also only did one round but did a second round of 20 x 25. I don't know if Rushall would approve, but my body approved! I'll go back to the regular schedule next week. And YES, your first tip is right on! It's really very simple, it's all about race pace.