Reminder:
Anyone entering at 7:30 or before MUST enter through the lower / west-side Statler Drive entrance, and we are not to be on the track before 7:30. DO NOT walk across the throw cage area when they are in session. Knock on the doors to your right if it is after 7:30 and they are in session, or enter through the lower Statler Drive entrance.
Training Concept:
We shift into the next 4 week mesocycle this week. The hope is that we’ve progressed up a bit into a Threshold carrying capacity and your systems are a bit better able to clear or process lactic acid and a bit more efficient as a whole. That will make absorbing the next phase a bit more effective.
Monday’s will be moving a bit down in volume from where we exited dedicated Threshold, and into a slightly faster zone. Whereas Threshold is roughly the max pace you could hold for roughly 50 - 60 minutes, we’ll head into Critical Velocity, or, that which you can hold for 30 - 40. The pace is roughly 15 seconds slower per mile than target 5k pace (vs Threshold which was 25-30 seconds slower). It’s a fairly slight projection in pace per lap so it should feel familiar. It’s theoretically the upper limit of high-end aerobic or steady state and that upper boundary of what is metabolically sustainable.
We’ll be consistent with these over the remainder of our winter session, outside of overload transition weeks. The hope is that although the distance and targets will remain consistent, that moving through them will get easier between now and March, making for a measurable and hopefully motivating outcome. Over the six weeks ahead we’ll increase the number of intervals and volume in this zone towards that 6-8k range.
Wednesdays will be a bit more dedicated Interval work, a zone often equated to roughly 3k - 2 mile race pace. It can be comfortable at a lower cumulative volume but is still metabolically unsustainable, so the total volume, unless if overloading, should be quantified close to those equation limits where rest is below full recovery. For these session I’d recommend people still close out with “Flys” as these are important for neuromuscular speed development and recruitmant.
Workouts This Week
Weeks 5-8: Tempo / Acceleration Development / Speed Endurance & Economy (Interval)
- 2/2: 5a. Critical Velocity 1 / 6 (this isn’t on the Vdot calculator, I’ll bring a grid with target times per mile fitness that you can look at)
- 4-5 x 1000 at CV Pace, 1 - 2 minute recoveries (target: ~ 20 minutes “on”)
- Lower volume modification: 6 - 8 x 500 at CV Pace w/ 1 minute recoveries
- 2/4: 5b. Interval 1 / 3
- 5 - 7 x 400 at I with 50% of on-time recoveries, 2 x 200 @ R w/ equal distance, 3 x fly’s
Requirements
Everyone is welcome, with three requirements:
- It’s fine to come to a workout or two to see if they’re appropriate, but to attend regularly, you must be an FLRC member—join today.
- To meet Cornell’s requirements, EVERYONE MUST SIGN THE NEW FLRC AND CORNELL WAIVERS! These waivers are not optional; Cornell requires them for every participant for liability reasons, and having signed one last year or earlier this year isn’t sufficient. Parents must sign for all children 18 and under.
See you Monday night…
Ian