Posted: December 6, 2005

Science of Sport: Macro Periodization - Part II

By Neil Cook, BS, MS, MEd

“The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare.” - Juma Ikangas, winner 1989 NYC Marathon – 2:08:01

As we discussed in part 1 (July / August) of this article: Macro Periodization is the overall phase of your training plan. The theory behind Macro Periodization is that you cannot be fast if you aren't strong and you can't be strong if you aren't fit. So if you build the cardiovascular engine first, the muscular engine next and then work on neuromuscular coordination, the result will be your ability to perform at an optimal level. Physiologically, there are five phases to training – Base, Strength, Speed, Maintenance and Recovery. In part 1 of this article you got an up close look at the Base Building Phase and the Strength Building Phase. Today you will journey through the Speed Building Phase, the Racing Maintenance Phase, and the often overlooked Recovery Phase. Enjoy the ride!

Training Zones:

Zone 0 – no training effect, very comfortable effort, below 65% of Anaerobic Threshold Heart Rate, Active Recovery, fat burning.

Zone I – Comfortable effort, between 65% and 80% of Anaerobic Threshold Heart Rate, warm-up, cool-down, long workouts 2+ hours, mostly fat burning.

Zone II – Moderate effort, between 85% and 95% of Anaerobic Threshold Heart Rate, aerobic workouts, shorter workouts 30 minutes to 2 hours, fat and carbohydrate burning.

Zone III – Hard effort, between 100% and 105% of Anaerobic Threshold Heart Rate, anaerobic workouts, strength and speed workouts, time trials, 30 to 60 minutes, carbohydrate burning only.

Zone IV – Very Hard effort, from 105% to Max of Anaerobic Threshold Heart Rate, max efforts, use only for peaking, 30 to 40 seconds.

Speed Building Phase

Only the serious competitive athletes should train through this phase. If speed is not important – if your goal is just to improve your enjoyment or to increase your race distance, but time is not important – then you can skip this phase.

The goals of this phase are:

•	Improve economy.
•	Build speed.
•	Improve velocity at VO2max (vVO2max).
•	Improve time limit at vVO2max.
•	Maintain muscular strength.
•	Maintain Lactate Threshold.
•	Maintain Lactate enzyme response.
•	Maintain capillary beds.
•	Maintain mitochondria.
•	Maintain cardiovascular and muscular endurance.  
•	Maintain VO2max.  
•	Maintain base mileage and distance of long workouts.  

It is only possible to successfully build speed after the base (endurance) and strength phases have been completed. Never attempt to build speed until these two phases have been successfully completed. As you ease into the Speed Building phase, begin to tone down your supplemental strength building. When you hit the weights during this phase, aim for shorter sessions and lighter weights. This is not the time to dramatically increase your reps/sets.

During the Speed Building phase you will use short and very intense bouts of speed to train your body to move faster. When most people think of speed, they think of track based intervals. I strongly believe that traditional speed work - track based intervals - are counter productive for most adult (35 & up) athletes. Unless the goal event is a track race, I suggest never doing speed work on a track. The surface is hard, the turns are tight and it is hard to avoid “competition.” All of these factors lead to increased risk of injury. Unless a runner is under 35 and has been training continuously since leaving school, and at a high level, I never use track work for my athletes. You can achieve the same and greater speed by racing and using alternative training methods.

Instead of track work, use time trials, races and speed drills – on roads, trails and grass. The softer surface is important to avoid injury. This is also a good phase to do races – they will provide first-rate speed work and excellent competitive experience.

Focus on Time Trials and racing during this phase. Schedule two to three hard or fast workouts (speed workouts) each week. Three on the weeks you do not have a long run, two on the weeks you do. Continue with long workouts or add races or time trials to the weekend workouts. All other runs are Active Recovery - short, VERY easy.

Effort should be Zone III (100% to 105% of AT HR) and Zone IV (105% of AT HR to Max HR). These are hard and very hard efforts with a short duration (90% to 100% of Max HR). Also, it is important to remember to allow near full recovery between repeats of speed work. Get your HR back down to 65%-75% maximum before you start the next repeat.

Speed Phase is about training your motor control system to move you fast. Focus on running relaxed, at a heightened speed, and with good form. ALWAYS stop when your form breaks down. Listed below are four workouts that get the job done:

1. Time Trials or Race - Shorter in time than goal race. Run at 90%-95% effort.
2. Speed Intervals - Run 50/100 meters at a "Comfortably Fast" effort. Allow full recovery.
3. Speed Drills - Butt kicks, High Knees, High Knees/Skipping, High Knees/Hop (see list below).
4. Fartlek - (“Speed Play”) "Comfortably Fast" efforts for 30/60/120/240 seconds, return to comfortable pace.

Speed Tests

Use these two tests to measure your improvement during the Speed Building Phase. Test yourself at least monthly, if not every week.

30 meter Flying Start – Count strides and multiply by time (30 meters) = Speed Index. 3 trials with 5 minute rest.

Time Trials – Use a distance less than your goal race distance and run at near maximum effort.

Speed Drills
• Marching with High Knees
• Marching with High Knees with lower leg extension (“pawing” at the ground, not swinging out your lower leg)
• Skipping
• Skipping with High Knees
• Skipping with High Knees with lower leg extension (“pawing” at the ground, not swinging out your lower leg)
• Running with Skip and High Knee
• Running with Skip and High Knee with lower leg extension (“pawing” at the ground, not swinging out your lower leg)
• Maximum # Foot Contacts – in 10 seconds
• Sprints – 5 to 10 X 30 to 80 meters with 3 to 5 minute rest between
• Hills Sprints – both up and down a 10% grade, 100 meters
• Side Skipping – side step & cross-over
• Butt Kicks – alternate legs
• Jump Drill – with partners, 3 sets of 10
• High Knees – drill for 100 meters
• High Knees w/hop – drill for 100 meters
• Stride-Outs – 100 meters at comfortable, heightened, comfortable speed
• Fast Running – 100 meters comfortably fast with the wind behind you, focus on running tall, relaxed from the waist up, 3 minute jog recovery
• Fast Running with High Knees – 50 to 100 meters, bring knees up high and drive hard forward, using hip and ankles to “spring forward” 3 minute jog recovery
• Toe Running – lift up high on your toes as you run forward, 3 minute jog recovery
• Combine Fast Running, Fast Running with High Knees and Toe Running – 50 to 100 meters, 3 minute jog recovery
• Stride the Straight-aways, Jog the Turns – stride fast and relaxed through the straight-away and jog the turns, repeat six times, jog 15 minutes recovery
• Step Exercise – 3 sets of 10 each leg.
• Caterpillar or Indian Line Drill

Speed Workouts
• Run your goal distance divided into segments; i.e. 10 Km divided into ten 1 Km segments. Run each segment 2 to 3 seconds faster than goal pace. Start with 5 second recovery between segments and reduce the recovery period of time – 4 seconds the next session, 3 seconds the following session and so on.
• Experienced (with at least 3 years of continuous training) runners can add a speed workout after 4 to 6 weeks of base building, and 2 to 4 weeks after adding strength building.
• Always train each of the three components – cardiovascular (endurance), strength and speed.

Maintenance Phase (Taper, Goal Event) / Racing Phase

This is what you have been training for, your goal event. Enjoy it!

You should taper for 1 to 3 weeks prior to your goal event. While it is important to do some “fast” efforts every now and then during the taper, don’t overdo it. During this stage you want to reduce your weekly mileage and eliminate your long workouts. Don’t cut back on the number of workouts you do, rather cut back on the duration and intensity of each workout.

This is the time to allow your body to recover from all the hard work you’ve put it through. Get plenty of sleep, avoid stress and eat well. Stay focused on your goal. Stay positive.

Recovery Phase

This is a crucial phase that most all athletes overlook. After your new PR, this is the time to relax while you reduce your mileage and effort.

Recovery is the final component of Macro Periodization. This phase allows your body to rebuild after many months of hard work. In fact, the recovery phase is when you gain endurance, strength and speed. During the building phases you focus on varying systems so that they will adapt and improve. However, without the recovery period, your systems will not be able to adjust and progress from the stress. If you continually stress your body, your performance will plateau and eventually breakdown.

Phases and Duration

Phase Duration Description
Endurance 12 to 16 weeks Build distance - weekly totals as well as long workout.
Strength 8 weeks Strength Drills, Lactate Threshold workouts. Maintain distances and long workouts.
Speed 6 to 8 weeks Speed Drills, reduce distances and long workouts, but don't eliminate them. Begin racing.
Taper 1 to 2 weeks Maintain number of workouts, reduce duration and intensity. Maintain "fast" segments.
Racing 4 to 8 weeks Stay sharp, rest and enjoy.
Recovery 2 to 4 weeks Rest, easy workouts, no racing. Recharge.

Build for Two Years Ahead

The most beneficial part of this type of program is realized two years in the future. You will reap benefits during the first year you adopt this approach to your training, but the greatest benefit will be two years after you employ the Macro Periodization strategy.

Recommended Reading

My educational background in physical education, coaching and neurophysiology, my running as an adult, the many athletes and coaches I’ve worked with, along with these authors and researchers have greatly influenced my coaching and the ideas in this article. Here are some of the major influences.
Van Aaken Method, Ernst van Aaken, World Publications, 1976 (out of print) – called the “father of LSD.”
Running the Lydiard Way, Arthur Lydiard with Garth Gilmour, World Publications, 1978 (out of print)
Running with Lydiard, Arthur Lydiard with Garth Gilmour, Hodder and Stoughton, 1983 (out of print)
The Runner’s Coach, Roy Benson, Cedarwinds Publishing, 1994
Running to The Top, Arthur Lydiard in collaboration with Garth Gilmour, Meyer Verlag, 1997
Daniels’ Running Formula, Jack Daniels, Human Kinetics, 1998
Lactate Lift-off, Owen Anderson, SSS Publishing, 1998
Periodization, Theory and Methodology of Training, Fourth Edition, Tudor O. Bompa, Human Kinetics, 1999
Periodization Training for Sports, Tudor O. Bompa, Human Kinetics, 1999
Coach Benson’s “Secret” Workouts, Beaufort Books, 2003
Great Workouts for Popular Races, Owen Anderson, SSS Publishing, 2004
Run Strong, Kevin Beck editor, Human Kinetics, 2005
Running Research News, Owen Anderson editor, monthly newsletter reviewing research

Remember, it is imperative to create a base endurance and build strength to reach your optimum performance in the next two phases of macro-periodization: speed and racing maintenance.

Neil L. Cook, BS, MS, MEd has been a successful coach since 1965. A former physical education teacher, he’s been a runner and triathlete since 1978. He has a BS in Physical Education, Kinesiology, Biomechanics, Exercise Physiology, and coaching; a MS in Physical Education and Motor Learning; a MEd in Motor learning and Neurophysiology; and has completed PhD coursework in Motor Learning and Neurophysiology. He successfully coaches athletes at all levels, who have not only reached their goals but have won numerous awards and set personal goals.

Peak Running Performance Is The Number 1 Technical Running Newsletter In America!

© Copyright 2005 Peak Running Performance. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with permission