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Joe Rubio's Middle Distance Guide Joe Rubio’s Fundamental Training Principles for the Competitive 1500m Runner. TRAINING SUGGESTIONS FOR US POST COLLEGIATE CLUB LEVEL ATHLETES .....................................................................................4 ATHLETE PROFILE..........................................................................................4 MANUAL FOCUS ..............................................................................................4 MANUAL ASSUMPTIONS .................................................................................5 INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................9 THE 1500M AS AN AEROBIC EVENT............................................................13 DEFINITION OF TRAINING TYPES...................................................................13 DEFINITION OF “TRUE BASE” TRAINING:.................................................18 PACES DEFINED ..............................................................................................19 Aerobic Paces .................................................................................................19 Anaerobic Paces .............................................................................................21 Phosphate........................................................................................................21 Other Definitions............................................................................................21 TRAINING PRINCIPLES..........................................................................26 RACES:............................................................................................................38 RECOVERY DAYS/WEEKS:...........................................................................41 OTHER HELPFUL HINTS: .............................................................................42 SUGGESTED TRAINING OUTLINE ................................................................49 SUMMER/FALL SUGGESTED WEEKLY OUTLINE: .........................................50 WEEKLY COMPONENTS FOR SUMMER/FALL PHASE:...................................51 WORKOUTS: XC AEROBIC ENDURANCE PHASE (8/1-10/1) .......................52 Specific workouts 8/1-9/1:.............................................................................52 Specific workouts 9/1-10/1............................................................................53 WORKOUTS: XC RACE PREPARATION PHASE (10/1-12/1):........................54 Specific workouts 10/1-11/1:.........................................................................54 Winter/Spring (12/15-7/1): ............................................................................57 TRANSITION PHASE (12/15-1/1): ...................................................................57 1/1-3/1 Weekly Outline..................................................................................58 Weekly Components for True Base :............................................................58 TRACK AEROBIC ENDURANCE PHASE (1/1-3/1): TRUE BASE PHASE ........59 Scheduled Workouts 1/1-2/1:........................................................................59 Scheduled Workouts 2/1-3/1:........................................................................60 TRACK PRE-COMP PHASE 3/1-5/1: FINALLY TIME TO BECOME A MILER! .62 3/1-5/1 Weekly Outline ................................................................................. 63 Specific Workouts 3/1-5/1: ........................................................................... 64 COMP PHASE (5/1-7/1)................................................................................... 66 Scheduled Workouts Comp Phase 5/1-7/1:.................................................. 67 APPENDIX I: ............................................................................................... 69 FALL PROGRESSIONS:.................................................................................. 69 TRANSITION MONTH (8/1-9/1) ...................................................................... 69 MONTH #1 (9/1-10/1): ................................................................................... 70 MONTH #2 (10/1-11/1): ................................................................................. 70 MONTH #3 (11/1-12/1): ................................................................................. 70 SPRING PROGRESSION: ................................................................................ 72 MONTH #1 (1/1-2/1)....................................................................................... 72 MONTH #2 (2/1-3/1):...................................................................................... 72 MONTH #3 (3/1-4/1):...................................................................................... 73 MONTH #4 (4/1-5/1):...................................................................................... 73 MONTH #5 (5/1-6/1):...................................................................................... 73 Joe Rubio’s Fundamental Training Principles for the Competitive 1500m Runner 3 Training Suggestions for US Post Collegiate Club Level Athletes Questions or comments can be forwarded to Joe Rubio ([email protected]). “The person who makes a success of living is the one who sees his goal steadily and aims for it unswervingly.” Cecil B DeMille Athlete Profile This manual is intended for the competitive post collegiate middle distance runner who has recently completed their college eligibility. Manual Focus There are really no training “secrets” hidden within these pages. 95% of what’s written here is the same information you’d find in books written by Harry Wilson, Dr. Joe Vigil, Ray/Benson, Martin/Coe and others, it’s just written from a slightly different perspective. There is not a profound fundamental difference in training schedules between this manual and those texts, which is a good thing. It implies that there is an established successful route to follow if racing a fast mile is your goal, this one follows a similar path. This manual was initially written to serve as a reminder to the author of what training worked for his milers over the years. In subsequent seasons it has served as a guide to potential athletes on exactly what the author’s training philosophy entails. This manual is based on the same fundamental training principles that the majority of top middle distance runners have used with success since the 1960’s. Additionally, several current concepts have been incorporated based on recent data from reliable sources. The 4 Joe Rubio’s Fundamental Training Principles for the Competitive 1500m Runner primary thing to take away from this manual is that the major training themes that have worked for the past 40 years continue to be valid today. You just have to follow them for a few seasons and they will pay off. Manual Assumptions Assumption #1: The athlete following the suggestions in this manual is an experienced middle distance runner looking to make significant improvements in their ability to race a 1500 or mile. These athletes should have at least 4-8 years of experience racing and training at a competitive level. This program is not intended for beginners. This program assumes that the athlete will use race results as the basis for determining the success of their program. The goal for the athlete following this program should be to improve significantly enough that they are able to set PR’s and are capable of racing athletes that they were previously unable to compete against. The expectations are for the athlete following this program to race regularly throughout each season and to determine in a competitive situation if they are having success with their training or not. Assumption #2: A sound training program that includes an emphasis on ALL areas of fitness such as aerobic conditioning, anaerobic conditioning (tempo work), long runs, doubles day, aerobic capacity (VO2max development), anaerobic capacity (top end speed) and recovery are the most important factors in influencing how well you race. Nutrition, flexibility, plyometrics, drills, weights and many other ancillary training protocols are secondary in importance to the actual training schedule you follow. This is not meant to imply that these ancillary items are not important to 1500m success, they certainly are. Unfortunately many athletes loose sight of the fundamental training that will have the most profound positive effect on their racing times. These athletes spend a disproportionate amount of time focusing on ancillary items while taking shortcuts in the training that will pay the biggest dividends. This manual covers the fundamental training needed to become a Joe Rubio’s Fundamental Training Principles for the Competitive 1500m Runner 5 competitive 1500 runner and provides an overview of workout schedules that consistently gain improvements in the race times of the athlete’s who use them. The ancillary training such as those listed above are not covered in this manual. For a very good source on these items, please refer to: http://www.brianmac.demon.co.uk/ . Assumption #3: Real improvement requires a multi-year commitment. Post collegiate running should be viewed along a timeline similar to high school and college. High school and college careers are generally divided into four-year time periods. It is within these four-year time segments that most athletes learn what it takes to compete at that level. Training loads and race expectations increase over
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