Crossing the Golden Training Divide: The Science and Practice of Training World-Class 800- and 1500-m Runners

Haugen, Thomas; Sandbakk, Øyvind; Enoksen, Eystein; Seiler, Stephen; Tønnessen, Espen

doi:10.1007/s40279-021-01481-2

Table 6 Case study examples of training weeks for an Olympic 800-m champion and European 1500-m champion across the annual cycle

From: Crossing the Golden Training Divide: The Science and Practice of Training World-Class 800- and 1500-m Runners

Day	800-m champion (Vebjørn Rodal)	1500-m champion (Arturo Casado)
Mid-to-late preparation period
Mon	M: 8 km long run (z1–2) + 20 min drills E: 3–4 km warm-up (z1–2) + stretching + 10 min drills + 5 × 100 m strides (z8) + 8 × 1000 m VO_2max intervals (z4), rec. 1 min + 1–2 km cool down (z1) + 4 × 100 m strides (z8)	M: 14 km long run (z1) E: 10 km long run (z1)
Tue	M: Rest E: Warm-up with basketball + stretching + 10 min drills + 5 × 100 m strides (z8) + 3 × (3 × 4) vertical & (3 × 5) horizontal jumps + 20 × 20–75 steps of running and jumping in stairs with walk down rec. and 6 min set-break + core exercises 20 min	M: 14 km long run (z1) + Drills + Hurdles technique + 10 × 400 m lactate tolerance training (z6), rec. 1 min + 1 km cool down (z1) E: 10 km long run (z1)
Wed	M: 8 km long run (z1–2) + 5 × 100 m strides (z8) + stretching E: 4 km warm-up (z1–2) + 10 min drills + 5 × 80 m strides (z8) + 2 × 10 × 200m lactate tolerance training (z6), rec. 1 min and set-break 6 min + 1–2 km cool down (z1) + stretching	M: 3 km warm-up (z1) + Strength training + 14 km long run (z1) + 18 × 100 m hill repeats (z7/8), rec. easy jog back + 3 km cool down (z1) + plyometrics E: Rest
Thu	M: 3 km warm-up (z1–2) + plyometrics and strength training without weights 2 × 10 exercises (20/20 s work/recovery) E: 4 km warm-up (z1–2) + stretching + 10 min drills + 5 × 100 m strides (z8) + 10 × 1 min VO_2max intervals (z5), rec. 1 min + 1 km cool down (z1) + 4 × 100 m strides (z8)	M: 4 km warm-up (z1) + 10 × 1000 m VO_2max intervals (z4), rec. 1:30 min + 3 km cool down (z1) E: 10 km long run (z1)
Fri	M: Rest E: 6 km warm-up (z1–2) + stretching + 10 min drills + 5 × 100 m strides (z8) + 3 × 200 m lactate production training (z7) and 3 × 100 m sprint (z8), rec. 4 min and set-break 8 min + 1 km (z1)	M: 3 km warm-up (z1) + Strength training + 16 km long run (z1/2) + drills + 6 × 100 m strides (z8) E: Rest
Sat	M: 3 km warm-up (z1–2) + stretching + 10 min drills + 5 × 100 m strides (z8) + 90 min. explosive weight training E: 12 km progressive run (z1–3)	M: 4 km warm-up (z1) + 2 × 6000 m anaerobic threshold intervals (z3), rec. 2 min + 3 km cool down (z1) E: Rest
Sun	M: 2 h long run (z1) E: Rest	M: 12 km long run (z1) E: Rest
	Weekly total of ~ 110 km (75% LIT, 17% HIT, 4% VHIT and 4% SST)	Weekly total of ~ 152 km (81% LIT, 8% MIT, 7% HIT, 3% VHIT and 1% SST)
Mon	M: 6 km warm-up (z1–2) + 20 min. drills E: 4 km warm-up (z1–2) + 10 min. drills + 5 × 100 m strides (z8) + 2 × 10 × 200m lactate tolerance training (z6), rec. 1 min and set-break 6 min + 1–2 km cool down (z1)	M: 14 km long run (z1) + Drills + Hurdles technique + 15 × 200 m lactate tolerance training (z6) with 100 m easy jog in between (each 200 m in 29 s on average + 1 km cool down (z1) E: 10 km long run (z1)
Tue	M: 12 km long run (z1) E: Warm-up with basketball + stretching + 10 min drills + 5 × 100 m strides (z8) + 3 × (3 × 4) vertical and (3 × 5) horizontal jumps + 15 × 20–75 steps of running and jumping in stairs with walk down rec. and 6 min. set-break + 20 min. core exercises	M: 3 km warm-up (z1) + Strength training + 5 km (z1) + Fartlek (5, 4, 3, 2, 3 and 2 min. running in z3 with easy jog z1–2 in between corresponding to half the repetition time) + 1 km cool down (z1) E: 10 km long run (z1)
Pre-competition period
Wed	M: 6 km warm-up (z1–2) + 4 × 100 m strides (z8) + stretching E: 4 km warm-up (z1–2) + 10 min drills + 6 × 100 m strides (z8) + 4 × 300 m and 4 × 100 m lactate production training (z7), rec. 4 min and set-break 8 min + 1 km cool down (z1) + stretching	M: 14 km long run (z1) + 12 × 100 m hill repeats (z7/8), rec. easy jog back + 3 km cool down (z1) + plyometrics E: Rest
Thu	M: 5 km warm-up (z1) + 20 min drills E: 4 km warm-up (z1–2) + 10 min drills + 5 × 100 m strides (z8) + 10 × 1 min VO_2max intervals on treadmill (z5), rec. 1 min + 1–2 km cool down (z1)	M: 6 km warm-up (z1) + drills + 5 × 1200 m VO_2max intervals (z5), rec. 3 min + 1 km cool down (z1) E: 10 km long run (z1)
Fri	M: Rest E: 3 km warm-up (z1–2) + stretching + 10 min drills + 5 × 100 m strides (z8) + 3 × (150–120–100 m) lactate production training (z7), rec. 3 min and set-break 6 min + 1–2 km cool down (z1)	M: 3 km warm-up (z1) + Strength training + 16 km long run (z1) + drills + 3 × 3 × 60 m sprints (z8), rec. walk back and set-break 3 min E: Rest
Sat	M: 3 km warm-up (z1–2) + plyometrics and strength training without weights 2 × 10 exercises (20/20 s work/recovery) E: 4 km warm-up (z1–2) + 3 × 600 m, 3 × 400 m and 3 × 200 m lactate tolerance training (z6), rec. 4 min and set-break 10 min + 1 km cool down (z1) + stretching	M: 4 km warm-up (z1) + 8 km AT run (z3) + 4 km cool down (z1) E: Rest
Sun	M: 15–20 km long run (z1) on road or treadmill E: Rest	M: 14 km long run (z1) E: Rest
	Weekly total of ~ 100 km (77% LIT, 10% HIT, 10% VHIT and 3% SST)	Weekly total of ~ 147 km (82% LIT, 11% MIT, 4% HIT, 2% VHIT and 1% SST)
Competition period
Mon	M: 5 km warm-up (z1–2) + 4 × 100 m strides (z8) + stretching E: 3 km warm-up (z1–2) + 10 min drills + 5 × 100 m strides (z8) + 200–400–600–600–400–200 m lactate tolerance training (z6) rec. 1–3 min + 1 km cool down (z1) + stretching	M: 6 km warm-up (z1) + drills + 3 × 4 × 200 m lactate tolerance training (at 25 s on average; z6), rec 1 min and set-break 3 min + 1 km cool down (z1) E: 6 km recovery run (z1)
Tue	M: Rest E: 6 km warm-up (z1–2) + 10 min drills + 4 × 4 × 4 vertical and 6 × 30 m horizonal jumps, rec. 1 min + 10 × 20–30 jumps in stairs with walk down rec	M: 6 km AT run at 3:10 min. per km (z3) + 6 km fartlek [4 × (1 km in 3 min and 500 m in 1:40 min), 18:40 in total (z3)] + 2 km (z1) E: Rest
Wed	M: 8 km long run (z1–2) + 4 × 100 m strides (z8) E: 3 km warm-up (z1–2) + 10 min drills + 5 × 100 m strides (z8) + 2 × 5 × 200 m lactate tolerance/production training (z6–7), rec. 2 min and set-break 10 min + 1 km cool down (z1)	M: 6 km warm-up (z1) + drills + 4 × 1000 m VO_2max intervals (2:30 min. on average, z5), rec. 3 min. + 2 km cool down (z1) E: 6 km recovery run (z1)
Thu	M: Rest E: 3 km warm-up (z1) + 10 min drills + 5 × 100 m strides (z8) + 5 × 100 m near-maximal sprints (z8), 1–2 min rec. + plyometrics and strength training without weights 20 min	M: 12 km long run (z1) + Strength training + drills + 6 × 100 m strides (z8) E: Rest
Fri	M: Rest E: 3 km warm-up (z1–2) + 10 min drills + 4 × 100 m strides + 2 × 400 m lactate production training (z7), rec. 10 min + 1–2 km cool down (z1)	M: 6 km warm-up (z1) + drills + 3 × 4 × 300 m lactate tolerance training, each run at 40 s on average (z6), rec. 1 and set-break 3 min + 1 km cool down (z1) E: 6 km recovery run (z1)
Sat	M: 5 km warm-up + 10 min drills + 4 × 100 m strides (z8) E: 4 km warm-up (z1–3) + drills, strides and speed work + 800 m competition + 1–2 km cool down (z1)	M: 15 km long run (z1) + drills + 6 × 100 m strides (z8) E: Rest
Sun	M: 8 km recovery run (z1) E: Rest	M: 6 km warm up (z1) + drills + 8 × 150 m lactate production training with 4 kg ballast (at 16–17 s on average; z7), rec. 3 min. + 1 km cool down (z1) E: 6 km recovery run (z1)
	Weekly total of ~ 63 km (84% LIT, 10% VHIT and 6% SST)	Weekly total of ~ 106 km (77% LIT, 11% MIT, 4% HIT, 7% VHIT and 1% SST)

Zone 1 running was performed at ~ 3:40 min·km⁻¹ for Casado and ~ 3:55 min·km⁻¹ for Rodal. Drills for Rodal consisted of 2–3 × 30 m ankle triplings, high knees, butt kicks, straight-leg bounce and other running-specific exercises. Drills for Casado consisted of 2 × 40 m high knees, butt kicks, straight-leg bounce, forward skip, double leg bounce, forward lung and brief sprinting. Hurdle technique for Casado consisted of four exercises over 6–8 hurdles with 1–2 steps in between. Strength training for Rodal consisted of explosive full and half squats, step-ups for each leg, bench flies, arm-movement simulations and toe lift at 30–70% of one repetition maximum, in addition to running-specific core exercises without weights. Strength training for Casado consisted of 3 × (6 × full squat, dead lift, step-ups for each leg, bench press at 50–70% of one repetition maximum, plus other exercises such as hamstring curls, calf raises and core strength. Stairwork for Rodal consisted of high-frequency running, one-leg and two-leg jumps. Plyometrics for Casado consisted of 2 × 50 m one-leg bounding for each leg and 2 × 50 m two-leg bounding on grass. Vertical plymetrics for Rodal consisted of hurdle jumps, while horizontal plyometrics consisted of one-leg jumps and various steps/”sprunglauf” exercises. The training program for Casado was designed by Arturo Martín-Tagarro
M morning session, E evening session, z training zone (see Table 4), AT anaerobic threshold

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