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Hadd's Approach To Distance Running

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Tinytia Oct 2009 3:16pm, 10 Oct 2009 1,227 posts	Quote Pin Tinytia How can you keep all the 'balls' in the air though el-bee, I sure I pick up one ball at the detriment(sp?) of 'dropping ' another
eL Bee! Oct 2009 3:21pm, 10 Oct 2009 10,391 posts	Quote Pin eL Bee! Tinytia - I base my running around getting in the miles - sometimes by splitting runs and running a couple of times instead of once (it's remarkably easy to find those windows of opportunity if you are looking for them) - and once I have a target race, I'll add in some specific work for that. The other thing that I have stopped doing is long tapers. For targeted races I'll only do a short taper for non-target races that I'm using to see where I am from a pace/endurance perspective, I'll train through and be training again on the Monday. My current marathon PB was run on a 3 day taper, proir to a 12 day cut back to the 10 in 10 (which was THE target)
Big Al Widepants Oct 2009 3:21pm, 10 Oct 2009 3,486 posts	Quote Pin Big Al Widepants Personally speaking I'd given the interval/specific stuff plenty of goes but it was the simple framework that hadd provides as much as anything else that allowed me to continue training when I'm sure I would have given up with other methods. In fact I did. So a plan that gives you the mental strength to stick with it is worth more than one that might work as well physiologically but makes you too p*ssed off to train to it.
Tinytia Oct 2009 3:28pm, 10 Oct 2009 1,228 posts	Quote Pin Tinytia thanks for your input guys... def made me think I like the idea of fitting in running whenever you can because quite often I've 'binned' a run knowing I would struggle to fit it in timewise but not considered doing a couple of shorter runs instead.
Fenland Runner Oct 2009 6:06pm, 10 Oct 2009 4,654 posts	Quote Pin Fenland Runner Big picture versus short term... Missing one run or moving one run, does it really make that much difference. Isn't training cumulative over many months, even years. Little steps on that path of continually improvement?
Boab Oct 2009 6:31pm, 10 Oct 2009 5,609 posts	Quote Pin Boab I think you are missing the point of the Hadd document guys. It is a base training method only, part of a periodisation programme. He goes into further discussions with other coaches on the lets run forums regarding specific distance training. This is purely to get the base or foundation fitness. Maintaining this all year round is what you need to do and your Sunday long run plus another longish run should suffice during the week. The remaining sessions will be about target race distance training and recovery. The question comes to how long you want to base train for. In early 2008 I was training under a different programme and my base training lasted 12 weeks. I was starting to feel stronger and my half marathon PB tumbled in Inverness, but my coach took me off base training and went to hill work etc. My times actually got worse. My opinion was that I didn't spent enough time in the phase of training. So last August I decided that I would try base training for 6 months, all through winter. It just so happens that I entered two marathon this year, May and September, so the mileage has remained consistent all year round. However if I had been targetting 10K's this summer, then my mileage would have dropped a little and there would be interval/tempo based work in there. Hadd is NOT slow running. There is slow running in it, but it is not all slow, the sub LT runs are tough when you are running for 90 minutes at that pace.
Bazoaxe Oct 2009 6:41pm, 10 Oct 2009 788 posts	Quote Pin Bazoaxe Boab, a ver enlightening post and actually sounds very like my normal training approach which would normally kick off with a build up of miles at no specific pace the key being 1 x Sunday long run and a couple of medium ish ones during the week with other shorter stuff. I will probbaly have 1 run per weej at tempo / race pace. As marathon approaches, I am adding miles and also doing more marathon pace / tempo type stuff
Fenland Runner Oct 2009 7:02pm, 10 Oct 2009 4,657 posts	Quote Pin Fenland Runner Agree with Bazoaxe - great post Boab. If I may, can you give further insight into the sub LT runs? What pace do you run them at?
jamborigg Oct 2009 7:16pm, 10 Oct 2009 978 posts	Quote Pin jamborigg I think your lt runs depend on your own heart rate ,mine would be in the range of 155-160 which certainly wont be slow running ,is the key to build your lt runs if so what sort of miles or time is a good starter
Boab Oct 2009 7:44pm, 10 Oct 2009 5,610 posts	Quote Pin Boab FR, I was running them about 6 m/m pace at the peak of training. This is slower than marathon pace (5:45 in berlin) and far slower than half marathon pace of 5:30. The actual purpose of them is to improve your lactate threashold based on about 80% of your Max HR. Pushing that threshold up. When I started off running at this effort, my pace was about 7 m/m. I am hoping over the winter that I can get down close to averaging 5:55 or even lower. Bazo, sounds like a good plan for the marathon. Personallly I just went for Marathon paced efforts, once a week and a sub LT run. They were my only 'sessions'. Hey Jambo, how did you find today? I hate cross country, all I ever do it trip myself up or kick my own legs!!!