Quoted message said:It seems like Periodic training would work great if I was already near
my goal times and I was training for a specific race.
This is a general issuerunners have to deal with -- there are often a series
of goal races and not just one.
Quoted message said:But I want to improve my core running speed - not just for the peak of
next season, but something that I can maintain during the entire season
and something that I can build upon over the next three years.
Yep, one of the first "fundamental training principles" Noakes outlines is,
"train frequently, year round".
Having said that, you can do this with or without a periodised approach.
With the periodised approach, you aim to hit a higher peak each time.
Quoted message said:The plus sides of my racing this year is that I *feel* much stronger.
My legs *look* much stronger.
None of these mean a whole lot though.
Quoted message said:The running is not as painful in an
Olympic distance race as it was last year (I'm not comming off the bike
totally blown). I've had some very good brick workouts that were at
race pace - and I had one race where I was pleased with the run effort
(all pre-peak). I also like my coaches philosophy of lots of speed
(track) work and recovery runs - and not much in-between. (Either on
or off - "run fast to get fast" and "when you're resting you're getting
stronger"😉.
"Recovery runs" are not "resting", they are a way to get some aerobic work
without beating yourself up too much.
So "run slow to run fast" is the other side of the equation.
Quoted message said:The problem is that despite feeling, and looking fast. And despite
hitting my targets at the track. I have not been able to put it
together in a race - nor maintain it through out the season.
It's impossible by definition to maintain "peak condition" through a season.
Quoted message said:I read recently that some running coaches actually dismiss the notion
of periodic training and instead adhere to a systematic consistant
incremental approach. (The 2-5% weekly increase in workload approach)
2-5% compounded over several years is a lot. You always reach a point of
diminishing returns.
Having said that, there are indeed runners such as Robert De Castella who
basically did the same thing every week (in his case: hard hill reps, long
run, track work, and a shorter long run)
Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi
http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/