Understanding progression

Let's talk about progression in training.

Actually, let's first of all define progression so we all understand what it means.

In last week's article I discussed how someone wishing to run a new Personal Best (PB) in next month's half marathon might be going to the track once per week at this stage and run a set of repetitions at race pace.

I gave the example of someone running 4-6 sets of one mile (four laps at Marsa track) at race pace and slowly jogging 200-400m in between before beginning the next repetition.

They might begin with four repetitions (usually shortened to "repeats" or "reps") at first, and slowly build over the weeks to six at the same pace.

Assuming the runner gets to the stage where he/she can handle six mile reps at race pace, what should they do next?

In other words, what is the progression for this type of training?

There are a number of options: Should they go down the following week and try and run them faster? Should they shorten the length of the recovery jog? Should they make each rep longer than four laps?

As you can see, there are a number of alternatives available, and if the athlete is to continue to improve, they must make the right choice, because not all options will lead to a faster performance in the race.

Many runners believe the obvious choice is to go down in subsequent weeks and try and run the mile repeats faster.

That is, if this week your average was six mile reps at 7:00 minutes per mile (which is your target Half Marathon pace) with 200m jog recovery, they believe that the perfect training would be to go down to the track the following week and try and run the same six reps at 6:50m/m.

In actual fact, this would not be the optimal way to train to be able to maintain 7:00m/m in the half marathon.

Although it appears perfectly logical that if you can run six reps of one mile at faster than race pace, then race pace will "feel" easier, this turns out not to be so in practice.

Longer repetitions

The optimal progression for such training would be to go down the following week and make each repetition longer.

Instead of six reps of four laps, aim for five reps of five laps.

All the while maintaining the same running pace and the same length of recovery jog.

The total distance run in the workout is roughly the same, but if you can run the reps as five laps instead of four laps, you are on your way to becoming a much stronger runner.

And once you can master the five sets of five laps, the best progression is to lengthen them again: to four sets of six laps, then three sets of eight laps; all the time maintaining the same running pace and the same length of recovery jog between reps.

A long distance runner who can run three sets of eight laps at half marathon race pace is much better trained than someone who can only manage six sets of four laps at the same pace.

If you can only run four laps and then need a short break, you are not as race-ready as someone who can handle eight laps at the same pace before requiring the same brief jog.

In a half marathon race, the runner who can handle the longer reps will usually win.

So, your aim in training should not be to run (much) faster than race pace, in the hope that this will somehow make race pace feel easier on race day. Your body doesn't work that way.

To progress in training you must always aim to become better able to handle race pace (whatever the race distance, not just for half marathons) for longer and longer periods of time.