Conditioning WODs Week 1
It's been a very long time, but I'm bringing these back:
A lot of the workouts I post will have an RPE prescription. Check out this web page for the Running RPE Chart.
Lmk if there are any questions:
Basic Speed:
Short Duration Aerobic Run Intervals: Perform 4 sets of 4 x 15sec runs with 45secs standing rest and 2min between sets. These should be run at 60-70% of your perceived max speed. They are fast-ish but definitely not sprints. This will introduce some basic speed and will eventually progress to full-blown sprint work (which will actually only be programmed here very sparingly). If you're very out of shape, this will also serve as a short but excellent aerobic stimulus. Think of these as being somewhere around your 1-1.5mi pace.
Stack this with a 20-30min session at your Vt1 Pace on any modality (see the third section below; jogging, treadmill walk w/incline, bike, etc.) as a cool-down and to further prolong metabolic exposure to the session. You can go longer if you'd like, just keep it easy.
Tempo Runs:
I have come to learn that "Tempo Runs" are defined differently by coaches in the distance running world (with all sorts of variations) and coaches in the strength & conditioning world. Being from a distance running background, I'm going to use the definition as I've known it all my life. Tempo runs are longer, continuous efforts that are faster than easy pace/ zone 2 pace. They can be broken up into intervals of 1 kilometer, 5mins, 10mins, etc., depending on their use (these are often called "tempo pieces"). They are highly aerobic in nature and usually run between zone 3/ Marathon pace and Lactate Threshold efforts, but sometimes are run faster.
After a thorough warm-up, perform 3 sets of 5 minutes at RPE4-6 with 2-3min standing/walking rest in between.
After the session, perform 20-40min on any non-running modality at your Vt1 Pace (see the third section below).
LSD / Easy Pace / Base Runs / Zone 2 Work
There are a ton of different names for these. I've known them all my life as "easy runs." Regardless of what you call them, they serve the same purpose: structural adaptations in the form of mitochondrial development, capillary development, cardiac hypertrophy, reinforcement of mechanics, etc. This is basically low-fatiguing aerobic development. You can put in a lot of this kind of work and recover well with almost no residual fatigue.
Perform 20-120mins on any modality at "Vt1 Pace"
- A note: You'll have to use your judgment a bit and make a decision about what volume you start off with on a particular modality, especially if you are new to that modality. Newer runners should definitely not start off with 90mins, for example, even if the efforts are lower here. Be smart. If you are very out of shape or particularly overweight, a lower skill modality not involving high force management like Treadmill Walking w/an incline or stationary bike may be a great option here.
For determining your Vt1 pace, which is essentially the top end of zone 2, we're going to use a "talk-test" that will serve as an excellent proxy day-to-day or week-to-week for this effort. Pick a 10-15 word sentence that you use often during the entire session. The sentence should be something you can complete pretty easily before having to take a breath. If you cannot complete the sentence, you're going too fast. This effort should be pretty conversational.