Large Volume Slow Versus Less Volume Faster.
For many years, debate has raged between advocates of the two extremes of training for middle distances. We have had athletes on well over 160km a week running great times in 1500m and some running very fast on a much smaller volume, in some cases, less than 100km a week.
Both extremes of training can work for an athlete. What the high-volume athlete lacks in intensity can be ‘made up’ from the benefits of the slow stimulus of volumes of aerobic running. What the lower volume athlete lacks in volume can be ‘made up’ for with extra intensity. However, both extremes have trade-offs and risks, which is essential when working out what is best for a given athlete.
The high volume of athletes runs the risk of overuse injuries, mainly if the training includes a high percentage on the roads. They also risk lowering running efficiency at race pace if suitable formwork is not done to compensate for the potentially damaging effects of running slower most of the time. The athlete can lose speed & ease of speed. Some would argue that increased mitochondrial density and capillarization brought about more extensively by high-volume training will improve efficiency – as will the extra muscular conditioning of the lower legs from running slowly with a minimal knee lift.
High-Intensity Low Volume
Because of the higher intensity, the low-volume athlete will face a much higher risk of overtraining & burnout both mentally and physically. I know of athletes whose immune systems let them down, and they became repeatedly sick because of the steady regime of highly anaerobic work they were doing for most of each year. I believe athletes don’t last long like this; they have short careers. This may be especially true for female athletes.
Many of the best athletes in the World who lasted for the longest were higher-volume athletes like John Walker.
The Solution
I believe the answer to the debate is to do both: periodize (plan) the year smartly, build to high volumes in the offseason on softer, varied surfaces, and be cautious with highly lactic speedwork, save it for the pre-comp period. Let athletes aim for goals within the next 3 months, XC races, etc. But in base-building periods, train at intensities that are certainly well within the coping capacities of the athlete.
Do good running form – “ease of speed” development sessions most of the year, but keep the volumes and intensities at a level that fits with the volume the athletes are doing. By intensity, I mean lactic intensity, e.g. 4 x 150m at high speed, is not nearly as intense as 4 x 200m at the same speed. The extra 50m puts the athlete into the lactic zone much more, just like 4 x 300m at the same speed would be much more intense again.
Speed can be developed and maintained safely in terms of musculoskeletal injuries from sessions of faster, shorter reps with a total session volume of reps of less than 1000m, e.g. 4-6 x 150m at a reasonable speed with plenty of rest (2min+)and 8min between sets if needed. This is a very effective “ease of speed” development and form workout that is not intense (especially if rests are longer, like more than 5 minutes).
Do some Faster Reps with God Forbid LONG RESTS
There is a common tendency for endurance squads to focus almost exclusively on interval training with short rests between reps. The forgotten diamond is building toward peak season to do interval sessions with much longer rests at very high intensity. Examples are:
3 x 400m rest 8min at faster then 1st lap of an 800m race pace.
5 x 300m rest 5min at faster than 1st lap 800m race pace.
800-600-400 with 12min active rest at 1500m race pace and better.
4 x 200m rest 5min at 400m race pace
The above sessions are the missing ingredients in many programs.
The only way they could be anywhere near replaced is with racing itself.
I once saw a 1:47 800m athlete do 3 x flying start 400m runs in mid47s with only 8 min rest in between. This was a much tougher ordeal physiologically than an 800m race.
Managed Intensity
With sessions like 4 x 2000m rest 3 min, there are many ways to run it.
They can be run at 5000m pace or faster, i.e. as hard as the athlete possibly can.
They could also be done at approximately 10000m race pace, above the Anaerobic threshold pace. The 10km pace version is much more sustainable over many months of base training. A long warmup and a long warm-down can easily precede it. The faster “eyeballs out” approach to the session is undoubtedly not something an athlete can sustain for many months. They may get gains in Vo2max. Training is all about having optimal adaptation, not just quick adaptation. Sometimes, slow adaptations from many areas can add to elite performances. Athletes can sit at a level where just 2 months of comp prep intense training. Then, combined with racing, it can lift them to a super high level. This can be from a pretty low-intensity regime of significant volume. But they need those ease-of-speed sessions to be comfortable running fast again.
Caution with Female Athletes from Prolonged Intensity.
I believe now, especially with female athletes transitioning from juniors to seniors. We need to increase the volume & be cautious with the intensity. But continue the speed development. Most will last better if their bodies suit it on 80-100km a week of steady running. Rather than 40-60km of hard, fast running.
Get the right dosage of Training – Don’t Force it.
Athletes must do the volume that their biomechanical structures can handle. They should also train at the intensity that their physiology can cope with. Eventually, their ability to adapt to both at the right time is the key to optimal performances in MD events.
Manage the happiness at Training.
Loving their training & variety of stimuli is the key. Putting enough solid work in that the effects over a more extended period. May unveil unexpected improvements in performance when the time is right.
Having a large group of training pals and doing sessions they can do together without racing each other. This key to long-term longevity for senior athletes and those transitioning from late school years to jobs/uni. It keeps them in the sport long enough to mature. Training in isolation is risking early retirement.