Early Season Training

Here are some examples of  early season training broken-up into New or Just Starting Runners and Returning or Experienced Runners. Also you may be someplace in-between. Don't think that the training below is written-in-stone as the most important part of your training is constancy and getting in the weekly long run. Don't skip a lot of days.... try to run nearly every day. Each day, unless stated otherwise you should do the strides as explained in the post immediately below this one. Let me know if you want me to set-up a Google Docs training log just for you. That's the best way for me to keep track of your training on an individual basis. All I ask is that you use it and post to it after every workout.... Coach Green


Just Starting or New Runner                              Returning or Experienced Runner
Day 1...   25 Minutes Base                                      35 Minutes Base
Day 2...   25 Minutes Base                                      35 Minutes Base
Day 3...   35 Minutes Base (Strides After Run)       45 minutes Base (Strides after Run)
Day 4...   See Post Below for  Pomona hills            See Post Below for  Pomona hills    
Day 5...   25 Min Base  - No Strides                        35 Min Base - No Strides
Day 6...   25 Min Base                                             35 Min Base
Day 7...   Rest                                                           Rest
Day 8...   35 Minutes of Base                                  45 Minutes of Base
Day 9...   See Post Below for 400s                          See Post Below for 400s
Day 10...   25 Min Base                                           35 Min Base
Day 11.... 35 Min Base                                            45 Min Base
Day 12...  25 Min Base                                            35 Min Base
Day 13         See Post Below for Pomona Hills … Both groups do the hills
Day 14...   Rest                                                          Rest
Day 15...  40 Min Base - No Strides                        45 Min Base - No Strides
Day 16 ... 20 Minute Tempo Run
Take your best 1600/mile time from track this season and add 20 seconds.
Then look at the Daniels Table at the top of this blog to find your tempo pace.
For Example someone  at 4:27 would use 4:46 for a tempo pace of 5:40 or so.
Someone at 5:32 would use 5:52 for a tempo pace of around 6:53.
After a 2 mile warm-up and dynamics try to hold this pace for 20 minutes.
If you can't without it feeling like a race, jog for a couple of minutes and start back up. Continue like this until you've run at pace for 20 minutes.
New runners .... just guess at it and run progressively faster than you normally would for a base run.
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Pomona Hills:
2 mile dynamic warm-up
Jog 1st mile. 2nd mile bounding, skipping, last 200 very fast
6 x 120 - 200 meter hills From the Sidewalk along Pomona next to the playground to 8th street in Adella.
Jog back down.
2 mile jog home .... core after hills or at home.

400 Meters Race Pace Workout
2 mile dynamic warm-up.
8 x 400 at current 5k race pace
See the tab at the top of this blog called "Daniels Pace Chart" for the pace.
You'll have to guess at your current 5k pace... guess slow and if you feel ok you can pick-up a bit.
Take a 2-3 minute break in-between. If 3 minutes isn't enough recovery you're running too fast.
* If you're new just do 8 pickups of 90 seconds during a 30 minute run.