This was given to me by my track coach. If you are worried about run times or need a running program THIS IS IT. This program is AMAZING and really works. I tried to edit my coaches comments out that were team related but I may have screwed up, so ignoe confusing side comments. Any questions feel free to PM me.


Week One

Start easy, run five times the first week, four times is okay too, for 30 to 40 minutes.

Sunday - go to a park, run 30 to 40 minutes easy

Monday - OFF

Tuesday - run 30 to 40 minutes

Wednesday - run 30 to 40 minutes

Thursday - run 30 to 40 minutes

Friday - run 30 t0 40 minutes

Always start the day with sit ups and push ups- start with five each, remember to stretch and always drink 8 to 12 glasses of water a day plus sports drinks, juice, and stay away from too much caffeine.
Also, get vegetables and fruit down that stomach of yours- good fuel will help your training .


Week Two

Hope that week one went well. Remember the hydration tip. Please follow this one: The best tip I can give you, besides stretching, is to drink 8 glasses of water per day. You will visit the bathroom alot, but your muscles will recover faster from workouts, you will notice that the soreness goes away much faster and you will lessen your chances for injuries.

Week 2, we will run 5 days and we will start with tempo runs.

Monday--35 minutes. Warm up, and cool down, try and run on the grass today at talking pace

Tuesday--30 minutes easy run or off warm up and cool down

Wednesday--Tempo Run--warm up, one mile easy, then 20 minute run at 30 seconds per mile slower than what you could run for 5k today, two mile cool down, so if you could run 5:30 pace right now, or 17:00 for 5k, then run the 20 minutes at six minute pace, on the flats

(For more information on Tempo Runs, read the Lactate Threshold article by Joe Rubio in Winter 1998/99 American Track & Field) Check on Google.

Thursday-30 minutes easy

Friday--45 minutes on hilly trails, work hills run flats relaxed, warm up and cool down

Saturday--easy day or off

Sunday-Long run--50 minutes, relaxed


Week Three –

Week number three is about to begin. Hope that your training shoes are in good shape, and that you are stretching, and that you are drinking eight glasses of water a day. One other hint: If it is summer, it is hot, be smart. Run early in the day, or after it cools down in the evening. Do not hurt yourself.

Monday--warm up, jog a mile, stretch then run 45 minutes, with five minutes at good effort, and nine minutes relaxed, do this four times, then stretch, jog mile, for cool down

Tuesday--stretch, 40 minutes easy stretch after run

Wednesday - warm up, jog 1 mile, stretch, 20 minute tempo run, run at 30 seconds per mile slower than current five k pace jog 1-2 miles, cool down, stretch

Thursday - stretch 40 minutes easy run stretch, cooldown

Friday - stretch 1-2 mile warm up Hill workout, six to eight 140 to 200 yard hill, run up hard, jog down 1-2 mile cool down stretch

Saturday--30 minute run

Sunday--65 minutes relaxed pace.

Week Four

You are now starting week number four of the ATF Summer Training program. Good job. You should be seeing some changes in your perceptions of training. You should begin to feel a little fitter.

Remember that pace is always relative, do not push the easy days and work at 80 percent effort on the tough days. As you gain in fitness, the pace from the week before that was tough will seem easier.

Monday - warm up, with mile 50 minutes, five minutes hard, five minutes easy, repeat five times, cool down, with mile and stretching

Tuesday - warm up, 40 minutes easy cool down

Wednesday - warm up temp run 20 minutes at 30 seconds slower per mile than present 5k race pace

Thursday - warm up 40 minute run, cool down

Friday - warm up eight time 200 uphill jog down cool down

Saturday - warm up 40 minute easy run cool down

Sunday - 60 minutes, easy run

Have some fun remember to stretch and not train in the heat of day, if at all possible.


Week Five

Welcome to week number five, you will now begin to see a method to this madness. Your easy days pace should pick up without a real change in effort and your hard days should be challenging, but not overly challenging. And do not forget to drink eight glasses of water per day!

Monday - warm up, easy mile jog, stretch 55 minute fartlek run--do 20 one minute hard runs, 20 one minute easy, start with a two minute hard, three minutes easy and end with same cool down, one easy mile and stretch

Tuesday - easy 45 minute run

Wednesday - warm up, easy two miles then 20 minute run, at thirty seconds per mile slower than what you could run a 5k at today then easy two miles, cool down

Thursday - easy 45 minute run

Friday - warm up three mile run, each mile faster than one before then, eight to ten times a 200 yard hill two miles easy cool down stretch

Saturday - 45 minute run

Sunday - 65 minute moderate paced

Be careful in the heat! Drink fluids; eat alot of peaches, bananas mangoes, oranges, and vegetables, especially broccoli, cauliflower.


Week Six-You're Halfway There!

Week Six. By now, your workouts are getting a little tougher, but you also feel your endurance developing. The big thing is to be careful during this heat wave! Drink water, soak your shirts and wear a hat as well. Run early or late, but most of all, be careful.

Monday--warm-up for about two miles, stretch, Fartlek or speedplay workout one hour run, broken up like follows; Five minutes hard, five minutes easy - five times one minute hard, one minute easy, five minutes easy, ten minutes hard, ten minutes easy, five minutes hard, five minutes easy, two minutes hard, three minutes easy. Cool down for about two miles stretch

Tuesday--easy day, warm up for a mile, stretch, 45-50 minutes moderate cool down, stretch

Wednesday-- tempo day warm up for two miles, stretch, three mile run, run at 30 second slower per mile than 5k race pace that you can run today two mile cool down stretch

Thursday - easy 45 to 50 minute run stretch before and after

Friday - warm up three times a hilly mile jog a half mile in between or three mile run, with 10 to 12 hills, run whole run fast, push hills, or warm up ten to twelve 200 yard hills and cool down. STRETCH

Saturday - 45 to 50 minute run, stretch before and after moderate pace

Sunday - Long Run 70 minutes.

Week Seven

Monday - warm up, two miles, easy stretch, ten times 100 yards, on the grass or dirt, stride outs, find a hill 400 meters long, charge it 8 times, and jog down jog two miles easy, stretch

Tuesday - 50 minutes easy on the grass or dirt go to a park, but get on soft ground. stretch before and after

Wednesday - warm up after two miles easy 20 minute tempo run at 30 seconds per mile off your present 5k pace then 10 stride outs, 100 yards each, on grass two miles easy cool down stretch

Thursday - 40 to 50 minutes, your call stretch before and after

Friday - warm up, two miles stretch. Find a hill 200 yards long charge it twelve times, jog down Run six minutes hard, on flats, then jog two mile cool down

Saturday - 40 minutes easy

Sunday -, 80 minutes moderate pace

Remember, to drink fluids, swim, bike.


Week Eight

Monday - warm up with two mile run stretch. Find three mile cross country course do it twice, run hard three minutes, run moderate three minutes, for both loops. Two mile cool down, stretch

Tuesday - warm up, stretch, 45 to 50 minutes, cool down, stretch

Wednesday - warm up, two miles, stretch, tempo run twenty minute run, at 30 seconds slower than your present 5k pace cool down, two miles.

Thursday - warm up, 45 minutes cool down

Friday - warm up, two miles run hill eight to ten 300 yard hill repeats jog down mile run, moderate pace two mile cool down, cool down

Saturday - 45 to 50 minutes easy run

Sunday - 70 minute run at moderate space


Week Nine

Monday--Fartlek two miles easy run, stretch, go to a park, or trail and do this one 50 minute fartlek run 10 minutes good pace, then one minute hard, one minute easy (ten times), five minutes to recover, then six minutes hard, four minutes recover, six minutes hard, four minutes recover, one minute hard, one minute easy, ten times, two mile jog cool down stretch

Tuesday - 45 to 50 minutes easy, stretch

Wednesday- tempo day two miles easy stretch. 20 minute run, on hilly course at 30 seconds per mile slower than what you can run a flat 5k in, two miles easy stretch

Thursday - 45 to 50 minutes easy, stretch

Friday - Hill workout - two miles, easy stretch - 12 times 200 yard hill, 200 jog hard hill, two miles easy, stretch

Saturday - two mile easy, stretch, two mile time trial on track, at 90 percent, two mile easy cool down stretch

Sunday - 70 minute moderate run on soft surfaces

This is a hard week sleep, see a movie after hard workout to relax see an art show do something that you normally would not do, like listen to a classical album or worse yet, one of your parent's albums from the seventies


Week Ten

What we have done for the last ten weeks is modeled on the training that Arthur Lydiard, the great coach from New Zealand, had his runner do over forty years ago with such success.

We have worked you through a base period, a hill period and now a quality period. Complex training refers to a week which includes long moderate paced runs, hill work, tempo work and fartlek or track work (in the spring).

Besides the variety of training days, a variety of training surfaces is important. This gives your feet a chance to gain back some of the flexibility that they loose in most modern training shoes.

Monday--Fartlek two mile warm up stretch, 40 minute fartlek run five minutes moderate, five minutes hard, two minutes easy, two minutes hard, times five, five minutes recover, five minutes hard, two miles easy.

Tuesday - 50 minutes easy, ten times 100 meters on grass, stretch

Wednesday - two miles easy stretch, twenty minutes on hilly course, 30 seconds slower per mile than could actually do for 5k flat race, two miles easy, stretch

Thursday - 50 minutes easy, stretch, 10 times 100 meters on grass

Friday - two miles easy, stretch, three mile or four mile run, with at least 12 hill charges of 200 to 300 yard run, two miles easy, stretch

Saturday - 50 minute easy run stretch

Sunday - 70 minute moderate run

For further reading, please read Run to the Top, by Arthur Lydiard.


Week Eleven

Monday— Fartlek - two mile warm up stretch, 40 minute fartlek run five minutes moderate, five minutes hard, two minutes easy, two minutes hard, times five, five minutes recover, five minutes hard, two miles easy

Tuesday - 50 minutes easy, ten times 100 meters on grass, stretch

Wednesday - two miles easy stretch, twenty minutes on hilly course, 30 seconds slower per mile than could actually do for 5k flat race, two miles easy, stretch

Thursday - 50 minutes easy, stretch, 10 times 100 meters on grass

Friday - two miles easy, stretch, three mile or four mile run, with at least 12 hill charges of 200 to 300 yard run, two miles easy, stretch

Saturday - race 5k for hs (Use the school course and race it for the 1st time. See how you pan out).

Sunday - 90 minute moderate run


Week Twelve

Monday--Fartlek two mile warm up stretch, 40 minute fartlek run, five minutes moderate, five minutes hard, two minutes easy, two minutes hard, times five, five minutes recover, five minutes hard, two miles easy

Tuesday - 50 minutes easy, ten times 100 meters on grass, stretch

Wednesday - two miles easy, stretch, twenty minutes on hilly course, 30 seconds slower per mile than could actually do for 5k flat race, two miles easy, stretch

Thursday - 50 minutes easy, stretch, 10 times 100 meters on grass

Friday - two miles easy, stretch, three mile or four mile run, with at least 12 hill charges of 200 to 300 yard run, two miles easy, stretch

Saturday - fifty minutes easy run stretch

Sunday - 70 minute moderate.

Ok my first question is what if you can't run 5 minutes let alone 30? Do you suggest maybe walking fast?

Walk everywhere. Use stairs instead of escalator/elevator. Start eating right if you don't already.

quote:

Ok my first question is what if you can't run 5 minutes let alone 30? Do you suggest maybe walking fast?

Try this link:
http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

Thanks for the post week one starts monday.... Got PRT in November so hope this helps.
Also in plain english what is a Fartlek? I looked it up in dictionary.com and I still don't understand physically what this is.

I read the program and think it has some major flaws. After week two there are no rest days, even most hardcore marathon runners take one or two days off a week. Running everyday from the start is very likely to result in overuse injuries. The program wouldn't be bad if it had a day or two a week to recover.

Coolrunning.com has some very good programs for everyone from beginners (couch to 5K) to competitive marathoners.