HADD training plan

Hi Bri!

Give or take the odd try-out I've not run properly since end of last year. Without weighing myself regularly I reckon I put on a couple of stone  at worst, but around half of this has come off over the past 4/5 months over which time I've managed 2,000 or so miles on the bike and regular gym work.  I'm gonna keep the cycling up and will be racing on the track next year so in a way this will help with building the running back up at a sensible rate, cos I can stay in reasonable aerobic shape in the mean time.

Wow! Great discipline and focus to get on the bike. Wish I was able to focus like that - I tend to sulk when I'm injured. So the comeback is always that much harder.

So I guess you intend to do run-bike-run events, are they duathlons?

Going very well, I was going to write an update after this weeks runs had completed (that will be 3 weeks on the plan).

 It has allowed to me to  increase my mileage from 30 -33 to 36 and then 41 last week which is the most for about 10 years at least. The slower rate has also meant that I have not been as tired as I would have.

 I am struggling to keep to the HR (125  - 75%) other than when I am on the treadmill  and I am also struggling to find the additional time that running seems to require. My Hadd seems to be about 8:30-8:45 mins / mile when previously I  would have been running about a minute faster That does not sound like too much but it prohibts me doing a 5.3 mile run at lunchtime (which is particularly hilly - Brian you will know the route from the bottom at Calverley past the golf courses to Thornbury Baracks) because I would have to run about 11 min miles to keep my HR within bounds and I do not have the time.

Saying all that I am very pleased with progress and will be remaining on the plan for the six weeks I committed to and probably for another 6 weeks after that.

http://calfstrainsrus.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/2-5-weeks-into-hadd

JB, Thats good news. Try to stick at the lower intensity (this is where the big initial aerobic gains are to be hadd) even though you think yo may be going too slow. Remember, miles and pace are incidental. The key factors in this type of training are time and HR.

Do you do do all your running on a lunchtime from work? I ask because this type of plan will draw much more improvement if you can build up to 70mins.

You've read the Hadd document so you will be aware of the toothpaste analogy which I think sums it up perfectly. You are squeezing right at the bottom of the tube at the moment. Get right into the bottom corners and make sure you don't leave any toothpaste behind.

It's so easy to worry about the races you have coming up. Obviously you will be running at a much higher intensity than you have trained at for a while. But surprisingly you will be amazed at how comfy you feel. It may take a little while longer than normal to get the legs going, but you will be able to achieve reasonable results despite the lack of speed. Plus you will generally feel better than normal following the race, maybe even to feeling able to keep going after the finish.

Remember - forget about miles and mileage. Think about time and HR. I generally used to run outandback courses, as this made it easier to achieve the required time. Also, take a split when you turn, and then try and keep at the same HR. There will inevitably be cardiac drift, but this type of training will eventually cut that to a minimum.

Dr Dan, yes you are local to us. I'm in eccleshill. JB works at Morrisons HQ on Gain Lane. I know JB from when he used to work in Leeds Centre and we ran together on the canal at lunchtimes. The routes JB takes from work takes in early parts of Leg-4 of the Leeds Country Way. Small world.

What is your focus, and how is the training going?

Small world indeed ... I work in central Leeds and often use the canal at lunchtimes. During the recent Hadd phase, I've tended to do all my easy runs on the canal and my ILTHR sessions as laps of Hyde Park (I like having the lap repeats for monitoring drift).

I've just run the Chester marathon, so have had this week off and now hope to spend the next 5 weeks getting some quality work in for the Abbey Dash. After that it will be back to Hadd ... probably aiming for Brass Monkey, Snake Lane, Bradford 10K, Manchester marathon, Leeds HM for 2011 (although not entered any of these yet).

Theres a few of us meet at the bridge on Whitehall Road at 12:20. Sometimes run the golf courses, most of the time just do flat outnbacks. Will probably have seen you a few times.

How did you do at Chester? I heard it was windy.

I'm doing Abingdon the day after tomorrow (Gulp!!!)

Oh btw, Snake Lane entry form is out. I wouldn't hang about if I were you, it fills up quickly. It's also been rumoured that Brass Monkey is opening this weekend, but not sure.

Cheers for the heads-up. Yes, we will have certainly passed on the canal - I've spent most lunchtimes on there over the past few months!

Chester was okay ... windy but not too disruptive - I pushed a little too hard between 14 and 20M and paid the price in the last 5-10K. Ended up with 3:32 ... I think 3:25 was possible on the day but I learned a lot (it was my first proper marathon attempt).

Good luck with Abingdon!

Cheers DD, recover well...

It is a small world Dr D. I used to organise 5 mile handicaps from Whitehall Bridge along the canal  - 2.5 miles out and back. We used to get a good attendance.

3:32 is a good effort for your first FM. I think everyone learns from their first effort, whatever your level;, unless you are Liz McColgan of course who got it perfect first time out.

An interesting approach for sure...I have a question

Does this approach need to be "all or nothing" in its application to achieve the increased lactate threshold benefit?

Take a hypothetical runner (or maybe an actual one like me) that is probably doing all of his training in HR zones above those advocated by Hadd's approach.  This runner is running 4-5 times a week and following a diet of weekly:

• long run 90+ mins
• track 60 mins
• 2-3 other runs of around 40 mins

Would the improved LT benefits still apply if the 2-3 other runs (third bullet) were turned into aerobic pace runs...albeit with improvement at a slower rate?

Or does this approach need to be adopted wholesale in order to achieve any (or most) of the benefit?

From taking a quick look at the Hadd 25 pager I understand that this is intended as an annual phase rather than a year round prescription.  I'm just wondering whether I need to take a knife to the current routine.

Thanks again Brian

I'm going to give this a go!

Maximum bottom squeezage for 6 weeks and take it from there