HADD training plan

BD2000, Good luck with the new program.

Thx - I've got 9 weeks scheduled starting at 16 mpw @130 - 135bpm moving up to 30 mpw staying at this HR for the whole period (71% - 74% of max HR).

Thoughts on completing a mini HR test - I know in the original HADD document John tested 'Joe' at different Heart Rates over 2400m but looking at that I'm pretty sure I couldn't do the equivalent (equivalent for my max HR that is) over that distance. Has anyone any thoughts on completing the same test for 1200m instead? If I do the test at this distance it will give me a benchmark that I can backtest every 4 to 6weeks. Am I missing something vital by reducing the distance? - I know John mentions taking the first 600m to build up to the Target Heart level therefore with my reduced test distance giving me 600m to maintain the HR - is that long enough?

Again I have to mention to start with I don't think I could maintain the 90% & 95% of max HR for the original 1800m (post 600m to get up to HR) that John advocates for the last two parts of the test and I certainly don't want to risk injury.

My thoughts are with the shorter duration for the test I would hopefully obtain some meaningful figures. Over to anyone!

BD2000, I'm not sure it's that important actually. It is only a benchmark to measure progress. If it phases you, don't do it.

You can always measure your progress by doing the same run at the same HR, something like 70mins@70% would be a good measure initially.

Brian. wrote (see)

DrDan, You killed the thread there! I think it may've been the mention of 135% - that has definitelty scared the Haddites away.

 - so I did!

August has been something of a mess for me ... I really needed a big mileage month in prepataion for next weeks HM (but see below) and the Chester marathon in 5 weeks time. However, real life had other plans. The trip to London for the Olympics, a couple of Sunday am car boot sales and a couple of day trips out with the family, hill walking/camping in the lakes, and then 5 days away at EuroDisney. So, only 126 miles between 1st Aug and 2nd Sept ...but that included 5 long ones (14, 18, 20, 20 and 23 miles) and two 20:0x parkruns. Not really the way to train but very little flexibility.

Due to having no car (total economic loss ... I crashed into a wall on the way back from the lake district), I probably can't run the HM on Sunday . However, I will try to obtain a new car before then, so you never know.

Seem to have killed it again! 

Still here

Only Day 1 of HADD prog started yesterday so not much to tell, except VEEERRRRYYYY SLLLOOOOWWWW. Main problem I think will be stopping myself getting bored as I'll be doing this for 9 weeks initially. Feels like I've gone backwards as I put in a couple of very short runs at less than 130HR last week to get a feel for it. boy it is frustrating but I will persevere.

If not I'll give myself 100 lines and a swift caning!

Judging from past posts this is the time when most people give up on HADD as they feel they are running too slow. I had to walk on a couple of inclines but recovery was swift so back to running very quickly.

I was going to update progress weekly.

DrDan, Yep, thats the trouble, life and work getting in the way. Sorry to hear about the car. Hope you can get something sorted and still make your HM. You could do with car sharing with someone. Do you use FETCH? I believe they have some sort of system for car sharing?

BD2000, Hope you can stick with it. You'll find after a couple of weeks that the pace increases, especially after a few longer runs (60+ mins).

BD2000 ...  stick with it. Patience is key.

Brian -  I am indeed a fetchie (in fact FERC is my first claim club) but need a new car as the plan was to take the family and visit a relative or two on the way to/from the race (a 1pm start time is very convenient!) ...  I'm not sure my 1-day-pass included escaping on my own ! But all being well I'm looking at a car on Thursday, so expect to be okay.

Been away for a while , injury mostly but back again and back on the HADD trail.

I have blogged a bit about where I have been at but it also includes a good set of comments from a certain prominent member of this thread.

Looking to catch up with the thread again  - all 59 pages -who would have thought it would grow so big.

Fellas (and Chickadee),

Happy to report that I have now completed my 4th run since the injury. 1st run was 5 minutes; second run was 1.25 miles; 3rd run was 2.75 miles, and today I did 3 miles. So far, so good. I'm not completely recovered, but am able to do some running which is much better than not running. It's looking like a long, slow road back but it feels great to be doing something again.

That said, to you healthy runners, I wouldn't recommend 8 weeks off . Funny how the first couple of runs I was wondering why everything felt so strange...today though my rhythm was back, my HR wasn't too bad, and I didn't go as slow as I feared.

It turns out my hips are somewhat misaligned. My left hip is weaker than the right. I think I was letting the right hip do more work and that is likely why I tore a muscle on that side. Overall, have learned that it isn't always as easy as just running a lot. I need to be more balanced with my core work, strength training, and flexibility too. Think I need a coach to say "WTF are you thinking" every now and again.

Dr. Dan, I think you'll be cool considering the long runs were done and you also raced a couple of times. Life getting in the way may have helped a bit, not just interrupted.

VTrunner wrote (see)

Dr. Dan, I think you'll be cool considering the long runs were done and you also raced a couple of times. Life getting in the way may have helped a bit, not just interrupted.

Great news on the recovery! ... just take it slowly.

When I look at my long runs and the two 5Ks, I think ... "I'll be okay" ... when I look at my weekly mileage totals over the past 6 weeks, I think "Oh s**t!" . I really need to race the Lake Vynrwy HM on Sunday to see where I am.

JohnnyBike  - you recently replied to me via e-mail from your blog (4 Sept) - good to see you on this thread. I'd found your blog first - then found this thread. Same age - so be good to compare HADD training as I've just started this week.

Target time for HM in March (Silverstone) is 8.55 m/m (2 hrs) - currently on 71% - 74% MaxHR which results in 11.00 m/m so seems like my 'easy' runs are slotting in right where they should be (unless anyone thinks there is not enough time to get to 8.55 m/m by March)

First 3 weeks plan look ike this:

 I'll keep this updated now and then.

Hi BD2000, i like your spreadsheet. Youi have a high MHR for a 55yo. I can never work out if that is a good or bad thing.In one way I can see it being good as you have more range to work from and you can pump more blood/oxygen in a minute than I can, the other way is that your heart has to work  much harder tthan mine to deliver the same blood/oxygen.

Last night 10K  - AHR 127 55:04 Target was an AHR of 126 so not too bad. MHR was 136 but I got it down again quickly as I do a lot of my HADD training on a treadmill as I find it much easier to control everything

JohnnyBike, Great to have the thread owner back. Good luck with the Hadding.

Good to see you back JB.

Lake Vynrwy HM yesterday ... 94:30 unofficial, which is still 4:24 off my PB ... bnot surprising given my up-and-down training. Over cooked it in the first half by tagging onto a sub-90 train but I'd have struggled to beat 93 even if I'd paced it perfectly. Good workout though and it tells me where I am for Chester in 4 weeks.

Good result DR D, Chester looks very promising.

Well, that's about 6 months of HADD in the bag.

March = 10-15M per week @ 11:30ish @ 72% HRav

I'm now at around 40M per week and this morning i did 7M in driving wind and rain @ 70% HRav @ 9:05m/m. The last uphill mile i virtually skipped up it  @ 9:50 @ 72% when back in March i was struggling to keep below 75% @ 12:30m/m.

I can feel the LSRs are paying off.

JohnnyBike - indeed, a big WELCOME back !!!

JohnnyBike - Heart Rate was taken November 2011 (53 by the way, but I guess that doesn't make much difference). Recently had ECG - all clear and doc said that blood pressure was low (no specifics results given to me). Could do another test but not sure it would have changed much in 10 months? It may have as I've done  500 miles under the belt since then? Any thoughts - don't want to get injury doing max HR test.

OK - just finished week 1 and here are the results. As everyone has said it is difficult at first to keep the pace down and I still have to put the ocassional 30sec walk in to keep HR down. What was amazing is that I did 3 days on the run without feeling any tightness at all so I know the pace is OK. I know 3 days on the run is nothing to experienced people but it is a milestone for me without feeling like I need a rest day. It feels like I could run every day at this pace (I guess thats the idea!).

Wk 1 target was 16 miles was reached and my max average HR was 73%. As soon as I see the HR go above 135 (74%) I drop the pace and get the HR back down to below 130. So when I look at a graph of my HR it is still looking like a mountain range - I guess what I'm aiming for it to look like are a series of gentle hills.

 Dr Dan - I can only dream of that kind of pace and I'm not sure I'll ever get there! My aim is for sub 2hrs in March for a Silverstone which I'm pretty sure I can achieve. Despite not PB must have been fantastic to run in that kind of scenery

mace...  great progress.

BD2000 ... see mace's progress above? That'll be you too.