This is the workout I had intended the Life Time Colfax Marathon Training group to try tonight; I am not suggesting you do this just read and absorb. Â If you are in this group, you will see these late-cycle 'sharpener' workouts in your schedules depending on what part of you needs 'sharpening' before race day. Â I have roughly 28 workouts in this category to play with and I think it's important to understand why we do them.
***************************************************************************************************
As we enter the final training phase before the formal taper period begins, we kick our speedwork up a notch. Â
In traditional intervals, the emphasis is on the fast part of the repeat. The recoveries take a backseat and are usually static for sprinters and beginner marathoners and 'active' in the form of shuffling or walking for more seasoned trainees. Â Its not unusual to watch coachless, unloved amateurs throw themselves full-speed around the track and collapse in the grass until it's time to go again. Â In fast-recovery training the emphasis is reversed: the repeats are modestly paced but the recoveries are far quicker than the norm. Â
The key to successful interval training is balancing the speed of the run with the duration of the recovery.
Fun fact: My private clients are familiar with a workout called "Alternators" favored by the American Distance Project in CS. Â These are hella long fast-recovery workouts geared towards training your body to clear lactate efficiently. Â "Fluctuators" are similar but the goal is oxygen debt recovery so the progressions are different.
Previously, I would wait until the last group member caught up then add 60 seconds static recovery (read: "I let you lie on the ground and whine like homeless puppies") before making you do  a strength circuit.  Tonight we were going to practice 'float intervals' with a 'ladder down' workout.Â
Silly Toes
Bear Crawls
Rockette Kicks
Resistance bands
Bull Run, 2 laps
SSC: x30 seconds each
Supine plank
side plank left
side plank right
proper plank
plankjacks
pushups
thrusters
Float Intervals: Repetition @ Goal Race Pace minus 2 minutes per mile, float at Goal Race Pace plus 1 minute per mile
800m, 200m float
400m, 200m float
200m, 200m float
100m, 100m float
SSC: x30 seconds each
Hollow Rock hold
Russian Twist
Leg Lifts
Metronome
Superman with Metronome (hands off the ground)
Donkey Kick straight-leg Hold, outward pulse left leg
Donkey Kick straight leg Hold, outward pulse right leg
Jump Squats
Float Intervals: Repetition @ Goal Race Pace minus 1 minute per mile, float at Goal Race Pace 800m, 200m float 400m, 200m float 200m, 200m float 100m, 100m float
SSC: x30 seconds each
Burpee
Pushup
Plank
Speed Skaters
Pistols left
Pistols right
15 minutes slow, easy jogging or walking to cool down