Chapter 10 - The Specific Phase

Note: To me coaching is all about stewardship, using the knowledge and experience I have gained over 40 years as a runner, and 10 years as a coach, to help others pursue their running goals.  So rather than publishing a book you have to pay for, I am publishing it here on my blog, free for all (runners and coaches alike) to read and enjoy, maybe learn something from it, or potentially have it prompt you to look at something from a slightly different viewpoint.  If any of those happen, mission accomplished. 

Records can often fall after a good Specific Phase

The Specific Phase is the last phase in The Hadley Liberty Training Cycle.  The purpose of the Specific Phase is to take the balanced running fitness established in the Fundamental Phase and build it to a peak for a specific goal race by focusing in on preparing for the specific demands of that goal race.

More Pace Specific

The primary focus of the stress workouts during the Specific Phase will be to focus in on the primary demands and needs for a specific race and race distance we have set as our goal race for the cycle.  To do this the categories of stress workouts and workouts we utilize within each category will be skewed towards the pace and demands of the goal race.  Workouts at or closest to goal race pace will be done more frequently during this phase.  While we never abandon any category of stress workout, our frequency in which we do each category changes in the Specific Phase.  For example, in a marathon Specific Phase, we will do stamina and endurance workouts more frequently than speed workouts, and conversely in a 5k Specific Phase we would do speed workouts significantly more frequently than we do endurance workouts.  

The workouts (from Chapter 3) with the highest frequency/most emphasis in the Specific Phase will be as follows for each goal race distance:

(note: this may vary some based on speed of the runner at each distance)

5k: VO2 Max Repeats & Groove Repeats

10k: Groove Repeats & Lactate Threshold

Half Marathon: Lactate Threshold and Aerobic Threshold

Marathon: Aerobic Threshold, Brisk Pace, Long Runs

50k-100k: Brisk Pace, Steady State, Long Runs

Course Specific

The way we execute some of the stress workouts in this phase may change to better match our goal race demands.  For example, if we are running a goal race on a rolling course we will want to do at least some of our workouts on a rolling course similar in nature to our goal race course; or if our goal race has significant downhill sections, we need to do some significant downhills in training runs to prepare the legs for that.  Doing this will harden the body and the mind to what it will be doing on race day. You will better know the feel of running at or close to race pace on uphills and downhills and when fresh and when fatigued. The less surprises we encounter on race day the better off we are.

Tactic Specific

Any anticipated race tactics we plan to execute may need to also be practiced during some workouts as well.  If we plan to go out conservative and negative split the race (see Chapter 11), we should practice this in our workouts so we are used to and comfortable with that effort profile. Sometimes we are in a more competitive environment where team or other tactics are used and those need to be practiced as well. Things like mid-race surges, can and should be practiced in training if they are expected to be used on race day. If for competitive reasons mid-race surges is your race strategy, then wave workouts (see Chapter 3) or some variation of it, can be a great way to practice this. Prepare the mind and body for what it will be called upon to do in the race.

Race Simulation Workouts

Additional workouts may need to be added to the mixture of stress workouts in order to help us prepare physically and mentally for certain race demands.  Often a race simulation workout is added in the Specific Phase, in which the runner simulates as much of race day as possible including:

- running between 50-65% of the goal race distance at goal race pace

- on a similar course (or actual race course)

- using planned pacing/tactics

- same clothes and shoes as race day

- same pre-race routine (food, sleep, etc)

- same in run nutrition (drinks, gels, etc)

The focus on these is to try and run at goal pace as relaxed and smoothly as possible following the race plan you expect to use on race day. Often a race can be a good setting to use for this. If preparing for a marathon a half marathon or 25k race at goal marathon pace often works well and can help with in race fueling practice and race type atmosphere.

Such workouts may require an additional easy/recovery day or two to properly recover from them.  Be extra careful here and don't overuse these, we don't want leave our best performances in training. If utilizing this workout in your Specific Phase suggest doing so 3-5 weeks out if your goal race is a marathon, 2-4 weeks out if its a half marathon and 1-3 weeks out of its a 5k/10k.

Phase Length

The length of the Specific Phase will range from 4 to 8 weeks in length (occasionally 10) depending on the length of the training cycle.  We want just enough time to prepare for the specific demands of the goal race but not so long that the skewed workout mix will undermine supporting fitness in other areas.  We only need long enough to sharpen fitness to a specific peak.

Racing

In the Specific Phase, I recommend that the runner race sparingly.  If the Specific Phase is short in length (4-6 weeks) I usually recommend the runner only race the goal race during this phase unless they have a race they can use as a simulation workout (simulation workout mentioned above).  If the Specific Phase is on the longer side (6-10 weeks) the runner can sometimes fit in a race mid phase (3-6 weeks out from goal race) as a good tune-up race and often will see very good results. For example, I have had many runners set a half marathon personal best a month out from their goal marathon.

Flexibility

Be flexible during this phase of training. Often the exact make-up of this phase can not be determined until the Fundamental Phase is complete and we can better analyze where our limiting factors on race day will likely be. It is also fine to deviate on occasion from the stress workouts defined out in Chapter 3 in order to more directly address a certain weakness or race specific demand. But be careful in this phase, it is easy to over do it and take on herculean workouts that may leave you flat come race day. Be sure you are recovering well from your workouts and save your race efforts for race days.

Taper
In the last week or two (depending on the length of the race and difficulty of training) before our goal race we taper down our training and start resting up for the race. If we have been good about following our 5 tenets of training (see Chapter 1) and training has been approached sustainably, we don't need or want an elaborate taper.

We execute our tapers by reducing the volume of our runs and workouts, gradually at first and more so as we get closer to the race, and in the last week by reducing our frequency (of workouts) as well. Taper too much and too quickly and we can lose that fitness edge we have worked so hard for, but don't taper enough and we can go into the race a bit flat and not at full energy. It can be a fine balance sometimes, so again be flexible.

I recommend your last stress workout be early on in the week of the race (4-5 days out) and include at least a little bit of running at race pace. But this last workout should not be too taxing, just enough to keep the legs engaged (i.e not going flat) and the aerobic enzymes stirred up.

One you have your taper plan set, don't obsess over it. Get out of your own head a bit and trust your training. It is easy to get hyper-aware of how you feel and worry about every little twinge or cough. Do yourself a favor and don't dwell on it. I have seen many, many people run great on race day when they didn't feel good most of the taper. Remember the goal is to feel good in the race not a week before the race.

Chapter 9: The Fundamental Phase

Note: To me coaching is all about stewardship, using the knowledge and experience I have gained over 40 years as a runner, and 10 years as a coach, to help others pursue their running goals.  So rather than publishing a book you have to pay for, I am publishing it here on my blog, free for all (runners and coaches alike) to read and enjoy, maybe learn something from it, or potentially have it prompt you to look at something from a slightly different viewpoint.  If any of those happen, mission accomplished. 

The third and longest phase of the Hadley Liberty Training Cycle is the Fundamental Phase.  In the Fundamental Phase, the runner is in full training mode, working each facet of fitness to become a fitter runner.  

The Fundamental Phase lays a base foundation of running fitness from which to build to a peak for a certain race distance in the Specific Phase.  So the better we lay this base of fitness, the better position we are in for establishing our peak.  The higher we can raise our base fitness in the Fundamental Phase, the higher our potential peak will be.

          

With the phase goal established, improving base fitness, how we go about this will depend on what our goal is for the training cycle as a whole. A Fundamental Phase for a 3k goal race will look a little different from Fundamental Phase for a 50k goal race. But lets focus first on the similarities, and there are many, before discussing the differences.

In all Fundamental Phases we will work regularly on all 3 facets of our running fitness: speed, stamina and endurance. Each will come up in our workout rotation on a regular basis and we will seek to build up all 3 over the course of this training phase. At the end of the Fundamental Phase we want our speed, stamina and endurance to all be at significantly higher levels then when we left the Base Phase.

During a Fundamental Phase we are operating in our optimal micro-cycle design (7, 9, 10 or 14 days) as discussed in Chapter 5.  Our stress workouts in these micro-cycles are fairly evenly divided between each of the 3 categories of stress workouts: speed, stamina and endurance.  For example, if we are operating in a micro-cycle where we have 3 stress workouts per micro-cycle then one would be a speed workout, one would be a stamina workout, and one would be an endurance workout.

During the Fundamental Phase, for most distance runners (10k to marathon goal races) the primary focus in each fitness category will be as follows:

Speed: improving VO2 Max

Stamina: improving lactate threshold

Endurance: improving base endurance

Note: I recommend establishing a milestone workout for each of these categories that can help you gauge progress periodically throughout the cycle. Repeat this workout at the beginning, middle (if possible) and end of the cycle to help gauge your progress.

Speed

With our goal of improving VO2 Max during the course of this training phase, we will need to have a good amount and variety of VO2 Max workouts in our speed mix, but we also need to work in some Fast Repeats and Groove Repeats workouts as support. If the runner is a strength runner with limited speed, then they may need more Fast Repeats workouts to stimulate growth in VO2 Max. While a speedier runner may need more strength work from Groove Repeats to help stimulate the desired VO2 Max growth. I recommend using 8 x 3:00 minutes with 2:15 jog recovery as a good milestone workout (or a 3k or 5k race or timetrial) to help judge VO2 Max growth (and/or velocity at VO2 Max).

Stamina

With a focus on improving our Lactate Threshold ("LT") in this phase, we need to attack it from a variety of angles. This means a steady diet of tempos, wave tempos, tempo repeats, and progression runs all centered around our LT. Like pushing a couch across the floor, we can't just push in one place or we'll lose our leverage eventually, so we need to hit/push it from multiple angles with multiple workout variations. While a straight 30 minute tempo may be our milestone workout for LT, we want to do more than just straight tempos to elicit the maximum growth. Additionally a periodic Aerobic Threshold ("AT") workout added in can be a great supportive workout to include as it often is beneficial to sparking LT growth as well. A runner with good basic speed but lacking in endurance may benefit more from periodic AT workout to support their LT growth while a runner with more endurance may not need it as often.

Endurance

The primary focus in this category during the Fundamental Phase is growing our base endurance. This is most easily measured by the distance/duration we can run on the same effort. We want to end the Fundamental Phase being able to run significantly further, given the same effort output, (or the same longer distance faster) than we could entering the phase. Primarily during this phase our endurance workouts will be moderate rhythm long runs with an occasional steady state or fast finish long run added in for variety and to spark growth. The appropriate milestone workout for this category will be a more individual thing, depending on various factors including the runners mileage level and ultimate goal race distance. A marathoner may seek to build his long run distance during this phase as his milestone, while a 5k runner may seek to improve the time he can run for a set longer distance given the same effort.

Differences

As discussed there can and should be variations in the details on how we approach growth in each of the 3 categories of fitness during the Fundamental Phase to address strengths and weaknesses of the individual runner. Additionally there will be difference for runners who have a shorter or longer distance focus than the 10k-marathon range. A shorter distance runner (mile-5k) may want to increase the speed component of the Fundamental Phase modestly and will also do more Fast Repeats as part of their speed mix. While an 50k-50 mile ultrarunner may want to increase the endurance component on the cycle and add in more AT and Brisk pace runs into their stamina mix. This does not mean that endurance isn't important to a 5k runner or that speed isn't important to a ultrarunner, it just addresses the reality that their importance is relatively smaller than to many other runners.

Leveraging Macro-Cycles

To help us accomplish any desired focused work within stress workout categories, we can further break out our Fundamental Phase into macro-cycles (see Chapter 5) depending on any weaknesses we want to address or based on our area of specialty.  For example, we if our Fundamental Phase is 9 weeks long, we may break that into 3 macro-cycles of 3 weeks each.  If we have identified a certain area of weakness, such as basic speed, that may be holding back our continued progress, we may spend 1 or 2 of these macro-cycles with an emphasis on this area (Fast Repeats in this case).  If we will have 3 stress workouts dedicated to the speed category in the 1st macrocycle, and we feel base speed is a major weakness, we may dedicate 2 of the 3 speed workouts to doing Fast Repeats (see Chapter 3) with the other workout being our milestone VO2 Max workout.  An example of choosing workouts by specialty would be if we were in the Fundamental Phase before a goal marathon race, we may spend most of our endurance workouts doing moderate paced long runs in a couple of the macro-cycles with a focus on gradually building up our endurance, before we would add in quality elements to it in the Specific Phase.  

By breaking our Fundamental Phase into macro-cycles it allows us to customize the phase to the individual better, and address any weaknesses or specific needs they have.

Racing

Because our training is split fairly evenly between the 3 stress workout categories (speed, stamina and endurance) we can race pretty effectively across a wide range of distances during the Fundamental Phase.  Often runners find they can race well at anything from 5k to the half marathon in the Fundamental Phase.  I recommend racing something in that range (5k to HM) once every 4-6 weeks during this phase, as a great chance to check fitness gains, have some fun, and keep mentally and physically race ready.  Racing can be more or less frequent than that depending on the distance of the races.  Races can also be scheduled to check progress made in a certain focus area during a macro-cycle.  For example, if you have been working with an emphasis on base speed and VO2 Max during a few macro-cycles, then scheduling a 3k or 5k race at the end of the macro-cycles can be a great way to check on progress made.     

During the Fundamental Phase we don’t fully taper for races, as they are not the primary focus of the cycle, but we do what I call a "mini-taper".  A mini-taper for a race between 5k and 10k in length is an extra easy/recovery day before and after the race is added and the day before and after the race is reduced to half normal distance.  For races 15k to half marathon and distance add on a second extra easy day before and after.  

Length

As the foundation of fitness on which we build our peak fitness, our Fundamental Phase needs to be a substantial portion of our training cycle.  The Fundamental Phase is usually between 6 and 12 weeks in length, depending on the length of the training cycle.  This is the longest phase of the training cycle and typically represents about 50-60% of the cycle as a whole.   

Mileage

As discussed in the 1st Chapter, we need to make any desired increases in our work capacity a slow and gradual process. If we are seeking an increase in mileage during a training cycle (over a previous one), I recommend accomplishing this gradually during the base phase and first half of the Fundamental Phase. This allows our body to have fully absorbed the mileage increase by mid cycle and so it can focus on making quality gains (i.e faster times) in the second half of the cycle.

No Goal Race?

Runners who do not have a specific goal race they are training for, but rather are seeking continued fitness growth over a long period of time may opt to stay in a Fundamental Phase for an extended period of time, breaking it up periodically with a short Regeneration and Base phase and never going through a Specific Phase.  I strongly recommend this be considered in the case of young runners just starting in the sport, as a way to build their general running fitness before trying to peak for any certain races.  

Chapter 8 - The Base Phase

Note: To me coaching is all about stewardship, using the knowledge and experience I have gained over 40 years as a runner, and 10 years as a coach, to help others pursue their running goals.  So rather than publishing a book you have to pay for, I am publishing it here on my blog, free for all (runners and coaches alike) to read and enjoy, maybe learn something from it, or potentially have it prompt you to look at something from a slightly different viewpoint.  If any of those happen, mission accomplished. 

The second phase of the Hadley Liberty Training Cycle is the Base Phase.  The Base Phase serves as our transition period between the rest and recovery of the Regeneration Phase and the full on training of the Fundamental Phase.  

In the Base Phase we reintroduce stress workouts into the mix and re-establish our chosen micro-cycle training structure (see chapter 5).  But stress workout during a Base Phase are not as hard or formal as they will be in the Fundamental Phase.  These stress workouts are designed to allow us to ease back into training, and start to build back any fitness lost in the Regeneration Phase, while not pushing the limits too hard or stressing too much over paces and details.   

Speed workouts during the Base Phase are usually fartlek workouts of shorter duration repeats with equal recovery jogs, technically Fast Repeats (as defined in Chapter 3) but the focus being on finding a strong smooth rhythm and getting some speed and turn-over back in the legs, and not focused on hitting certain times or paces.  

Stamina workouts during the Base Phase are usually “easy” progression runs.  These are like normal progression tempos except they begin at a slower pace than those progressions (as defined in Chapter 3).  This allows the runner to ease into the workout a bit more than they would in the Fundamental Phase.  Another example of stamina workout in the Base Phase would be LT Repeats done with the repeat duration and total duration kept on the shorter side of the range with the focus on rhythm and feel and not as much on pace and times.

Endurance workouts during the Base Phase are easy and moderate rhythm long runs with the focus on slowly building them back up in duration over the Base Phase.  No long runs with quality elements (such as tempo long runs or fast finish long runs) are used during the Base Phase.  

Also during the base phase we re-introduce our strength work, as in core circuits, drill circuits and strength circuits. We take a break from these during the Regeneration Phase and reintroduce them in the Base Phase but start back lightly to give our bodies time to adjust as we ease back into the work. Again we see the phrase "ease back into", which is really the motto of the Base Phase.

The Base Phase lasts between 1 and 4 weeks in length.  Typically in a normal training cycle the Base Phase will be the same length as the Regeneration Phase that preceded it.  So if we took a 2 week Regeneration Phase then we’d have a 2 week Base Phase.  The reason for this is the longer the Regeneration Phase we take, the longer of a transition period we need before being ready for full intensity Fundamental Phase training.  Experience has shown me that this 1:1 ratio between the Regeneration and Base Phase is usually about right on the money in normal circumstances.  

Generally, I do not recommend racing much while in the Base Phase as the body and mind may not hardened and ready yet for a full race level effort .  But if it is important to the athlete to do a certain race during this phase I recommend keeping it low key race as a rust-buster and to establish a fitness baseline.  

Chapter 7 - The Regeneration Phase

Note: To me coaching is all about stewardship, using the knowledge and experience I have gained over 40 years as a runner, and 10 years as a coach, to help others pursue their running goals.  So rather than publishing a book you have to pay for, I am publishing it here on my blog, free for all (runners and coaches alike) to read and enjoy, maybe learn something from it, or potentially have it prompt you to look at something from a slightly different viewpoint.  If any of those happen, mission accomplished. 

A long training cycle punctuated by a demanding goals race will often leave the body and mind tired and in need of a break.  While we undertake training is a sustainable manner, a key to the 5 tenets we discussed in Chapter 1, periodically we need a chance to step back and refresh ourselves mentally and physically.  A chance to recharge the batteries and ready ourselves for another training cycle.  This is exactly what a Regeneration Phase is scheduled to do.  

The hallmark of a Regeneration Phase is that no stress workouts are undertaken during this period of time.  We do not do any long runs nor quality workouts, but rather rest and enjoy some downtime and some short easy runs and light cross training if desired.  How much you run during this phase will depend a lot on your training level, how hard your last cycle was, and your mental fatigue level.  Our bodies will usually recover better with some light running but sometimes we need a mental break from running more than a physical one.  My advice is not to run until you want to run during a Regeneration Phase and when you do run keep it short and easy.  Some take a week or more off and some run everyday, there is no right or wrong answer but rather what is best for you and your individual need during this phase.  Light cross training is also fine during this phase, as long as you don’t physically push your limits.  Easy swimming, biking or other cross training sessions can be a nice physical and mental change of pace during this time.  

Often the Regeneration is a time without a lot of formal structure so the runner has flexibility to run or not based on how they feel. Obviously if you are like me and like and draw comfort from structure, then you can schedule out this time as long as you remain flexible with it. But for many it can be refreshing to not have a exact set schedule during the regeneration phase and instead relaxed and run when and if they want each day.

If a runner was to continue on working without a Regeneration Phase in their training, they would be much more susceptible to physical and mental burnout and would become more prone to injuries and illness.  Just as recovery is an important part of the Stress and Recover Principle we discussed in Chapter 2, the Regeneration Phase is an integral part of the Hadley Liberty Training Cycle.  It allows us to start our training cycle physically and mentally fresh and ready to get to work.  

How long the Regeneration Phase last depends on the individual and their specific situation.  Variables that play into that determination include:

• How long and hard (physically and mentally) was the last training cycle
• How taxing was the goal race from the last cycle
• Any injuries or lingering aches and pains from the last cycle
• The age of the runner
• The training background of the runner
• The level of work/life stress the runner has outside of running

In general a Regeneration Phase will last somewhere between 1 and 4 weeks in length.  The runner wants to be sure to take enough time to feel mentally and physically recharged and ready to ease back into training.  But at the same time the longer the phase the longer it will take to get back into training and the great the fitness loss.  So the key is to take what you need but not to prolong it without good reason.  

Having worked with hundreds of runners I have found a good rule of thumb usually is:

1-2 week Regeneration Phase

• Following a 8-16 week training cycle and
• Following a 5k to Half Marathon goal race

2-3 week Regeneration Phase

• Following a 16-24 week training cycle and
• Following a Marathon or Ultra-Marathon goal race

3-4 week Regeneration Phase

• Following a long goal race in adverse conditions (weather/course extremes) and/or
• 24+ week of longer training cycle and/or
• Period with high work/life stress and/or
• Recovering from minor injury ache/pain from goal race

I do not recommend racing during the Regeneration Phase, it is a time for rest, not for pushing your limits in a race.  

If you have been in an extended break from training, for whatever reason, that counts as your Regeneration Phase in The Hadley Liberty Training Cycle.  In that case you would then start your training with the Base Phase.  

Chapter 6 - The Hadley Liberty Training Cycle

Note: To me coaching is all about stewardship, using the knowledge and experience I have gained over 40 years as a runner, and 10 years as a coach, to help others pursue their running goals.  So rather than publishing a book you have to pay for, I am publishing it here on my blog, free for all (runners and coaches alike) to read and enjoy, maybe learn something from it, or potentially have it prompt you to look at something from a slightly different viewpoint.  If any of those happen, mission accomplished. 

When designing a training cycle for a runner, we want to find a way to build fitness and then hone that fitness into an ability to run a specific race or races at our peak or maximum performance (hence the name of this book).  

I have developed what I call the “Hadley Liberty Training Cycle” to best accomplish this mission.  I use the word liberty in the title because of the cycle designs resemblance (see picture above)  to the torch on the Statue of Liberty.  

The typical Hadley Liberty Training Cycle is between 12 and 24 weeks long, but can be modify if needed to fit other time frames.  

The Hadley Liberty Cycle is made up of 4 training phases that are designed to bring about an athlete's maximum performance for a goal race or sub-set of races.   

In this chapter I’ll discuss each phase in general and how it all fits together and then in the Chapters 7-10 I’ll dedicate a whole chapter to each phase to discuss it in greater detail.  

Regeneration Phase

The training cycle typically starts with the Regeneration Phase that occurs after the goal race of the previous cycle. The purpose of the Regeneration Phase is to allow the runner to recover mentally and physically from the last training cycle before beginning serious training for the next goal race.  After a long training cycle the body and mind need some time to rest & recharge their batteries in order to be ready to begin hard training again.  

The length of time needed for a Regeneration Phase depends on many factors including how long the last cycle was, how hard and long was the last goal race, and how the athlete feels mentally and physically.  Typically the regeneration phase will last anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks in length.  The runner should not move on to the Base Phase until they feel recovered and mentally and physically ready to resume serious training.  

The Regeneration Phase is made up of rest days, short easy runs and light cross training (if desired).  The Regeneration Phase does not include any stress workouts and short easy runs are done only to promote recovery and maintain some level of cardio-vascular fitness and adaptations to running.  

Note:  If a runner is coming off an extended break from training or has been in a low level maintenance running mode for a while, then a Regeneration Phase is not needed and the athlete can start their training cycle with the Base or Fundamental Phase depending on their exact situation.  

Base Phase

The purpose of the Base Phase is to re-introduce stress workouts into training and slowly transition the body back into a base unit structure.  Stress workouts during the Base Phase are kept to more moderate in difficulty with targets/goals kept broad and soft, and recovery is kept ample and conservative.  Following a Regeneration Phase the body will have regressed slightly in its cardiovascular fitness and adaptations to running, so the Base Phase provide the runner with a period of training to transition back into hard training and build back up their cardio fitness and adaptations.  It can be hard both physically and mentally to go from resting immediately into full training mode so the Base Phase provides us with that needed transition.  

The Base Phase can last anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks in length and as a good rule of thumb it generally lasts the same length as the Regeneration Phase did.  So if we take 2 weeks of Regeneration Phase after our  goal race from the previous training cycle, then we can figure on roughly a 2 week Base Phase to follow it.   The reason for this is that the longer the regeneration break the more time needed to build back fitness and adaptations.  In rare cases when the runner is coming back from an extended break the Base Phase can be lengthened to 6-8 weeks in duration to provide a larger window of opportunity to get re-accustomed to stress workouts and rebuild basic fitness before attempting more focused training.

Note:  sometimes a runner stays in a maintenance mode of training for an extended period of time (do any one of a variety of reasons such as work, life, etc).  Often this maintenance level of training resembles a Base Phase.  If a runner is getting back into training seriously again after a period of maintenance training then they can skip the Regeneration and Base phases and start their training cycle with the Fundamental Phase.

Fundamental Phase

The Fundamental Phase is the 3rd phase in our training cycle and it is the longest phase.  The focus of the Fundamental Phase is on balance and on improving the fitness of the runner in each of the 3 main categories of running fitness: speed, stamina and endurance.  As such the stress workouts in a Fundamental Phase are balanced in frequency with regular workouts from each category.

A Fundamental Phase uses macro-cycles to build a sub-set of fitness within each category of fitness (speed, stamina and endurance) and then leverages and builds upon the fitness gain/adaptation in the next macro-cycle.  The exact look of the Fundamental Phase will differ slightly depending on the runners strengths and weaknesses and on the length of their goal race(s) that training cycle.  We will explore those difference in greater detail in Chapter 9.  The Fundamental Phase is a good opportunity for a runner to work on a weakness in an area that may be holding their development and future potential.  

The Fundamental Phase of a training cycle usually last between 6 and 12 weeks in length and is usually roughly 50% of the training cycle as a whole.   

Note:  Runners who do not have a specific goal race they are training for, but rather are seeking continued fitness growth over a long period of time may opt to stay in a Fundamental Phase for an extended period of time breaking it up periodically with a short Regeneration and Base phase and never going through a Specific Phase.  

Specific Phase

The Specific Phase is the last phase in our training cycle and it takes the balanced running fitness established in the fundamental phase and builds it to a peak for a specific goal race distance.  The stress workouts in a Specific Phase focus more heavily on the specific demands of the goal race and transitions general running fitness into specific fitness.  

What the Specific Phase looks like depends on the length of the goal race, the strengths and weaknesses of the runner and any specific features associated with the goal race (i.e course, weather, etc.).  In the Specific Phase our mix of workouts shifts to focus more heavily on the categories that includes our goal race pace, and other specific workouts are added to provide additional training in areas critical to the goal race itself.    

A good example of this is in a specific phase for a marathon race, where we will have the runners do more long tempo runs at or near marathon race pace in order to get more familiar and comfortable with it and develop a good sense for it. And we'll begin to add in more quality into long runs to get the body and mind use to running at quicker rhythms while tired and lower on glycogen. We also do more runs on course that resemble our goal race course to prepare the body for its demands.

The Specific Phase usually last between 4 and 8 weeks in length or roughly a third of the training cycle as a whole.

Note:  In general the Specific Phase should not be extended beyond 8-10 weeks or the runner risks a degradation in the underlying fitness of areas not included as often in the Specific Phase stress workout mix, and this degradation can cause a cascading effect on other areas supporting specific race needs.  

Ok, so that is an overview of the Hadley Liberty Training Cycle as a whole. Each phase will make more sense as we discuss each in greater detail in the next 4 chapters.