Excerpts from Arthur Lydiard’s Athletic Training by Arthur Lydiard; A Guide to the Brooks/American Track & Field; & Lydiard Running Lecture Tour in 1999.
Please note that it is wise to run supplementary miles at an easy pace, as many as you can, in addition to the schedules presented here. This will help you maintain good general condition and allow you to recover from training sessions more easily. Even 15 minutes is of value.Training should be done over all types of surfaces and trial runs over courses similar to that to be raced over. Training should also be applied in volume according to age and condition.Regular running on hills will help you in developing and maintaining your speed. Try to fit in some hill springing, uphill running or bounding with a driving action, and some steep hill or step running whenever you can, but don’t overdo it.
The schedules are only for guidance. They give a balanced method of training for a specific event, but think of them as a flexible guideline, allowing for age and general conditioning. Study your reactions to the training from day to day and if you feel stale or suffer from any soreness, allow time for recovery.Never do speed training when your muscles are sore or you are feeling tired. Just jog easily, regardless of what is on the schedule for that days training. You can never harm yourself by jogging and it will usually help to overcome the soreness or tiredness.
Fast training can lead to injury and will certainly only make you more tired.Don’t race your training, except when full efforts are called for on the schedule Run strongly and easily ineffort, always keeping something in reserve. As you feel improvement, gradually increase your training tempo, but never use that reserve.When runners are well conditioned, it is not too difficult to maintain top form for months, providing simple precautions are taken, not to try train hard and race at the same time and allowances are always made for recovery from races. To keep FRESH and SHARP is the secret.The instruction “for as long as possible” on the schedules refers to the period between the finish of one season and the start of the next one. (e.g., between cross-country and track seasons, etc).
1. Conditioning (As long as possible) 2 week cycles.
Monday: Aerobic running 3/4 to 1 hour.
Tuesday: Aerobic running 1 to 1.5 hours.
Wednesday: Run hilly course 1/2 to 1 hour.
Thursday: Aerobic running 1 to 1.5 hours.
Friday: Jog 1/2 to 1 hour.
Saturday: Run hilly course 1/2 to 1 hour.
Sunday: Aerobic running 1.5 to 2 hours.
Monday: Run hilly course 1/2 to 1 hour.
Tuesday: Aerobic running 1 to 1.5 hours.
Wednesday: Time trial 3000 or 5000 meters.
Thursday: Aerobic running 1 to 1.5 hours.
Friday: Jog 1/2 to 1 hour.
Saturday: Relaxed striding of 4 to 8 times 200 meters.
Sunday: Aerobic running 2 hours or more.
11. Hill Resistance Training (4 weeks)
Monday: Leg-speed 100 meters 6 to 10 times.
Tuesday: Hill exercise 1/2 to 1 hour.
Wednesday: Fast relaxed running 100 meters 6 to 10 times.
Thursday: A Hill exercise (or jog) 1/2 to 1 hour.
Friday: Leg-speed 100 meters 6 to 10 times.
Saturday: Hill exercise 1/2 to 1 hour.
Sunday: Aerobic running 1 to 2 hours.
111. Anaerobic Training (4 weeks)
Monday: Sprint training.
Tuesday: Repetitions.
Wednesday: Easy fartlek 1/2 to 1 hour (jogging and striding or sprint training).
Thursday: Repetitions.
Friday: Relaxed striding (fast and easy).
Saturday: Repetitions.
Sunday: Aerobic running 1 to 2 hours.
1V. Co-ordination Training (4 weeks).
Monday: Wind-sprints (total of 2000 to 4000 meters) either 50 meters every 100 meters or 100 meters every 200 meters; 10 to 20 times.
Tuesday: For Middle Distance; Fast relaxed striding or Sprint training.
For Distance; Time trial 3000 or 5000 meters.
For Either; Easy fartlek or Aerobic running up to an hour.
Wednesday: Development races or Time trial ; a sprint and middle distance.
Thursday: Fast relaxed striding or Pace judgement or Easy Fartlek or Fast runs in repetition over 300 meters by 3 or 500 meters by 2.
Friday: Jog 1/2 hour.
Saturday: Development races; over or under race distance.
Sunday: Aerobic running 1 hours to 11/2 hours.
V. Last Two Weeks of Freshening up!
Monday: Wind-sprints 50 meters by 12 to 20 times.
Tuesday: Easy fartlek or Aerobic running, 1 hour.
Wednesday: Time trial over race distance (fast)..
Thursday: Fast relaxed striding 100 meters by 6.
Friday: Jog 1/2 hour.
Saturday: Race or time trial 1/2 the race distance.
Sunday: Aerobic running 1 hours to 11/2 hours.
Monday: Wind-sprints 50 meters by 10 to 16 times.
Tuesday: Time trial, 400. 600 or 1500 meters.
Wednesday: Fast relaxed striding 100 meters by 6.
Thursday: Jog 3/4 hour.
Friday: Jog 1/2 hour.
Saturday: The First Important Race.
Sunday: Jog 1 hours to 11/2 hours or more.
V1. Continuation of Racing
Monday: Easy fartlek 3/4 to 1 hour.
Tuesday: Relaxed striding 200 meters by 6.
Wednesday: Race or time trial.
Thursday: Easy fartlek 1 hour or Jog 3/4 hour.
Friday: Jog 1/2 hour.
Saturday: Race or time trial.
Sunday: Jog 11/2 hours.
Bald Runner 