Workout of the Day: 10K, 8K, 6K
10K, 8K, 6K
Intensity — 10K @ Half Marathon pace, 8K @ 15K, 6K @ 10K
Recovery — 1 Mile between reps
Exertion — 9/10
Context & Details
Block periodization is a method of organizing training designed by Vladimir Issurin. It’s highly effective, and primarily for elite athletes.
Essentially, Block periodization is a specific sequence of concentrated periods (or blocks) of loading, which focuses on improving only one or two athletic qualities at a time.
Lydiard’s periodization of Marathon - Bounding/Hill - Sharpen phases was Block periodization. Jerry Schumacher’s annual training is essentially Block periodization. And so is Canova’s General - Fundamental - Specific progression.
In block periodization, you have roughly three phases of accumulation, transmutation, and realization. Like all periodization, you move from general sports qualities to specific. Block periodization is different because you focus exclusively on one or two qualities for 6 - 12 weeks, then radically shift the focus. This differs from “complex” or traditional periodization which seeks to upgrade several qualities concurrently.
In Block, the early period of training, Accumulation, is about accumulating larger volumes of training at moderate intensities which will have lasting residual effects throughout the year. In running, this would be running miles at a moderate pace, like Lydiard and Schumacher, at the exclusion of all other types of running. No VO2 Max or Speed-Endurance workouts are done in this period. A handful of strides or 200s are performed 2-4x a week for coordination purposes, but they’re not the focus. In Accumulation, the athlete becomes fatigued on an acute level (immediately after a run) but after a night’s sleep, they are fully recovered and ready to go again the next day. Also, strength-training in the weight room is a focus, because this general strength will have high training residuals in subsequent periods of development.
Next is Transmutation. This period lasts roughly 6 - 10 weeks. The focus here is on sport-specific abilities like specific (special) endurance, strength endurance (stamina), and proper technique under fatiguing states. The volume of training is cut ~25% compared to the accumulation period, but the intensity is increased to 75% - 90% of goal race pace. This training is hard. In this period, the runner is chronically fatigued. Meaning they are never fully recovered after a night’s sleep. But it’s a functional overreaching, so mini-rest cycles every 2-3 weeks are taken to restore the athlete for another couple micro-cycles of hard training.
Finally, the realization phase is the most specific phase, like Canova’s Specific Period. It lasts 6 - 8 weeks. Here 100% of the focus is on workouts at 90% - 100%+ of goal race pace. All other running is recovery running. This period is highly polarized. Either you are running workouts at 90% - 100%+ of goal race pace or you’re jogging easy for recovery at under 150 bpm (Canova’s world class marathoners go no faster than 8:00/mile pace for their recovery runs during this period). There are no moderate tempo runs or long easy runs in this period. The focus is on doing as much specific running as possible. So you’re either running all out or dumb slow.
I’ve used variants of block training for the past 10 years and can testify this method of training works really, really well.
Here’s one example:
In the fall of 2018, I put Eleanor Fulton on a block training scheme. Her accumulation phase was 16 weeks from September - December 2018. She came out of that phase to run a 14 second PR in the 3K (running 9:01) indoors, then taking 7th in both the 1 Mile and 2 Mile at USA Indoors that season. Later that year, she made the final at USA outdoors in a 1500m PR of 4:08.
How does block periodization relate to today’s workout?
This session is an example of a specific workout found in the Realization or Specific Period. It is performed at 100%+ goal race pace, using longer reps, with a short recovery interval. It’s a hard workout, but hyper-specific to the half-marathon. Surrounding this session there would be a few very easy recovery runs in the days prior and after.
The workout itself upgrades resistance to fatigue at race-specific speeds, lactate-threshold velocity, running economy, and mental focus. It might be a session worth doing 1-2 times in the Specific or Realization Period leading into a goal half marathon, spaced out 3 weeks between runnings and before the target race day.