This past week began the second phase of my current training cycle, targeting the Atlanta Track Club Grand Prix Mile.

Phase One

Phase One went according to plan. My recent approach to strength training means that Phase One is no longer a mental break from hard runs, as the weight training gets hard quickly and fatigue carries over into the runs. I focused on keeping my effort easy and my cadence quick on these easy Phase One runs.

Phase Two

Phase Two will be short, only three weeks, and will introduce R-paced runs, which, as Jack Daniels says, improve “anaerobic power, speed, and economy of running.” My strength training has shifted to weekly weight increases as I try to eke out a bit more strength adaptation while not interfering with my running workouts. These three weeks will look something like this:

1. Week 1
   1. Monday: 10 min Easy + 8 x 200m R-pace with 200m jog recoveries + 10 min Easy
   2. Tuesday: 30 min Easy
   3. Wednesday: 10 min Easy + 8 x 200m R-pace with 200m jog recoveries + 5 min Easy
   4. Thursday: 30 min Easy
   5. Friday: 30 min Easy
   6. Saturday: 60 min Easy
2. Week 2 (planned down week)
   1. Monday: 10 min Easy + 2 x 200m R-pace with 200m jog recoveries + 2 x 400m R-pace with 400m jog recoveries + 5 min Easy
   2. Tuesday: 20 min Easy
   3. Wednesday: 10 min Easy + 6 x 200m R-pace with 200m jog recoveries + 5 min Easy
   4. Thursday: 20 min Easy
   5. Friday: 20 min Easy
   6. Saturday: 45 min Easy
3. Week 3
   1. Monday: 10 min Easy + 5 x 200m R-pace with 200m jog recoveries + 10 min Easy + 3 x 200m R-pace with 200m jog recoveries + 5 min walk
   2. Tuesday: 30 min Easy
   3. Wednesday: 40 min Easy
   4. Thursday: 30 min Easy
   5. Friday: 30 min Easy
   6. Saturday: 60 min Easy