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Brent Lineberry

Web and app developer. Coffee, beer, and running, in any order.

Training for a XC 5k: Phase 3

Friday began the third phase of my training cycle targeting the Atlanta Track Club’s Grand Prix Cross Country 5k.

Friday began the third phase of my training cycle targeting the Atlanta Track Club’s (ATC) Grand Prix Cross Country (XC) 5k.

Phase Two

Phase two turned out to be not straightforward. We were in Hawaiʻi for a week of it, and then I raced the ATC Decatur DeKalb 5k. I missed an easy day due to Hawaiʻi travel which isn’t a big deal, and the race replaced a workout. Otherwise I was able to get all of my running in.

Strength training, however, was different. I missed a week for Hawaiʻi, reducing my intensity by 10%, and then I missed two days for the race. One of those was a heavy squat day, so I reduced my squat intensity by 10% again, and because bench and overhead press alternate, they each missed a week and also reduced intensity by another 10%. The deadlift is on a weekly schedule and didn’t get missed, so it’s intensity stayed the same.

The Decatur DeKalb 5k went well. I ran faster than my training Jack Daniels VDOT, so my training paces increased from VDOT 42.3 to 42.9:

Repetition (R)
6:49/mi → 6:44/mi
Interval (I)
7:13/mi → 7:09/mi
Threshold (T)
7:50/mi → 7:46/mi

Phase Three

Phase three is planned to be six weeks long. Though the emphasis is on I pace, most of those workouts are Hard (H) workouts, which are pretty much fartleks. They are done by time and feel instead of distance and pace. I intend to do those workouts on the Legacy Park XC course since the trail workouts do better with time and feel.

The secondary workouts are a combination of T and R work. I plan to do those on the track.

I don’t have any races planned during this phase.

This is the plan:

  1. Week 1
    1. Friday: 30 min Easy (E) + 8 Strides (ST)
    2. Saturday: 60 min E
    3. Monday: 10 min E + 5 x 2 min H with 1 min recoveries + 10 min E
    4. Tuesday: 30 min E + 8 ST
    5. Wednesday: 10 min E + 1mi T + 4 x 200m R with 200m recoveries + 10 min E
    6. Thursday: 30 min E + 6 ST
  2. Week 2 (down week)
    1. Friday: 20 min Easy (E) + 8 Strides (ST)
    2. Saturday: 45 min E
    3. Monday: 10 min E + 2 x 3 min H with 2 min recoveries + 10 min E
    4. Tuesday: 20 min E + 8 ST
    5. Wednesday: 10 min E + 5 min T with 1 min rest + 3 x 200m R with 200m recoveries + 10 min E
    6. Thursday: 20 min E + 6 ST
  3. Week 3
    1. Friday: 30 min Easy (E) + 8 Strides (ST)
    2. Saturday: 60 min E
    3. Monday: 10 min E + 2 x 4 min H with 3 min recoveries + 10 min E
    4. Tuesday: 30 min E + 8 ST
    5. Wednesday: 10 min E + 1mi T + 4 x 200m R with 200m recoveries + 10 min E
    6. Thursday: 30 min E + 6 ST
  4. Week 4
    1. Friday: 30 min Easy (E) + 8 Strides (ST)
    2. Saturday: 60 min E
    3. Monday: 10 min E + 3 x 800m I with 2 min recoveries + 10 min E
    4. Tuesday: 30 min E + 8 ST
    5. Wednesday: 10 min E + 5 min T with 1 min rest + 4 x 200m R with 200m recoveries + 10 min E
    6. Thursday: 30 min E + 6 ST
  5. Week 5
    1. Friday: 30 min Easy (E) + 8 Strides (ST)
    2. Saturday: 60 min E
    3. Monday: 10 min E + 5 x 2 min H with 1 min recoveries + 10 min E
    4. Tuesday: 30 min E + 8 ST
    5. Wednesday: 10 min E + 1mi T + 4 x 200m R with 200m recoveries + 10 min E
    6. Thursday: 30 min E + 6 ST
  6. Week 6 (down week)
    1. Friday: 20 min Easy (E) + 8 Strides (ST)
    2. Saturday: 45 min E
    3. Monday: 10 min E + 2 x 3 min H with 2 min recoveries + 10 min E
    4. Tuesday: 20 min E + 8 ST
    5. Wednesday: 10 min E + 5 min T with 1 min rest + 3 x 200m R with 200m recoveries + 10 min E
    6. Thursday: 20 min E + 6 ST