Here is a great post by the now legendary Antonio Cabral:



"The runner that i coach and that did 13:36 with a full time Job occupatioon (7 hours a day – 5 times a week) that´s Rui Lopes. The name may not say noting to you, but the moment that he did that and what did keep my attention and I did try to analyse that´s why with 40-45min continuous runs every day and 1 “weak” workout as Control test once a week (Ex: 4X1000m 2:50-2:52 average 4 min intervals).



Thus that´s very easy to remember his weekly traning schedule



Monday,Tuesday, Thurday and Friday – 40-45min continuous runs going a few times in 3:10 by kilo.



Wednesday – 30min warmup + 4-5X1000m in 2:50-2:52 avarege range with 4min intervals



Saturday and Sunday (if ther´s no weekend competition) – the same 40-45min.

If thare´s a weekend competition – Saturday: 20min easy and Sunday – competition.



I asked to myself – if he is not able to run faster that that in workouts (2:50/kilo that´s 14:10 5000m pace) then why he did 13:36? We were in the early 80s and I didn´t know yet what are LT runs, but it took my attention that the runner did every 45min very fast than their teammates – his continuous runs weren´t easy jogs, but tempo runs.

The history of that run is that he got a good team contract change from my advise to another coach he did start training twice a week and more training volume, more track workouts. Result: Actually he is a 47 years old man, but his PB still remains 13:36 !



In my analyse as his coach I did get 2 conclusions:



1/sometimes times “less” is better. Some volume trainings are megalomaniacs according the runner talent.



2/while training LT runs very frequently you reach your top too early to soon, but after that ther´s the risk that your progression ends there, after a couple of seasons. Thus even Lt training that must be done with precaution.







Another example that I can mention is the Portuguese runner José Regalo.

Open that and go to 1988 5000m world rankings



http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/archive/rankings/men/5000worldranking.pdf



Look he is on the top of a Dieter Bauman among others.



After 2 years of training – he did nothing as a runner or no one physical activity before that - in that 1988 season, José Regalo (13:15 PB in 1988) did win all international meeting circuits (what we now call the golden league) and he did the Seul Olympic final. After loosing their shoes after 2 kilos in the semi-final (and running with no soaks) he did 3 last kilos in pain and with his foot with lots of blisters he couldn’t recover in time to be 100% in that Seul final or we would win !



What did train José Regalo? Never more than 1 hour once a day and 3 track workout reps by week.



Next year he did start to train more volume. What did happen? He falls down in the obscurity and rarely did sub 14:00 in the rest of his career that it lasts for more than one decade after that 1988 year."