Seb Coe’s Middle Distance Training – Part 5

Seb Coe’s Multi-Tier Training System: Part 5 – Getting the Right Aerobic/Anaerobic Mix

Article by Chelsea Ho of Sweat Elite

This is the fifth instalment of a six-part series which is a summary of David Martin & Peter Coe’s Multi-Tier Training System featured in their bestselling classic Better Training for Distance Runners.

Continued from Part 4 – The Domains of Multi-Tier Training

Last article we explored the various domains (rooms) that exist on each mesocycle (floor) of the macrocycle (overall building). We’ll now discuss the principles that should guide a sensible assignment of the proportions of each domain (that is, how big or small each room should be).

Here’s one suggested format for the distribution of the various training modalities for middle (800m to 3k) and long (5k to marathon) distance runners respectively:

The authors highlight several caveats & assumptions to give this table proper perspective:

1. A training unit is a specific assigned modality of work. Some workouts may contain more than one unit (e.g. a 40min fartlek will feature both aerobic and anerobic conditioning zones). This counts as two units of training.

2. It assumes that a macrocycle lasts one year (52 weeks): 4 weeks of recovery (X₀), 33 weeks of work (X₁ to X₄), 3 weeks of fine-tuning (X₅) and 12 weeks of competition (X₆). Depending on how frequently you race during the year, you may need to shorten the micro/meso/macrocycles.

3. Marathon runners have a somewhat unique necessity for specific emphasis on high-volume aerobic conditioning each week. Thus, their total training distance will often be higher than outlined above.

4. Training sessions that fit within a particular training zone for one athlete may be more difficult or easier to tolerate for another athlete such that they really belong in a different zone. E.g. 5x800m @ 2:16 with recovery times of 2:00, 1:50, 1:40, 1:30 and 1:20 may be aerobic capacity training for an 800m runner, but in the zone of anaerobic capacity training for a marathon runner.

5. Alternatively, these workloads may serve as anaerobic capacity training for a runner early in a macrocycle but aerobic capacity training for that same athlete after several months of fitness improvement.

6. If in doubt about optimal training intensity, overestimate your recovery times and underestimate your running speeds to minimise the risks of injury and overtraining.  

You may also wonder how increasing bouts of anaerobic work can be added each week to an already generous diet of aerobic long-distance running! The authors acknowledge the need to take care in avoiding an excessive diet of distance running due to risk of musculoskeletal injury. They further argue that no measurable cardiorespiratory improvement (measured in VO₂ max) will occur beyond 96-145km/week of aerobic conditioning in elite-level long-distance runners anyway.

The Aerobic vs. Anerobic Tug-Of-War

Generally, the shorter the race distance, the larger the proportion of anerobic training needs to be included in the program. In the case of Seb Coe, his aerobic/anerobic ratio was roughly 66%/33% which enabled him to succeed in the middle distance events (800-1500m). Total weekly aerobic distance running was kept to a minimum and quality speed work was included. Details of his weekly anerobic/aerobic breakdown at 16 & 18yrs of age can be found at the bottom of this article.

A Word of Caution by the Authors

Often we yearn to mimic specific day-to-day training plans of other athletes who have been successful; our reason being that if the training brought success for that other athlete, then surely it must be good for us as well. Studying what others have done can be useful, but remember that such “A week in the training diary of…” articles are often analysed out of context. For example, without a substantial summary of previous training loads that have been endured to reach the level of fitness that this athlete has developed over time, readers cannot assess whether the training load reported matches what they can manage. Instead, the authors recommend understanding the general development of an elite athlete’s training strategy over a longer period of time.

Source: Martin, D. E., & Coe, P. N. (1997). Better training for distance runners. Human Kinetics 1.

Continue to Part 6 – Setting Equivalent Paces for Different Distances

Other articles in this series:

Part 1 – General Principles of Periodisation

Part 2 – Overview of the Multi-Tier Training System

Part 3 – The Mesocycles of Multi-Tier Training

Part 4 – The Domains of Multi-Tier Training