"CYCLE" TRAINING

It's the New Reality Training: Running in a cycle, which leads to more fun, less pressure, and faster times.

by Marc Bloom

It's the new training idea for the 21 st century. It's so logical you'll wonder why you haven't been running this way for years. When you start, and see how much better you run-and how much better you feel-you'll never turn back.

It's the training "cycle." It means, forgetting the tired approach of structuring your training by the week, in which you're a slave to weekly mileage totals and cram must-do workouts into a head-spinning, leg-burning 7-day period. It means, throwing off the shackles of a weekly training jam-after all, you're probably already stressed out by a bursting-at-the-seams work week-and being totally free to run as you feel, and with more variety. Isn't that one reason you started running in the first place, for the freedom?

The cycle approach is the ultimate reality training. It is workout-based, not week-based, and is a personal, re-defining make-your-own-sundae concept. It means, identifying the workouts that you most enjoy and enable you to meet your goals, whether they're racing goals or merely the desire to improve fitness and lose weight. And then, spreading out the workouts over a 14-day or 21-day or even 30-day "cycle," in which:

(1) you have flexibility to make changes as you feel or as a busy life dictates;

(2) you run easy on days when you're not doing specific workouts;

(3) you get enough rest so that you're fresh on days when you train hard;

(4) you get into great shape because your training is in perfect balance.

The old way : running causes stress at times because you're often squeezing it in.

The new way : running is always relaxed because you have more time to train as you like.

Training in a cycle is not entirely new. College and professional runners have been using it. Jonathan Riley, 25, of Palo Alto, Calif., who ran the Olympic 5,000 meters in Athens last summer, trains on a 14-day cycle in which he does four key workouts while the rest of his running is recovery. "The cycle," said Riley, "gives you the ability to train for both strength and speed. And it gives you peace of mind."

Anyone can train in a cycle, and smart runners are starting to realize that. Like Riley, Kathy Rickard, 47, of Fort Collins, Colo., trains on a 14-day cycle, doing six quality workouts. "I don't know what's magical about a 7-day schedule," said Rickard. "I used to do the same running every day. Same route, same time. It was monotonous. That's the great thing about 14 days. It keeps your running fresh, and it's wonderful to have recovery time built into your schedule."

Rules of the Road: Build Your Own Training Cycle

1. Plan ahead: The best way to start is to work backwards from your goal. First determine the distance you're focusing on, 5k, 10k, half-marathon or marathon, and which event you'll be peaking for. The lead time you'll need is 6 weeks for 5k, 9 weeks for 10k, 12 weeks for half-marathon and 15 weeks for the marathon. Set the date for your race and plot your training.

2. Cycle length : Most coaches recommend cycles of 14 to 21 days. Start with 21 days since that gives you the greatest flexibility. A cycle is elastic enough so to that you can train for different distances at the same time. For example, if you want to improve your 10k in the short term but also want to run a marathon months away, you can train for both events in the same cycle. With at least a 15-week lead time for the marathon, that will give you 5 21-day cycles.

3. Racing goals : Calculate your time goal, which will dictate training pace. If, for example, you're shooting for a 25-minute 5k, that's 8-minute per mile pace. As you map out your cycle, you'll need to include specific workouts at 8-minute pace or faster. This helps give your training the focus you may have lacked previously. If your aim is a 2-hour half-marathon, that's roughly 9 minutes per mile.

4. Number of workouts : Most coaches recommend 4 to 8 workouts in a 21-day cycle. The number should depend on your level of running and experience. Here's a rough guideline to the number of workouts in a 21-day cycle:

--3 workouts if you're running 1-2 years and do 10 to 15 miles a week.

--4 workouts if you're running 2 years or more and do at least 15 miles a week;

--5 workouts if you're running 3 years or more and do at least 20 miles a week;

--6 workouts if you're running 4 years or more and do at least 25 miles a week;

--7 workouts if you're running 5 years or more and do at least 30 miles a week;

--8 workouts if you're running 10 years or more and do at least 40 miles a week;

5. Training mix: The key components are: a) long runs with periodic increases to build fitness-your aerobic base; b) shorter runs at a taxing pace--ome form of speedwork--to enable you to meet race pace goals; c) slow recovery runs; d) off-days in which you do no running or cross-training. Speedwork is any running "where the breathing rate is moderately challenged," said coach Bob Williams of Portland, Oregon. "That's about 85 percent of maximum heart rate."

6. Specific workouts: Williams, who coaches average runners and world-class athletes, said runners can make large improvements with 4 long runs, 2 hill runs and 2 runs with pick-ups-8 workouts total-in a 21-day cycle. New runners can be less ambitious, doing 1 or 2 long runs, 1 hill run and 1 pick-up run. Here's Williams' complete program:

--4 long runs: Add 5 minutes every second run so you gain 10 minutes per cycle for your longest run. If your long run is currently 60 minutes, you'll reach 90 minutes after 3 cycles. Always alternate between the "shorter" long run and the second long run that you gradually increase.

--2 hill runs: Do one run on a hilly course. Do another in which you run up and down a hill 6 to 10 times; make sure you do at least a mile warm-up before and cool-down after.

--2 pick-up runs: Include four 30-second accelerations per run. Space them out, so that in a 40-minute run, you do your first acceleration after 8 minutes, then at about 16, 24 and 32 minutes.

7. Rest and recovery : All other running should be easy distance. Mixing in off-days and cross-training (like swimming, pool running or weights) will make you that much more rested for the 8 workouts. Never run hard two days in a row. Duke University coach Norm Ogilvie, who uses cycle training with his college runners, said adults must space out workouts. "Three easy days for every hard day," he said.

8. Workout sequence : A workout (long run, hill run, pick-up run) should always be followed by a recovery run, cross-training or off-day. Start each cycle with a long run, then mix in the hill runs and pick-up runs every few days depending on how you feel and personal preference.

9. Complete 21-day schedule : In summary, here's how a 21-day 5k/10k cycle would look day by day (key: LR-long run; HR-hill run; PR-pick-up run; RR-recovery run; XT-cross-training; OD-off-day):

Day 1. LR, 2. RR, 3. RR, 4. HR, 5. XT, 6. OD, 7. PR, 8. RR, 9. LR, 10. XT, 11. OD, 12. HR, 13. RR, 14. LR, 15. RR, 16. PR, 17. RR, 18. OD, 19. XT, 20. LR, 21. RR.

10. From cycle to cycle : After each cycle, said Williams, do a 3-mile time trial on a measured course like a track or park trail. Run the first mile at a comfortable pace, the second mile faster, and the last mile at close to race pace, to see what pace you can hold while pushing hard. This test will help you assess training and determine how close you are to your ultimate goal.

When you move to the next cycle, increase your running in the following way:

--Long runs: Continue adding 10 minutes per cycle for 5k and 10k goals, while marathoners use a more substantial build-up. Coach Jack Daniels of New York recommends that once marathoners advance to 20-mile runs, they can include some faster-pace running in their efforts. For example, in an 18-20 mile run, do 10 miles at a comfortable pace, 4-5 miles at a faster pace (about 85-90 percent of maximum heart rate), and 4-5 miles at an easy pace.

--Hill runs: Each cycle, add 1-2 repetitions to the hill reps workout. If you start with 6 reps, do 7-8 the next time. Add a few minutes to your warm-up and cool-down.

--Pick-up runs: Each cycle, add 15 seconds per acceleration plus one acceleration, so that by your third cycle you're doing 6 x 60-second pick-ups.

Training master Vin Lananna, who coached Stanford to numerous NCAA track and cross-country titles and was Olympic distance coach for the U.S. team in Athens last summer, said cycle training is "like baking a cake. You determine the ingredients."

Sidebar One: Putting It All Together

After some experimentation, Gary Szolnicki, 34, of Portland, Oregon, found he could "have it all" as a runner-fun, fitness and race readiness for all distances-when he fashioned his own cycle training mix. Szolnicki, whose goals embrace the 5k, 10k, half-marathon and marathon, does 4 workouts in a 14-day cycle.

--Going long: One long run is 10-12 miles, the other is 17-18, which, he said, he puts "in the bank" for the marathon. He incorporates pick-ups like 6 to 8 x 50-meters in the 10-12 milers for added zip in his stride.

--Going short: One workout is 6 repeats of 800 meters on the track, the other is 6 repeats of 200 meters, together with a steady 20-minute run.

--Getting rest: "I've learned that recovery is critical. After a long run or speed session, I don't run the next day. I don't feel I have to. There's no rush because every few days I get in a quality workout. The more relaxed I am, the more mentally prepared I feel for racing."

--Getting results: Using this program, Szolnicki achieved PRs this year of 18:52 for 5k and 39:10 for 10k. He's aiming for more PRs in a half-marathon later this year and, finally, a winter marathon.

Kathy Rickard, who runs every event from the 5k to the marathon, also used a 14-day cycle but with her own spin:

--Going long: After working up to 90-minute runs, Rickard found she favored distance and gradually increased her longest run per cycle to 2 hours, then 3 hours and finally to 4 hours. "I needed the security of knowing I could run that long," she said. Rickard also did a second long run per cycle, holding that at 2 hours.

Going short: Rickard ran hills, working up to 10 repeats. She did track running, combining 400s and 800s.

Getting rest: Rickard eschewed days off. For a break, she slowed her pace to "very easy" while still doing at least 45 minutes.

Getting results: Seeking to break 4 hours to qualify for the Boston Marathon, Rickard ran her first marathon last December in 3:58. Now she's aiming for another Boston.

From Szolnicki to Rickard to the champions, runners at all levels report improved performance, more manageable training-and a heck of a lot more fun-with cycle training. It's the personalized, custom-made alternative to the must-do mania that grips runners who won't budge an inch in their training.

Cycle training is so fluid and relaxed that you can even make up your own rules. Heather Underwood a 34-year-old runner from Lake George, New York, profits from a 21-day cycle and then a week of recovery training as a refresher. After the 28 th day, she's ready to run with gusto in her next cycle. "With each cycle, I feel better and better," she said. "It just happens naturally. It's amazing."

Sidebar Two: Lose Weight With Cycle Training

If weight loss is an important factor in your running, you can use cycle training to improve nutrition along with running. An eat-and-run cycle would gradually increase distance since runners burn about 100 calories per mile. For many runners, a realistic goal would be to lose 5 pounds in a 21-day cycle. To accomplish this, change one bad eating habit* into a good one on specified days during the cycle-the days when you run longest within a given 3- or 4-day period, as shown below:

Day 1: 30 minute run

Day 2: 33 minute run

Day 3: 36 minute run (change eating habit)

Day 4: rest

Day 5: 36 minute run

Day 6: 39 minute run

Day 7: 42 minute run (change eating habit)

Day 8: rest

Day 9: 42 minute run

Day 10: 45 minute run

Day 11: 48 minute run (change eating habit)

Day 12: rest

Day 13: 48 minute run

Day 14: 51 minute run

Day 15: 54 minute run (change eating habit)

Day 16: rest

Day 17: 54 minute run

Day 18: 57 minute run

Day 19: 60 minute run

Day 20: 63 minute run (change eating habit)

Day 21: rest

*Eating habits to change include:

--eat a breakfast of cereal, skim milk and fruit as opposed to super-sized bagel and cream cheese

--eat several smaller meals as opposed to skipping as meal and having a big dinner

--snack on fruit as opposed to cookies and sweets

--eat smaller portions such as 4 to 6 ounces of pasta

--eat meat to accompany a meal, not as the main dish.

--prepare home-made lunches to take to work as opposed to eating out where healthy choices may be limited.

BUY NOW! For more information on different workout models, read Marc Bloom's books covering all aspects of health, fitness and training.