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#1
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Compressed Interval Block Training - Good or Bad?
I'm wondering what readers of rec.nordic.skiing think of the interval
block training that the US Ski Team, for instance, is doing this year. Is it the wave of the future, a fad, or not a good idea? I'm thinking that this form of training reflects the demands of new racing formats. With mass starts becoming the predominant race format and sprint racing ever growing - you need to be very powerful and able to run your heart to the redline often to hang with breaks. I think compressed blocks of interval sessions will acheive these this. I also think this is a ballsy move on the part of the USST to go this route. And I appreciate the fact that they taking risks that may get them higher on the World Cup result lists. But I'm sure other r.s.n have different opinions. And I think this topic may make a good discussion thread. I'm also wondering how the Canadians national team members may be training different that the US. These days the Canadians may not have a Kris Freeman ... but man, they sure have depth!! I don't every remember seeing such strength in numbers with the Canadian men (look at US Nationals results or New Zealand results). Have the Canadian men been inspired by Golden Beckie, do they subscribe to compressed interval block training or is the beer in Canada these days really that much better than US beer!?! TK |
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#2
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I think more people up here are trying block training, if I can
believe the conversations I overhear in the parking lot at Gatineau Park. I believe it's probably a good thing if you do it correctly and have a good base. I tried a block of 5 days in August and my 5K running time went down by a minute (not that I'm a fast runner by any stretch) but I injured my TFL muscle. I think it helps to vary the workouts between running, rollerski, cycling and ski-bounding, to avoid injury. Too much high-intensity running and I find all the weakest links in my kinetic chain, but too much long, slow distance is even worse for injuries. It's really a form of periodization... stress your system and then back off and let the adaptations happen. The Canadian men do seem to have a good cohort. They have a good sponsor, which helps alot. I think you may be wrong about not having a Kris Freeman... watch out for Devon Kershaw. And they have a sprinter that won the U23's last winter. With a little international seasoning they will be a relay threat. Chris "Tim Kelley" wrote in message oups.com... I'm wondering what readers of rec.nordic.skiing think of the interval block training that the US Ski Team, for instance, is doing this year. Is it the wave of the future, a fad, or not a good idea? I'm thinking that this form of training reflects the demands of new racing formats. With mass starts becoming the predominant race format and sprint racing ever growing - you need to be very powerful and able to run your heart to the redline often to hang with breaks. I think compressed blocks of interval sessions will acheive these this. I also think this is a ballsy move on the part of the USST to go this route. And I appreciate the fact that they taking risks that may get them higher on the World Cup result lists. But I'm sure other r.s.n have different opinions. And I think this topic may make a good discussion thread. I'm also wondering how the Canadians national team members may be training different that the US. These days the Canadians may not have a Kris Freeman ... but man, they sure have depth!! I don't every remember seeing such strength in numbers with the Canadian men (look at US Nationals results or New Zealand results). Have the Canadian men been inspired by Golden Beckie, do they subscribe to compressed interval block training or is the beer in Canada these days really that much better than US beer!?! TK |
#3
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"Tim Kelley" wrote in message
ups.com... I'm wondering what readers of rec.nordic.skiing think of the interval block training that the US Ski Team, for instance, is doing this year. Is it the wave of the future, a fad, or not a good idea? I'm thinking that this form of training reflects the demands of new racing formats. With mass starts becoming the predominant race format and sprint racing ever growing - you need to be very powerful and able to run your heart to the redline often to hang with breaks. I think compressed blocks of interval sessions will acheive these this. I also think this is a ballsy move on the part of the USST to go this route. And I appreciate the fact that they taking risks that may get them higher on the World Cup result lists. But I'm sure other r.s.n have different opinions. And I think this topic may make a good discussion thread. I'm also wondering how the Canadians national team members may be training different that the US. These days the Canadians may not have a Kris Freeman ... but man, they sure have depth!! I don't every remember seeing such strength in numbers with the Canadian men (look at US Nationals results or New Zealand results). Have the Canadian men been inspired by Golden Beckie, do they subscribe to compressed interval block training or is the beer in Canada these days really that much better than US beer!?! Enlighten me, please. What is Compressed Interval Training? Chris |
#5
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Chris,
A Compressed Interval Block of training is an intensive series of interval workouts. For instance, one might choose a 5 day block of time and the only workouts that would be done are sessions of 4 to 8 times 3 minute to 8 minute intervals. And sometimes these interval sessions may be done twice a day. Distance workouts are usually replaced by rest or active recovery sessions (light excercise) during this period. The goal is to increase one's max V02 by fequently stressing your body to your anaerobic threshold and hoping that your body reacts by improving the oxygen uptake capabilities. In my previous post I should have said - the Canadians do not have a male with Kris Freeman WC results ... YET ! Hopefully they soon will have a male at this level (of course on the women's side they have Becky at this level and above already, and Sara is close). And I would bet that the time that Canadian men will again be high up in WC results will be coming soon. Tim Kelley |
#6
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On 15 Oct 2004 10:40:06 -0700, (Steve
McGregor) wrote: Actually, it has been around for a while in cycling. It is well known that participating in a stage race will elicit tremendous fitness improvements if the individual can get through the stage race without crashing (physiologically). A good book about block training is by David Morris: _Performance Cycling : Training for Power, Endurance, and Speed_. JT **************************** Remove "remove" to reply Visit http://www.jt10000.com **************************** |
#7
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Actually, it has been around for a while in cycling. It is well known
that participating in a stage race will elicit tremendous fitness improvements if the individual can get through the stage race without crashing (physiologically). Some people just can't handle that type of format though, and never come through a stage race without breaking down. Steve, That's interesting about cycling stage races. Over the years I believe that I've seen something similar in ski racing. Though this is not a quantifiable statement - it seems after a skier competes in a week-long competition (Nationals), and as you noted they don't burn themselves out, they emerge skiing faster then when they went in. In essence such a race series is a compressed intensity block, similar to a stage race (but with more rest). A thought - maybe AXCS Masters should use this logic as promotion for skiers to participate in the AXCS National Masters race series at the end of January/early February. You want to ski faster in the Birkie? .... then get your intensity block in that will make you faster - ski National Masters. If it works for cyclists, it will likely work for skiers. Tim Kelley |
#8
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Hi Tim,
I have tried the intensity blocks in my own training and with several athletes that I coach and we've all had great success with it. The science seems to show that a block of between 5 and 9 days works best for most people. More than that and people kill themselves, less than that and the VO2max increase is not as dramatic. In my experience, I've noticed that at the end of the block, even though I am much more tired than when I started, my times are faster and the training feels more comfortable. One of my coaching clients freaked out about his intensity block that I prescribed a few weeks before the Chicago Marathon. He did it, though, and ended up taking 37 minutes off of his PR and said he could have run faster but he was too scared to open too hard. Out of everything that we did in preparing him for the race, he attributed the biggest success to the intensity block. Some key elements of the intensity blocks from my experiences: 1. Level 4 training is not level 5 training. It must be done at the right intensity to be successful. 2. An athlete must be prepared for the intensity block. As in all things training, it is good to build up at a pace that allows your body to adapt slowly. Don't hop off the couch and expect that doing intervals for six days is a good idea. You need to have done at least some threshold work and a little bit of level 4 intensity before jumping off into a block of level 4 intensity training. 3. There must be adequate rest between the intervals and between the interval sessions. There should not be much more than strength prescribed during the intensity blocks aside from the intensity itself. Older skiers and those at altitude should probably not do more than 3-4 sessions in a row without a break from intensity for a day. 4. Try to make the intensity sessions as specific as possible to gain the biggest benefits. 5. Find a way to objectively evaluate the success of the block. There are several ways to do this. You can do a field test or get a VO2 test before and after the block. You can also judge this as you do your intensity block by repeating intervals sessions throughout the block. For example, the following block of training will give you a fairly good feel for improvements while they are happening: Day 1: Interval session 4x4 Roll SK at location 1. Day 2: Interval session 5x4 Hill Bounding Location 2. Day 3: 4x4 Roll Classic location 3. Day 4: 4x4 Roll SK location 1 Day 5: 5x4 Hill Bounding Location 2 Day 6: 4x4 Roll CL Location 3. Good luck, they really do work. They better, because doing a block of training like this can be pretty tough! Nathan "Tim Kelley" wrote in message ups.com... I'm wondering what readers of rec.nordic.skiing think of the interval block training that the US Ski Team, for instance, is doing this year. Is it the wave of the future, a fad, or not a good idea? I'm thinking that this form of training reflects the demands of new racing formats. With mass starts becoming the predominant race format and sprint racing ever growing - you need to be very powerful and able to run your heart to the redline often to hang with breaks. I think compressed blocks of interval sessions will acheive these this. I also think this is a ballsy move on the part of the USST to go this route. And I appreciate the fact that they taking risks that may get them higher on the World Cup result lists. But I'm sure other r.s.n have different opinions. And I think this topic may make a good discussion thread. I'm also wondering how the Canadians national team members may be training different that the US. These days the Canadians may not have a Kris Freeman ... but man, they sure have depth!! I don't every remember seeing such strength in numbers with the Canadian men (look at US Nationals results or New Zealand results). Have the Canadian men been inspired by Golden Beckie, do they subscribe to compressed interval block training or is the beer in Canada these days really that much better than US beer!?! TK |
#9
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At 13:28 18 10 04 Monday, Nathan wrote:
In my experience, I've noticed that at the end of the block, even though I am much more tired than when I started, my times are faster and the training feels more comfortable. One of my coaching clients freaked out about his intensity block that I prescribed a few weeks before the Chicago Marathon. He did it, though, and ended up taking 37 minutes off of his PR and said he could have run faster but he was too scared to open too hard. Out of everything that we did in preparing him for the race, he attributed the biggest success to the intensity block. I would love to take 37 minutes off my Boulder Mountain Tour time this coming February. Of course that isn't going to happen, but ... If I do an compressed interval block, how long before the Tour should I do it? Ski Exuberantly, Hank Mammoth Lakes, Calif. |
#10
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--- Nathan Schultz wrote: When should I do the program below if I want to peak for the Natl Masters the first week on Feb? Do it more than once? How much "normal" training in between blocks? Could you mix in an early season race into a block? Rob Bradlee the following block of training will give you a fairly good feel for improvements while they are happening: Day 1: Interval session 4x4 Roll SK at location 1. Day 2: Interval session 5x4 Hill Bounding Location 2. Day 3: 4x4 Roll Classic location 3. Day 4: 4x4 Roll SK location 1 Day 5: 5x4 Hill Bounding Location 2 Day 6: 4x4 Roll CL Location 3. Good luck, they really do work. They better, because doing a block of training like this can be pretty tough! Nathan "Tim Kelley" wrote in message ups.com... I'm wondering what readers of rec.nordic.skiing think of the interval block training that the US Ski Team, for instance, is doing this year. Is it the wave of the future, a fad, or not a good idea? I'm thinking that this form of training reflects the demands of new racing formats. With mass starts becoming the predominant race format and sprint racing ever growing - you need to be very powerful and able to run your heart to the redline often to hang with breaks. I think compressed blocks of interval sessions will acheive these this. I also think this is a ballsy move on the part of the USST to go this route. And I appreciate the fact that they taking risks that may get them higher on the World Cup result lists. But I'm sure other r.s.n have different opinions. And I think this topic may make a good discussion thread. I'm also wondering how the Canadians national team members may be training different that the US. These days the Canadians may not have a Kris Freeman ... but man, they sure have depth!! I don't every remember seeing such strength in numbers with the Canadian men (look at US Nationals results or New Zealand results). Have the Canadian men been inspired by Golden Beckie, do they subscribe to compressed interval block training or is the beer in Canada these days really that much better than US beer!?! TK ===== Rob Bradlee Java, C++, Perl, XML, OOAD, Linux, and Unix Training |
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