TRAINING THEORY: A PRIMER ON PERIODIZATION

In everyday life, people make plans for numerous activities. They have found by making
specific plans that the activities go better and/or smoother. For example, the common activity
of taking a trip by car to visit relatives for the holidays requires checking a road map to
determine the best route, to avoid any road construction or other delays, to plan rest stops
(hotels for overnight stops, restaurants for meals, etc.), and to determine the travel distance
and the amount of time the trip will take.

Other common examples of planning include teachers developing daily lesson plans and unit
plans, companies developing business plans, and students planning their curriculum by
selecting courses to satisfy their major and/or graduation requirements.

There are some common features in these situations, including: the end point and/or final
goal is well known, the intermediate points are known or can be identified, there is more than
one way to arrive at the final goal, and there are many details that need to be monitored and
possibly adjusted as one follows the plan.

In athletic endeavours the value and usefulness of careful planning has been widely
recognized. When an individual or team is striving to reach a peak performance for the most
important competition(s) of the year, the usefulness and necessity of planning becomes
clearer. Having a plan for success is much better than leaving a peak performance to chance
or peaking before or after the most important competition.

Recognizing that it is extremely important to plan a training program, the process of planning
must be done before the training is undertaken or begun. The need for planning training
programs is not a new concept, but until recently it has received less attention than it deserves
from coaches and athletes in many sports. This is true at all levels of athletics from age group
(youth) programs through Olympic calibre and professional athletics.

Periodization is the theory of specific planning for athletics with the goal of obtaining optimal
development and performance capabilities. This theory began in the former Soviet Union and
was first presented by L.P. Matveev (1965). Since then, many articles and books have been
written on the value of developing training plans and the theories underlying the development
of such plans including Bompa (1983, 1987, 1988,1990, 1994), Freeman (1990), Ozolin
(1971), and Harre (1981, 1982).

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Recently there have been some criticisms of periodization published by Verkhoshansky
(1999,2002). Freeman (1999,2002) responded with his views in support of periodization.

Periodization when applied to the sport of Athletics (Track and Field, Cross Country
Running, and Long Distance Running) involves specific planning for a period of training
ranging in length from a single season through an Olympiad (quadrennial or four years), or
for an entire career.

This paper presents an overview of the concepts underlying the theory of periodization,
explains the terminology involved, and shows how these concepts are applied for a single
training year (which typically does not coincide with the calendar year). These concepts can
be expanded to cover an Olympiad or a career.

Periodization is not difficult to understand but there are many terms and concepts involved.
So, it may take multiple readings of sections of this paper to completely understand the
concepts being presented.

OVERVIEW OF PERlODlZATlON

An annual training plan, which covers an entire training year, is divided into smaller units
with each unit having a specific name and purpose.

The terms used, from largest scope to smallest scope, are Macrocycle, Training Period,
Training Phase, Mesocycle, Microcycle, Training Session, and Training Unit (Bompa
1983,1990, 1994). As you move down this list of terms, from the largest scope to the smallest
scope, you are expected to focus and refine the training activities that are to be used.

1. Macrocycle

A macrocycle represents a single competitive season (or competitive peak) and can be of any
length, covering up to an entire calendar year, depending on how the competitive season is
defined. Associated with each macrocycle is a set of goals and/or training objectives,
including:

 competitive goals
 performance goals
 physical preparation
 psychological preparation

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  technical preparation, and
 Tactical preparation objectives (Bompa, 1983, 1990, 1994).

Table 1 contains the list of terms used in periodization and shows how they relate.

PERIODIZATION TERMINOLOGY

CARRIER SPORTS CARRIER

Segment Age group High School Collegiate Open Masters

Quadrennial Olympiad Olympiad

Biennial World Championships World Championships

Training Year National Championships National Championships

Macrocycle Cross Country Indoor Track Outdoor Track

Training Period Preparation Competition Transition

Training phase General specific pre-competition Main Extra

Preparation preparation Competition Competition

Mesocycle Building Recovery Peaking

Microcyle Week 1 Week 2 Week 3

Training Session Monday PM Tuesday AM Wednesday PM Thursday AM Friday PM Saturday AM

Training Unit Warm-up Drills The Main lesson Warm-down Stretching

Subunits Plyometrics Weight Training Technique Running Session

Subunits Interval session

Fartlek
Repetitions
Distance Run
Time Trail

Table 1. Overview of Planning Terms and Relationships used in Periodization (Adapted from
Freeman, 1990, 1996)

The sum of the training objectives for each macrocycle in a training year or a competitive
career must work toward achieving the competitive and performance goals of the year and the
career. Each competitive season in a macrocycle is divided into three training periods:
 the preparation period,
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  the competition period, and
 the transition period (Bompa, 1983,1990, 1994).

For example, the year for a high school or college distance runner could be broken into two
macrocycles ("seasons"): cross country, and track and field, each lasting approximately half
the calendar year. The cross country macrocycle could run from July to November while the
track and field macrocycle could run from December to June. This division allows a complete
training program and competitions, peaking with a conference meet, a state meet, a regional
meet, and / or a national championship in both seasons. Note that this approach would
necessitate reducing the importance of any indoor track and field competitions as the focus
during the winter months would be on preparatory training (i.e,, base work, general
conditioning, etc.), with a look toward peaking during the outdoor season. This is an
approach that is frequently used by post-collegiate athletes, especially those competing at the
national and international levels, albeit with different months for their seasons.

There are many programs, at both the high school and collegiate levels, where three
macrocycles ("seasons") will be used for distance runners (and other track and field athletes),
with the cross country season (or other fall sports season), followed by an indoor track and
field season, and then by an outdoor track and field season. In such programs, a peak is
typically desired during each season. The cross country or fall sport season would still run
from July through mid- to late November, with the indoor track and Field season running
from December (or mid-November) through mid-March, and the outdoor track and Field
season running from mid-March through June. This approach is more difficult and
demanding for the athletes and the coach. A complete training program is still possible but
the length (number of weeks) for each training period (preparation and competition) and the
respective training phases is reduced during each of the two track and field seasons. This
often results in less time spent on conditioning and general fitness, which can negatively
impact the overall competitive results of the athletes. The longer preparation period allowed
by a two macrocycle year (even with three periods of competition) can lead to better overall
development of the athletes in the program.

Regardless of what athletes do for the fall sports season (cross country or another sport), there
needs to be a Transition Period. Failing to allow time for the athletes to recover and rest from

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the previous season can lead to less than the desired performances in the current season or
future seasons. However, an indoor season typically lasts a total of sixteen to eighteen weeks.

For many athletes, the fall season ends with championship meets on the Saturday before the
winter sports (indoor) season begins. Clearly, there is no Transition Period built into the
schedule. The training plan for the indoor (winter sports) season needs to build in time for a
transition period at the beginning of the season. For the athletes whose playoff competitions
or championship meets go late into November or early to mid-December, the start of a
transition period is further delayed and the training plan for the indoor season needs to
account for this.

These athletes should not begin intense training or racing until they have completed an
appropriate and adequate transition period (of approximately four weeks). While this reduces
the training time of the season for the affected athletes, it is very beneficial to the athlete. The
long term benefits can be substantial.

Likewise, there should also be a transition period of four weeks between the indoor (winter)
season and the outdoor (spring) season if using a three macrocycle training plan. With an
outdoor season that typically runs from mid-March through mid-June in the Northeastern
United States (a period of 12 to 14 weeks), the training periods become very short for this
season (six weeks for the Preparation Period and four weeks for the Competition Period).

Clearly, the better athletes are being asked to perform at these higher levels on less
preparation (a smaller base) when using a three season system. It becomes even worse for
those athletes who continue into the summer on national teams (Youth, Junior, or Senior) as
the competitive season could be drawn out for another six to eight weeks. This is why the two
macrocycle approach was presented first. Note that athletes continuing to compete during the
summer months (not necessarily a bad thing) reduce the preparation time for the fall season.
This applies to athletes in all event groups and not just to distance runners. By developing a
training plan, all of these factors can be taken into account so that athletes can maximize their
performance within their given situation.

2. Training Periods

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A macrocycle is divided into three training periods. A training period is the part of a
season used to identify the major focus of the training program, which is being followed (i.e.
preparation, competition, or transition).
The sum of the training objectives for each training period in a macrocycle must address the
training objectives of the macrocycle, which were defined at the start of this process. Each
training period is broken into one or two training phases.

3. Training Phases
Each training period is subdivided into one, or two training phases. A training phase
further focuses the training program from general to more specific. The sum of the training
objectives for each training phase in a training period must address the training objectives of
the training period which were previously defined.

3. a. Preparation Period
The preparation period is that portion of the season spent on developing the necessary skills
and fitness (both general and specific) to prepare the athlete for competition and to make
them competitive. The preparation period is divided into two training phases: the general
preparation phase and the specific preparation phase.

The purpose and main focus of the general preparation phase is to develop the conditioning
base upon which the training and competitions for the remainder of the season will built.
The specific preparation phase is concerned with the introduction and development of the
specific skills and technical patterns of the sport (event or events). It serves as a transition
from base work to the competitive periods/phases.

3.b. Competition Period

The competition period is divided into three phases:
 the pre-competition phase,
 the main competition phase, and

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  the extra competition phase.

The primary purpose of the pre-competition phase is to test and evaluate the skills and
abilities that were developed during the preparation period. Athletes are entered in low-key,
early season meets during the pre-competition phase. Training during this time is not greatly
altered from the previous training phases due to the nature of the meets. The meets entered
should provide indications of the athlete's strengths, weaknesses, progress, and should allow
the drawing of conclusions about what needs to be done in order to maximize performance
later in the season. Note that an athlete cannot and should not expect every meet to produce
maximum or personal record (personal best) results, even though this does happen for some
athletes.

The main competition phase is that part of the season when the major, regular season,
competitions will be held. During this time the volume of training is reduced while the
intensity of training is increased. The training pattern is altered to accommodate the
competitive efforts during this part of the season (i.e., easy, unloading days precede
competition).

The extra competition phase involves postseason meets. By their very nature, many athletes
will not qualify for such meets. This is the most important part of the season for those athletes
who qualify and they want to be at their very best. Training volume and intensity is further
reduced to put the athlete at full strength. Some coaches prefer to combine the extra
competition phase with the main competition phase.

3.c. Transition Period

The transition period has only one phase – the transition phase. The purpose of the
transition period/phase is to give the athlete a chance to recover and rest from the previous
season. Training volume and intensity is greatly reduced. Athletes perform active rest
activities (e.g. easy jogging or non-specific activities such as swimming) early in this phase.
As the phase progresses, the training volume gently increases in preparation for the training
to begin during the next preparation Phase. At the end of the transition phase1 period the
athlete should be completely healthy and ready to return to their normal training program.
They should be looking forward to the next competitive season.

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4. Mesocycles
Each training phase is divided into one or more mesocycles. Each mesocycle should have one
primary purpose (i.e., goal or objective). For example, the objective of an early season
mesocycle may be to develop a solid aerobic base through long distance runs. The objective
of a mid-season mesocycle may be to develop the tactical and technical aspects for an
athlete's primary event. A late-season mesocycle may have the goal of making the final
preparation necessary for competing in the key meets of the season. A mesocycle may also
have one or more secondary goals or objectives. The sum of the training objectives for each
mesocycle in a training phase must address the training objectives of the training phase. Each
mesocycle consists of a group of weeks (microcycles), which have a common goal or focus.

A mesocycle can be from one to six weeks in length. For example, the transition phase will
normally have one four-week mesocycle. The purpose of this mesocycle is the same as the
training phase - to allow the athlete to recover and recuperate from the stresses of the
previous competitive season. Depending upon the training goals, the length of the typical
mesocycle is three weeks - a length that most coaches find to be easy and comfortable to use
as it allows the desired training goals to be conveniently scheduled within one or two
mesocycles.

5. Microcycles
Each mesocycle is divided into one or more microcycles. The microcycle is the key building
block for the entire training plan since it is the correct combining of microcycles, which
provides the proper development of the athlete.

Each microcycle should also have a primary training focus or purpose (objective). For
example, the objective of a microcycle may be to work on improving running form and
relaxation while running. A microcycle is usually a seven days in length. The sum of the
training objectives for each microcycle in a mesocycle must address the training objectives of
the mesocycle. For example, if one purpose of a mesocycle is to improve lactate threshold,
then there should be lactate threshold training in one or more of the microcycles of that
mesocycle.

6. Training Sessions

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Each day of every microcycle will have one or more training sessions. Each training session
should be designed with one or more specific training purposes or objectives in mind. For
example, a training objective for the current microcycle may be to improve the anaerobic
threshold of the members of the training group. Therefore, one training session during this
microcycle must include training that will improve the anaerobic threshold of the athletes in
the training program (e.g., a tempo run). The sum of the training objectives for each training
session in a microcycle must address the training objectives of the microcycle.

Training sessions are divided into training units. Each separate activity in a training session is
a training unit (e.g. warm-up, an interval training session, warm-down, etc.). The number of
training units used in a single training session (or training day) depends on the goals of the
training program at any specific point in the plan (or season). Athletes with a higher training
age will be able to handle a greater number of training units in a given day. If a single
training session exceeds three hours in length for high school or college athletes, then it is
possible that too many training units are being used or that the training units take too long to
complete.

7. Training Units
Each training session will consist of training units. The training unit is the smallest division
of the training plan. Each training unit is a very specific activity and each will have a very
specific reason for being completed (i.e., purpose or goal).

Typical training units include but are not limited to warm-up, various drills, the primary
training activities (i.e. the main lesson), core training, warm-down, and stretching. The
training objectives (e.g., improved strength, improved flexibility etc.), identified for a given
point in the season should be assigned to one or more of the training units to be completed
within that part of the season. That is to say, use one or more training units in each
microcycle (or larger division) to satisfy a training goal or objective, which was identified
when you plan the season and/or year. The main lesson of each training session will typically
address a primary training objective. However, the other training units can be used very
effectively to address training objectives (e.g. flexibility, core strength, etc.). Properly
completing these training units will provide your athletes with the background necessary for
continued development and improvement.

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HOW TO DEVELOP A TRAINING PLAN
In this section we will describe a step-by-step approach to developing a training plan and how
to incorporate the concepts presented above in your plan.

When developing a training plan, you need to collect some very specific information. First,
you need the competition schedule in each macrocycle (season) so you can identify when the
peak performance is desired for each individual athlete and/or team.

Sometimes it is not possible to know the exact date of every competition but you can usually
estimate the dates of the major meets because there are often traditional weeks or weekends
when they are held.

You also need to know the following information about each athlete for whom the plan is
being developed:
 gender
 age
 primary events for major competitions
 training background
 training age
 work capacity and previous training volume
 strengths
 weaknesses,
 goals,
 personal records (PRs) or personal bests (PBs) in each competitive event, and
 history of injuries

Once all of the necessary information has been collected, you can begin to create the training
plan. Next, decide how the training year will be divided, that is, how many macrocycles
(seasons or peaks) will be used: one, two, or three. As stated earlier, you should give serious
consideration to using two macrocycles as you compete this process.

Now that you have decided the number of macrocycles to use, decide on the starting and
ending dates of each. Count and record the number of weeks in each macrocycle. You will

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use this count as the basis phase of the macrocycle for determining the number of weeks in
each training.

Before going into the more detailed parts of the training plan you should specify training
objectives for each macrocycle.

The following list contains sample training objectives you can consider when you begin to
develop the training plan (Bompa 1990, 1994):
 increase general endurance
 increase general strength
 further development of speed
 improve general flexibility
 obtain high level of coordination
 development of absolute and relative strength, muscle mass, and elasticity
 development of specific strength
 improve movement and reaction time
 further development of coordination and suppleness
 further develop capacity to perform all technical actions correctly
 develop racing strategies and tactics
 develop confidence and willpower
 fortify athlete's health
 prevent injuries
 Improve theoretical knowledge

1. Determining Mesocycles and Microcycles

You now need to define the mesocycles and microcycle to be used. As discussed above,
mesocycles can range from one week to six weeks in length. We have found that three weeks
is the easiest to work with and tends to be very effective. However, the number of weeks in a
mesocycle should be adjusted to ensure that the necessary training objectives can be
addressed.

Mesocycles are determined for each training phase and do not overlap two training phases.
Recall that each segment of the training plan must have training objectives. The training

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objectives in each of the lower segments of the plan must support the training objectives of
the segment directly above. The length of each microcycle should be long enough to ensure
meeting the planned training objectives for each training phase. Assuming that this can be
done in three week increments, simply divide the number of weeks in the training phase by
three to determine the number of mesocycles to have in the phase.

2. Specifying Training Sessions

The number of training sessions in any microcycle depends on the training age, physical
maturity of the athletes in the training program, and the amount of time available for training.
For high school athletes, one training session per day and six training sessions per week (or
thirteen training sessions in two weeks), allowing one rest day, is usually sufficient and
appropriate Training more than thirteen days in a row, even for older high school students,
over an entire season is usually more than a high school athlete can handle without getting
sick, injured, or becoming over trained. What is done at each training session is also vitally
important and this will be discussed in the training units section.

For college athletes, the number of training sessions per week tends to increase as the athlete
progresses through their collegiate career. College distance runners are often expected to run
twice a day (i.e., going on "morning runs") for two or three days in a week (total of nine to
ten training sessions per week). College athletes are more likely than high school athletes to
have a weight training program that requires two to four training sessions per week if the
weight training is done during the daily afternoon training session, then there is no added
training session (just another training unit). However, as is very common, weight training is
performed as a separate training session for the day.

Adding the two to four weight training sessions in a week to the nine to ten running sessions
gives a total of eleven to fourteen training sessions in a week. During parts of the season,
many college programs also include dally regeneration sessions in their program, particularly
for the selected speed/power athletes (specifically the sprinters, hurdlers, and jumpers). These
sessions are especially beneficial during the very intense periods of a season. This can add up
to seven training sessions to the week's total.

When developing training sessions, one must consider the training goals for the microcycle,
the mesocycle, the training period, and the training phase where the training will occur, the

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training volume and training intensity to be used in the training session, as well as how the
training is progressing over the course OF the season. All of these factors play an important
role in determining what is to be done during any training session.
With these factors in mind, one must select the appropriate training units to be used during
each training session.

3. Prescribing Training Units for a Training Session

A large part of the real art of coaching consists of the correct application and sequencing of
training units in each training session, and in each training session of each microcycle.
The sequencing of the training units (drills and exercises) is crucial to the effectiveness of
any training session. Improperly sequenced training units will not produce the desired
training effect and may simply be wasted effort.

Most programs or teams have a standard daily training routine. The routine that is used may
have evolved to its current format or could simply be traditional and have been in place for
many years.

Regardless, the components (training units) of a training session typically consist of a warm-
up, the main lesson, a warm- down, and stretching. Many programs make use of a series of
drills as part of the warm-up, in addition to the warm-up, or both. Some programs also
include specific core work in their daily routine.

Using a standard format for daily training sessions establishes a baseline for the number of
training units to be completed. Often the only major variation comes with the main lesson for
the day. For those programs that perform drills, the specific set of drills that is done may
change in order to prepare the athletes for the main lesson. This is a relatively minor yet
important variation in the overall daily session.

In order to develop a daily training session, the contents of each training unit must be
established. Each activity used must have sound reasons for its inclusion. If there are
activities that have traditionally been included and the reasons for their use is unclear, then
you should research the activity to gain a complete understanding of why it is used and the
correct way it should be implemented. That way you can ensure that each training unit used
results in effective work for your athletes.

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The following list of possible training units, which do not include the main lesson for a
training session, may be useful when developing a training plan.
 Warm-up
 Drills - Speed Development / Active-Dynamic
Warm-up
 General
 Specific
 Core exercises (abdominal, back and hip girdle exercises)
 Dynamic flexibility
 Warm-down
 Weight training
 Dynamic strength
 Body weight exercises
 Medicine ball drills
 Hill training
 Running form (mechanics) and running skill
 Stretching
 Static
 PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation)
 technical preparation
 tactical preparation
 Psychological preparation

For each unit to be used, a specific list of activities must be prepared in advance (i.e.,
scripted). These training units and the variations of activities (drills, exercises, etc.)
performed in each unit serves as the basis of your training repertoire. The more complete
your repertoire, the greater the number of training options available for your program. With a
full and complete understanding of the purpose of each activity in your repertoire, the better
you can prepare your athletes for success.

The set of training units used daily forms the baseline for each athlete. The main lesson then
determines the total training volume and training intensity for each athlete. It is the training

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volume and training intensity that must be closely monitored and tracked. The main lesson of
each training session should address at least one of the training objectives for the microcycle,
mesocycle, and training phase. If it does not, then the activity planned for the main lesson is
incorrectly placed and/or inappropriate. A different activity must be selected.

SUMMARY
Using this long term approach to planning a training program, it is easier to see how the daily
training activities flow together to address the training objectives at each point in a season. It
is also easier to determine specifically what training activity should be done at any time and
how to correctly sequence the main lesson of each daily training session. This results in more
effective training throughout the year, better performances, optimal preparedness at the most
important time of the season, and helps to avoid improper sequencing of training. It also
reduces the chance of:
 incomplete preparation of any aspect of training,
 starting specific training modalities at the wrong time (too early or too late to be
optimally effective),
 peaking too soon, and
 overtraining
The final outcome of this effort should be a more complete and comprehensive training
program that is more effective and better prepares the athletes for maximum performance
during the championship pried of each season.

This may seem like a lot of work to do in preparation for coaching your team or athletes.
However, the effort put in here can make every training session of the next year (or season)
of training more effective and productive for every member of your team or training group.
Thus, the return on the investment is very high indeed – the time is well spent.

Training Theory – Additional Considerations

Introduction
There are many factors involved in every training program. How you define and apply the
concepts presented forms your philosophy of training and serves as the basis for selecting the
activities used in the daily training that is prescribed.

Additional Considerations
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1. Supercompensation
The proper sequencing of training is crucial for a successful training program. In order for
any training activity to be effective, the athlete must be physically and psychologically ready
for the activity.

When a person is subjected to a stressor (e.g., a training session), their work capacity is
reduced due to increased fatigue (A: Training Stimulus in Diagram 1). It takes time for the
person’s work capacity to return to their baseline (normal) level (B: Recovery in Diagram 1).
Given the necessary time, the body’s work capacity will adapt and overcompensate to the
training stressor (C: Adaptation to Training in Diagram 1). This is a positive training effect
and raises the work capacity level of the individual. The amount of adaptation depends on the
appropriateness of the training stimulus and the length of the recovery period.

The next training stimulus should come after the compensation (recovery) has progressed
back to or above the baseline (that is, between points 1 and 3). The ideal timing for the next
training stimulus is between points1 and 2 (Supercompensation) and as close to point 2 as
possible. It is impossible to identify the exact time when point 2 is reached for any athlete.
Note: The time for the different sections of this diagram is not drawn at the same scale. For
example, the Training Stimulus (Section A) may last two to three hours. The Recovery
(Section B), and Adaptation to Training (Section C) may take only 12 hours but could take 24
to 48 hours, depending the intensity of the training stimulus and the work capacity of the
athlete. An easy training stimulus will require less time for recovery. The time to return to
baseline (Section D), may last another 24 to 48 hours.
Proper application of appropriate training stimuli over the course of a season is what makes
for an effective training program.

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Diagram 1: Adaptation to Training – Supercompensation (adapted from Bompa (1990).
This diagram shows the body's reaction to a single training session

Athletes training under such a program will see steady improvement in their competition
performances.

If the next training stimulus comes before an athlete’s recovery reaches point 1, then the
athlete will go further into fatigue. Should this happen repeatedly, then the athlete is
overtraining and heading for problems.

If the next training stimulus comes long after point 2, then the training program is not intense
enough for the athlete and the athlete’s progress will be slower than is possible.

2. Hard-easy
The concept of mixing the intensity and/or volume used in training days so that every day is
not a hard training day is a well understood and a generally accepted necessity (Bowerman,
1974). The reason for following a hard training day (characterized by high volume, high
intensity, or both) with an easy training day (characterized by low volume and low intensity)

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is to allow the athlete’s body to adapt to the training workload. This is clearly inline with the
Adaptation to Training discussed in the previous section.
There is strong tendency for many athletes to train too hard, especially those who are among
the more highly motivated. Coaches can underestimate the training effort for a given training
session and inadvertently ask their athletes to overtrain. Some general guidelines are offered
here to assist coaches in determining and/or defining hard days, medium days, and easy days
and recovery days. These guidelines are on the conservative side and are a good starting point
for most coaches and athletes. Coaches, based on their experience, will develop their own
definition for each term. Until then, these definitions should help.
2.a. Hard Days
In general terms, training on a hard day consists of one or more of the following: interval
training, repetitions, hill training, Fartlek, cruise intervals, tempo runs, long distance runs at a
continuous medium pace or harder (75% target heart rate or higher), or races.
A hard day is:
 Running more than the average daily volume in a day and / or running at a more
intense pace (one minute slower than race pace or faster).
 For high school athletes running up to 50 miles per week, running for more than one
hour (or covering 20 percent or more of the weekly training volume) is a hard day.
Note that training sessions for all training days typically last for more than one hour
when a proper warm-up and warm-down are completed. It is running for an hour that
signifies a hard day.
 For all athletes, more than one training session in a day (e.g., “doubles”) is a hard
day, regardless of the volume covered in each training session. Doubles are
considered hard days because the athlete has two training sessions, which is a double
training load.
 A competition (meet), by definition, is always a hard day. Failing to treat races
(competitions) as hard days will cause negative consequences for your athletes. This
approach will result in overtraining with all of the subsequent problems. It will also
trivialize race efforts, which creates problems because your athletes will fail to
recognize the importance of meet days.
For college and open athletes or high school athletes training at higher volumes (more than
60 miles per week), the hard days tend to cover longer training distances while the medium
and easy days remain essentially unchanged.

18
In a week, there are usually two or three hard days, including any competition days.

2.b. Medium Days

Medium training days are used to increase the general training load for a microcycle (training
week) and are intermediate in training load and training effort between a hard day and an
easy day. Medium days can be used at any time during a microcycle. They can be used in
place of a hard day (to give the athletes a less intense training day), or after a hard training
day (to give the athletes a more intense training week). They are rarely, if ever used before a
hard day because the athletes would not be able to race or train at the desired quality or
intensity. The training pattern for a week may take a form like:
 H-M-E-H-M-E-E (for a more intense training week) or
 H-E-M-E-H-E-E (for a less intense training week).
Of course, there are many possible patterns that can be developed. These two samples show
how medium days can be used to increase or decrease training intensity for a week.
A medium day is:
 Running the average volume for a day in a single training session. For example, an
athlete running 49 miles per week has a daily average of 7 miles per day. Thus, a
medium day would be running 7 miles. It helps to think of a medium day to be
equivalent to average volume. Training pace is typically one and a half to two minutes
slower than 3k or 5k race pace. There is no reason to go faster than this and there is no
problem with going at a slower pace. Going too fast can result in overtraining, which
is a too common problem.
 Training on a medium day can include any form of training (intervals, repetitions,
cruise intervals, tempo runs, etc.) but with a lower total volume than would be used on
a hard training day.
 Using time as the basis, running for 45 minutes at a pace one to two minutes slower
than race pace would be a medium day. Good high school boys and top high school
girls (those able to race at a pace of 5:30 to 6:00 per mile for 3k to 5k) will cover
around 6 miles in 45 minutes on an easy day. Average high school boys and most
girls will cover 5 to 5.5 miles in 45 minutes

For college and open athletes or high school athletes training higher volumes (more than 60
miles per week), training volume on a medium day remains the average daily volume for a

19
week but the average increases (for 70 miles weeks, medium days could cover up to 10
miles). In a week, the total number of medium and hard days is typically three, including any
competition days. If three hard days are used, then no medium days would be appropriate for
the week so that the athlete has enough time to recover and adapt from the hard days.
2.c. Easy Days (and Recovery Days)
Easy days come in two general varieties: recovery days and easy training days. A recovery
day follows a race or hard training day. Recovery days are needed to allow the athlete to rest
from and adapt to the load (training or racing) on the hard day. Easy days are also used to
allow an athlete to adapt to training loads and usually come the day before a hard day
(training or racing). Easy days are also intended to allow an athlete to adapt to the previous
day’s workload and are also used to give the athlete a chance to rest before a hard effort so
that they can produce a good effort.
When placing recovery days in a training week rather than just easy days, the training patters
from above become:
 H-M-E-H-M-E-E becomes
H-M-R-H-M-R-E with recovery days
 H-E-M-E-H-E-E becomes
H-R-M-E-H-R-E with recovery days

A recovery day is different in purpose from an easy day. Recovery days are intended to allow
an athlete to recover / regenerate/ adapt from a hard effort on the previous day. Therefore, the
training effort for a recovery day is very low. Easy training days are regular training days of a
lower volume and/or intensity, but not necessarily as low as on a recovery day.
An easy days is:
 Running 10 percent or less of the weekly mileage at a very relaxed pace (two to four
minutes slower than 3k or 5k race pace). For example, an athlete running 40 miles per
week would cover 4 miles or less on their easy day. Pace for an easy day effort two
minutes or more slower than 3k or 5k race pace. Effort should not be any faster than
this. Often easy days and recovery days are run at a pace that is too fast. Recall that
the goal for this training is to adapt to the training already completed and to allow the
body to be ready for the next hard training day or race in the schedule.
 Experience has shown that running 30 minutes or 4 miles is usually ideal for a
recovery day, regardless of total volume for a training week. This applies to a training

20
 program covering high training volumes (over 70 miles per week) and allows for the
hard days to have larger training volumes and higher quality efforts. Easy days can be
of slightly longer duration or volume with the same effort, or at the same volume or
duration with a slightly higher intensity (within the range of training pace already
described).
 Using time as the basis, running for 30 minutes or less at a very relaxed pace (two to
four minutes slower than race pace) would be an easy day. The typical high school
boy and good high school girl would cover no more than 4 miles on an easy day.

There will be three or more easy days in the typical training week (i.e., every other day is an
easy day). This pattern allows your athletes to adapt to the training stimulus from the
previous day. Having a sufficient number of easy days in a training program is crucial to
having a successful training program. If you use a mesocycle (of three microcycles or weeks)
as the unit for planning your training, then when using “every other day as an easy day,” the
number of hard training days can be increased. For example, there can be three hard training
days in any seven-day microcycle. In a mesocycle consisting of three microcycles (21 days),
it is possible to have 10 or 11 hard days rather than the 9 hard days possible if looking at one
microcycle (seven days) at a time.
2.d. Problem Training Programs
Some major problems found in training programs include:
 Training programs that do not have any easy or recovery days
 Training programs that do not have enough easy or recovery days
 Training programs that have too many hard days before an easy or recovery day
 Athletes who do not run easy enough on planned easy and / or recovery days

These problems are often the result of a failure of the coach and athletes to understand and/or
appreciate the importance of easy and recovery days to allow the athletes to adapt to the
training that is being done in their training program. These same problems occur when no
long term planning is done.

For athletes who train too hard on days that are scheduled to be easy and/or recovery days, it
is important to emphasize the reasons for taking it easy. Coaches and athletes must realize
that taking easy days allows the hard days to be of a higher quality and result in more

21
effective training programs and faster races. When an athlete enters a hard training day tired
due to training too hard on easy days, the athlete cannot run as fast as they should and
recovery will take longer than it otherwise would. The bottom line is that the hard days are
not at the optimum quality and training is simply less effective.

Training volume

Training Intensity
Time

Inverse relationship between training volume and training Intensity

Diagram 2: Relationship between Training Volume and Training Intensity (adapted from
Daniels (1990)

3. Inverse relationship of volume and intensity

When developing a training program, it can be difficult to determine the correct training
intensity to use at any given time. Many distance coaches focus primarily on training volume
(miles per week) and let the training intensity take care of itself.

In order to allow for proper adaptation to training it important to realize that there should be
an inverse relationship between training volume and training intensity (see Diagram 1) in
your training program. This means that as training intensity increases, the training volume
should decrease. Failure to make use of this relationship results in overtraining and/or injury.

22
Diagram 1 shows a graph of training volume for a season and a second graph for training
intensity for a season. These two graphs (lines) cross at a point late in the season. Where
these graphs cross is crucial to maximizing performance at the end of the season. A very
common error is to have training volume and training intensity cross too close to the end of
the season, preventing a proper taper and optimal peaking. The problem here is maintaining
training volume too high too late in the season.

4. Training age

Training age is a measure of the number of years of training that a single athlete has
completed since they started training in a specific sport. It is important to take this into
account when developing a training program. Training age is a crucial consideration because
it gives an indication of the amount of training that the athlete can be expected to handle. An
older training age is an indication of an athlete’s experience in the sport and what they can be
expected to be able to handle in terms of training volume and intensity.

To determine training age, count the number of months of training completed by the athlete
in each season, total the months, and divide by twelve. For example, consider a high school
junior (11th grade) that has competed in only outdoor track and field since ninth grade.

The outdoor season covers the period of mid-March to mid-June, or about three months. At
the end of 11th grade, the athlete will have a total of nine months in outdoor track and field.
This gives a training age of¾year or nine months. Now, consider a high school junior who
began competing in cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track in seventh grade. This
athlete has nine training months per year (ignoring the summer months) for five years. So,
their training age is 3¾ years or 45 months. If the summer months are counted then this
athlete has a training age of 5 years or 60 months.

This is a very large difference in experience. These two athletes will not be able to handle the
same workloads. Thus, their training programs should be adjusted accordingly.

On a related note, younger athletes (e.g., a ninth grader) cannot handle the same training load
as a high school senior and the high school senior cannot handle the same training load as a
college junior. This must be kept in mind at all times.

It is easy to forget the age of an athlete when you have a very talented athlete in your
program. There is a tendency to ask more of the very talented than is appropriate – both in

23
training and in racing. Consider having a ninth grade cross country runner who is good
enough to be in the top five on your cross country team. The natural tendency is to place this
athlete in the top training group on your team in order for the athlete be challenged in training
and for him/her to improve as quickly as possible. While this appears to be the proper
approach, it can be a big mistake because it can require this young athlete to run the same
number of miles as the older, more mature athletes on your team. This can quickly lead to
overtraining, injury, and/or illness. Clearly, not what was intended or what is desired. One
approach is to have this talented athlete do some training with the top group but with a
reduced volume. The younger athlete would simply run fewer miles on the distance runs and
fewer repetitions on the hard days. This allows for proper development of the younger athlete
and helps to prevent injury and/or illness, and overtraining.

5. Training volume

Training volume and training intensity are very important considerations for every training
plan.. Both must be carefully addressed when developing a training plan for your athletes. As
discussed earlier, training volume and training intensity have an inverse relationship – when
one is high, the other is low.

How does one determine the correct training volume to use during one of the training periods
in a macrocycle?

Before the coach can begin thinking about volume, many other aspects of the training
program must already be in place. Don’t start thinking about volume until all work on the
macrocycles, training periods, and training phases has been completed and you are ready to
consider the mesocycles for your plan. At this point, you will know the starting and ending
dates for each training phase and will know the number of weeks available for each
macrocycle and each period in your training plan. Knowing the number of weeks is a critical
detail.

Next answer these questions:

 What is the highest weekly training volume desired in this plan (maximum number of
miles in a week)?
 What is the starting training volume in this plan?
 What is the highest weekly training volume done during the previous season?

24
  What is the training volume done during the transition period between the two
seasons?

Assuming that you will place your athletes into training groups, the answers for these
questions will be different for each training group. Higher volume for the advanced groups,
lower for the beginners, and a moderate amount for the developing athletes.

At this point, we have all the information we need to know:

 The starting training volume

 The maximum training volume
 The start of the training plan
 The week of the final (most important meet)
 The number of weeks in the macrocycle

We can determine the following:

 The week that is one month (four or five weeks) from the most important meet (recall
the inverse relationship between volume and intensity).
 The week of maximum training volume (will occur around mid-season)

Now we can begin to set up the training volumes for each training group. In order to allow
for adaptation to the training load, the progression in volume should take a stair step approach
with three or four weeks going up and the next week stepping back down. The standard
recommendation for the increase in training volume from one week to the next is 10% of the
previous week’s volume. For beginning athletes, it is best to stick to this rule. For
experienced athletes, those with a training age of at least one year, we have found that an
increase of five miles per week works well.

Let’s go through this with some numbers to see how this process works.

Known Information:

 Group: Advanced group of male or female high school cross country runners. Note
that intermediate and beginner groups will start will lower training volumes and have
a lower maximum volume.

25
  All athletes in the group have completed a transition period after the outdoor track and
field season. The training mileage during the four weeks of the transition period was
20, 30, 40, and 45 miles. All training during this period was at a very easy intensity.
 Starting volume: 50 miles per week • Maximum training volume: 75 miles per week.
The maximum volume should occur near the middle of the macrocycle. This allows
time for increasing intensity and reducing volume as the season progresses (see
Diagram 2) and for the intensity / volume lines to cross four weeks prior to the main
competition.
 Macrocycle Starting week: first week of July
 Macrocycle Ending week: first week of November
 Number of weeks in Macrocycle (season): 23weeks (this includes a four week
transition period)
 Assumption: This progression is based upon the school calendar for New York State
High Schools. Other states in the Northeast have similar school calendars. The
information in Table 1 can be easily adapted to other school calendars, both high
school and college.

The blocks of varying color in Table 1 represent blocks of volume progression The pattern is
increase by 5 miles per week for three weeks. The fourth week (which is the first week of the
next block) is reduced by 5 miles. This is a recovery microcycle and allows the athletes to
adapt to the training load before further increases occur.

The maximum training volume is reached during the ninth week of the macrocycle. The
highest training volumes come during weeks 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13. At this point in the season,
only a few early meets would have been held. After that, the training volume steadily
decreases for the remainder of the season. This is the time when the regular season and
championship meets occur. Since meets are, by definition, of higher intensity, it makes sense
to reduce the volume during the competition period.

The point where the training volume and training intensity graphs cross is in week 15 (see
Diagram 2). This is the point in the season of highest stress (the sum the two graphs is
highest). The coach must monitor the team carefully because this is the point when illnesses
(colds, etc.) can develop and injuries will occur.

26
5.a. Total Training Volume for the Macrocycle

For those who are focused on training volume, the nine weeks of summer running (start of
July until end of August) totals 540 miles (average of 60 miles per week). The 10 weeks of
running while school is in session totals 560 miles (average of 56 miles per week). So, for the
19 week macrocycle, the total volume is 1100 miles (average of 57.89 miles per week). For
many schools, teams can begin training prior to the start of school. That would typically
occur during week 8 in Table 1, making that the start of the Fall season. Including those two
weeks in the training volume for the season gives a total of 695 miles (or an average of 57.92
miles per week) for the 12 week season. This volume is reasonable for an advanced group of
high school athletes but may be too much for younger athletes, for athletes with a low
training age, and athletes in an intermediate group. This volume would certainly too much for
beginners, regardless of ability.

Sample Progression of Training Volume Cross Country Macrocycle

Macrocycl Advanced Group Notes

e Training Volume
Week (Miles per week)

1. 50 July

2. 55

3. 60

4. 55

5. 60 August

6. 65

7. 60

8. 65

9. 70 September

10. 65

11. 70

12. 75 Maximum volume reached here

13. 70

14. 65 October

27
 15. 60 Intensity / volume graphs cross
during this week

16. 55

17. 50

18. 45 November

19. 40 Championship meet (e.g., State

Meet)

20. 20 Transition Period

21. 30 Transition Period

22. 40 Transition Period

23. 45 December
Transition Period
Table 1: Training Volume Progression for an Advanced Group

6. Determining the Length of Training Periods and Training Phases

How long should a training period last? How long should a training phase last?

Each macrocycle has three periods:

 Preparation Period
 Competition Period
 Transition Period

The Preparation Period as two training phases:

 General Preparation Phase

 Specific Preparation Phase

The Competition Period has two or three training phases:

 Pre-competition Phase
 Main Competition Phase
 Extra Competition Phase (is not present in all training plans)

28
The Transition Period has one training phase:

 Transition Phase

The Transition Period is typically four weeks in length but can be between two and four
weeks.

To determine the length of the Preparation and Competition periods, start with counting the
number of weeks in the macrocycle. Reduce this by the length of the Transition Period.

The Preparation Period is 60 per cent of the macrocycle not including the Transition Period.
The Competition Period is 40 percent of the macrocycle not including the transition period.

The General Preparation Phase is 60 percent of the Preparation Period and the Specific
Preparation Phase is remaining 40 percent.

The Pre-competition Phase is 60 percent of the Competition Period and the Main
Competition Phase is the remaining 40 percent. The Extra Competition Phase is for meets
that are beyond the regular season for which athletes need to qualify (e.g., national teams), so
is not included in these calculations.

Table 2 summarizes these values and shows how the number of weeks for each macrocycle
component was calculated.

Note that all values are rounded to whole weeks within each step.

7. Recovery microcycles and recovery mesocycles

Training programs must build in time when the athletes following the program will get an
opportunity to adapt to the training load. As shown in the previous section, one way to do this
is to adjust the training volume. (For the Speed-Power events – Sprints, Hurdles, Jumps, and
Throws – volume can also be manipulated in this way. Recognize that volume is not always
measured in miles run.)

This reduction in training can last for one or more microcycles. These are called recovery
microcycles. Every third microcycle in Table 1 is a recovery microcycle. Recovery
microcycles are an extremely important component of every training program. Without them,
there is a greatly increased likelihood of overtraining developing among the members of the
training group or team.

29
Some programs have reduced training periods that for multiple microcycles or for complete
mesocycles. A mesocycle with a reduced training volume is termed a recovery mesocycle.
These are often found later in the season (see the fifth and sixth blocks in Table 1) but can
also be used following a particularly intense period in the training program. For example, if
the team has a training “camp”, held before or early in the macrocycle (season), that lasts for
two to three microcycles (or weeks), the camp may be followed by a recovery mesocycle to
give the athletes a chance to recover from the training camp before they return to the regular
training program. The recovery mesocycle can give the athletes a chance to assimilate the
training done during the training camp. As a result, the training camp becomes a more
effective part of the macrocycle (season).

Recovery mesocycles and recovery microcycles are very important tools for every coach’s
repertoire.

Calculating the Length of Macrocycle Components

Total Number of Length of Main season

Weeks Transition

Period

Cross Country 23 Weeks 4 weeks 19 Weeks

Macrocycle

Preparation Period 60Percent of Main 19 * .6 = 11.4 11 Weeks

Season

General 60 Percent of 11 * .6 = 7.6 8 Weeks

Preparation Phase Preparation Period

Specific 40 Percent of 11 * .4 = 4.4 4 weeks

Preparation Phase Preparation Period

Competition Period 40 Percent of Main 19 * .4 = 7.6 8 Weeks

Season

Pre-competition 60 Percent of 8 * .6 = 4.8 5 Weeks

Competition Period
Phase

Main Competition 40 Percent of 8 * .4 = 3.2 3 Weeks

Phase Competition Period

Table 2: Determining Component Lengths

30
Addendum – More on Training Volumes

In Table 1, the training volume for an Advanced Training Group was shown.

Table 3 adds training volumes for Intermediate and Beginner Training Groups along side the
Advanced Training Group. As shown in Table 3, each of the three groups start with different
training volumes and progress up, using the same pattern, to maximum training volumes in
Week 12. The maximum training volume reached by the Advanced Group is 75 miles. For
the Intermediate Training Group, the maximum training volume is 60 miles. For the Beginner
group the maximum volume is 50 miles. These maximums are reasonable for all three
training groups as long as the training intensity is appropriate.

Starting in Week 13, the training volume is reduced in a similar pattern for all three training
groups, with the lowest training volume being reached during the championship meet week.

31
 Additional Training Volume Progressions Cross Country Macrocycle
Macrocycl Advanced Intermediate Beginner Notes
Group Training Group
e Group Training Volume Training
Volume (Miles Volume
Week per week)
1. 50 35 25 July

2. 55 40 30

3. 60 45 35

4. 55 40 30

5. 60 45 35 August

6. 65 50 40

7. 60 45 35

8. 65 50 40

9. 70 55 45 September

10. 65 50 40

11. 70 55 45

12. 75 60 50 Maximum volume reached here

13. 70 55 45

14. 65 50 40 October

15. 60 45 35 Intensity / volume graphs cross

during this week

16. 55 40 30

17. 50 35 25

18. 45 30 20 November

19. 40 25 25 Championship meet (e.g., State

Meet)

20. 20 20 20 Transition Period

21. 30 30 25 Transition Period

22. 40 35 30 Transition Period

23. 45 40 25 December
Transition Period
Table 3: Additional Training Volume Progressions — Intermediate and Beginner Groups presented.

32
Developing an athletics training programme

Some very specific information. First, you need the competition schedule in each macrocycle
(season) so you can Identify when the peak performance is desired for each individual athlete
and/or team. Sometimes it is not possible to know exact date of every competition but you
can usually estimate the dates of the major meets because there are often traditional weeks or
weekends when they are held.

You also need to know the following information about each athlete for whom the plan is
being developed:

 Gender
 Age
 primary events for major competitions
 training background
 training age,
 work capacity and previous training volume
 strengths
 weaknesses
 goals
 personal records (PRs) or personal bests (PBs) in each competitive event, and
 history of injuries

Once all of the necessary information has been collected, you can begin to create the training
plan.

As a guide, Table 2 summarizes the dates of each segment of the training plan being
developed in this article and the applicable dates for each segment. In this example, we use
the 2002-2003 school year to determine the dates of the training plan. We start microcycles
(weeks) on Sunday and end on Saturday.

Next, decide how the training year will be divided, that is, how many macrocycles (seasons
or peaks) will be used: one, two, or three. For purposes of this example, we will use two

33
macrocycles in the training year: one for Cross Country and the second for Track and Field.
How to expand your plan to three macrocycles is presented later in this article.

Now that you have decided the number of macrocycles to use, decide on the starting and
ending dates of each. Count and record the number of weeks in each macrocycle. You will
use this count as the basis for determining the number of weeks in each training phase of the
macrocycle. For this example, the Cross Country Macrocycle will begin on Sunday, June 30,
2002, which follows the four-week transition period from the previous macrocycle. The
Track and Field Macrocycle will begin on Sunday, December 8, 2002 and ends on July 5,
2003. Note that the designated start of the Indoor (wincer) season for local high schools is the
week of November 10, 2002. So, the Transition Period, which runs from November 10 to
December 7, overlaps the start of the school based indoor (wincer) season.

Adjustments should be made to the training program to allow every athlete to have a "break"
between seasons. In this example, we are building the transition period from the Cross
Country Macrocycle into the start of the Track and Field Macrocycle for the distance runners.
This approach is reasonable to use for any athlete coming off a fall season sport.

Thus, this example training plan covers a total of fifty-three weeks. No provision is made for
an Extra Competition Phase in this example. The Extra Competition Phase will be addressed
in a later section of this article.

Before going into the more detailed parts of the training plan you should specify training
objectives for each macrocycle.

The following list contains sample training objectives you can consider when you begin to
develop the training plan (Bompa 1990):

increase general endurance

increase general strength
further development of speed
improve general flexibility
obtain high level of coordination
development of absolute and relative strength, muscle mass, and elasticity
development of specific strength
improve movement and reaction time
further development of coordination and suppleness

34
 Further develop capacity to perform all technical actions correctly
develop racing strategies and tactics
develop confidence and willpower
fortify athlete's health
prevent injuries
improve theoretical knowledge

DETERMINING THE DATES OF EACH TRAINING SEGMENT

At this point, you have completed the macrocycle portion of the plan. This is the first step.
The next step is to set up the training periods for the macrocycle(s). Each macrocycle has
three training periods: Preparation, Competition, and Transition. The Transition Period is
typically four weeks in length. The Preparation Period is sixty percent of the macrocycle and
the Competition Period is the remaining forty percent of the macrocycle See table 1 for how
to calculate the length of the components of a macrocycle. In our example, there are nineteen
weeks in the Preparation and Competition Periods of the Cross Country Macrocycle. The
Preparation Period is eleven weeks in length (19 x 6 = 11.4 rounded to 11) and the
Competition Period is eight weeks (19 x .4 = 7.6, rounded to 8).

The phases of each period also have a 60/40 ratio. The General Preparation Phase is sixty
percent of the Preparation Period. The Specific Preparation Phase is the remaining forty
percent. Thus, the General Preparation Phase is seven weeks (11 x .6 = 6.6, rounded to 7
weeks) and the Specific Preparation Phase is four weeks (1 1 x .4 = 4.4, rounded to 4 weeks).
The Pre-Competition Phase is five weeks in length (8 x .6 = 4.8) and the Main Competition
Phase is three weeks in length (8 x .4 = 3.2).

There are a total of thirty weeks for the Track and Field Macrocycle. Adjusting for the four
week Transition Period at the end of the macro cycle, this leaves twenty-six weeks for the
Preparation and Competition periods .The Preparation Period is sixteen weeks in length
(26* .6 = 15.6, rounded to 16) while the Competition Period is ten weeks in length (26 * . 4 =
10.4, rounded to 10). This allows ten weeks for the general preparation phase (16 * .6 = 9.6,
rounded to 10) and six weeks for the specific preparation phase (16* .4 = 6.4, rounded to 6)
The Pre-Competition Phase would have six weeks (10 * .6 = 6) and the Main Competition
Phase would have four weeks (10*.4 = 4).

35
 Scanning the dates presented in this example (listed below), the competition period of the
Cross Country macrocycle covers the entire cross country season (with the exception of very
early season meets) and the main competition dates coincide with the League/Country
Championships, Sectional Championships/State Qualifiers, and the State meet In New York
State. For the Track and Field Macrocycle, the competition period covers the entire outdoor
track and field season and the main competition phase dates coincide with the four most
important meets of the year (eg., League/Country Championships/ sectional Championships
state Qualifiers, and State meet).

For a college team / athlete, the main competition

Calculating the Length of Macrocycle Components

Total Number of Weeks Length of Main Season

Transition period

Cross country Macrocycle 23 weeks 4 weeks 19 weeks

Preparation Period 60% of main season 19 x .6 = 11.4 11weeks

General Preparation phase 60% of preparation period 11 x .6 = 6.6 7 weeks

Specific preparation phase 40% of preparation period 11 x .4 = 4.4 4 weeks

Competition period 40% of main season 19 x .6 = 7.6 8 weeks

Pre-competition phase 60% of competition period 8 x .6 = 4.8 5 weeks

Main Competition phase 40% of competition period 8 x .4 = 3.2 3 weeks

Table 1 Determining component lengths

36
 Summary of Training Plan

Plan Segment Number of weeks Dates of segment

Cross country Macrocycle 19 (plus 4 weeks transition ) June 30 – December 7

Preparation Period 11 June 30 - September 14

General Preparation phase 7 June 30 – August 17

Specific preparation phase 4 August 18 - September 14

Competition period 8 September 15- November 9

Pre-competition phase 5 September 15 - October 19

Main Competition phase 3 October 20 - November 9

Extra Competition None Planned

Transition Period 4 November 10 – December 7

Track and Field Macrocycle 26 (plus 4 weeks transition ) November 10 – June 7

Preparation Period 16 December 8 – March 29

General Preparation phase 10 December 8 – February 15

Specific preparation phase 6 February 16 - March 29

Competition period 10 March 30 – June 7

Pre-competition phase 6 March 30 – May 10

Main Competition phase 4 May 11 - June 7

Extra Competition None Planned

Transition Period 4 June 8 – July 5

Table 2: Summary of Training Plan

37