RunBayou: Periodization

– Scientifically based –
– Goal driven –
– Run by you –

Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan - Tom Landry

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Periodization is the idea of concentrating on specific physiologic systems during a segment of time. In the Runbayou program, each segment of time is called a phase and each phase is ~6 weeks in duration.

Although you may be working on more than one physiologic system in any given phase or week, the focus should be given to the priority workout in each phase. For example, if you are focusing on threshold running during Phase 3 and have a choice of only one workout, do the threshold pace workout.

In each phase you will strain, rest, adapt, and restrain a specific physiologic system in your body. In other words, your weekly workout will consist of a hard day, followed by an easy day or two and then another hard day.

Each phase of the program builds on the one before it and prepares you for the next phase. Here are the phases in order.

1) Build aerobic capacity - Phase 1
2) Increase strength - Phase 2
3) Improve speed - Phase 3
4) Improve lactate threshold - Phase 4
5) Practice marathon pace running - Phase 5
6) Taper for peak performance - Taper

The following books include concepts of periodization:

Bibliography - see articles

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Last modified: 04/29/08