How to prepare for 1000m run. I’ve got 3 months for it?

If you want to approach your preparation professionally then you have to look at your training (preparation) in a slightly different way. First of all you have to start with the goals of your trainings and then decide on the choice of exercises at training sessions. Divide your preparation to start into 3 periods (mezocycles) more or less even in terms of weeks (such division because you’ve got on your mind 3 months to your test).

M1 – it’s a period of general building up of your motoric base for your distance so generally threshold aerobic efficiency (intensive), mixed and to a smaller extent lactate tolerance and anaerobic efficiency. Generally more intensive runs, longer pace with smaller speed than the assumed start 600-800. What’s more strength and rhythm – here some pyramid with sprints of 100-200-300-300 – etc. type. Training focusing on volume rather than intensity for 1000m.

M2 – it’s the period of focused preparation. In this period you have to shorten paces to the distance of 400-600m but increase their speed gradually to the more than starting one. The increase should be graded e.g. 5% a week so as the last two weeks of the period were in the training peak with pace run more than the starting speed about 5-15% faster; they may seem like intensive intervals. This period is the most important period of the training whose effects should bring effects during your start.

M3 – this is the starting time. The first week is regeneration – decrease of training loads. Then week 2 and 3 is inverted pyramid that is second week large loads (paces mostly with start speed), week 3 slightly smaller training load. Then last starting week is important as you have to decrease loads so as to make the training short and very intensive. The training has to be composed of thorough warm-up then starting pace ans other exercises. Training about 50% shorter than in previous weeks, it’s because regeneration before the start is needed and you have to maintain the right arousal of sympathetic system so you could have the feeling of pace and an appropriate arousal of nervous system.

If you organise your goals for the starting weeks then you can organise the exercises for each stage and count up the training loads in zones (to compare them).

For the end you can treat swimming as a compensation with the focus on back muscle elongation and you can add some intensive exercise that can be with focus on e.g. tolerance as usually intensive swimming increases lactic acid more than running (it’s due to the composition of muscle fibres in arms and forearms). Exercises like 2-3 lenghts of the swimming pool continuously + rest for 30-60 seconds and on like that for 30 min. Remember first you have to determine the time zone for these three lengths. This zone for 1000m will be about 75-80% from max on that distance. I would recommend such training in M2 the others would be about compensation.

I think that such planning will enable the appropriate monitoring of specific and non-specific stimuli and first of all enables making up an appropriate training plan from the point of view of training loads and focus and at the same time make the interpretation of the plan easier.

Orma