CTC Pro Foundational Workouts
The workouts below are the common workouts that our athletes may see throughout the year. There are variations and different runs that we do, but we never get too far away from the one’s listed on this page. We count weeks DOWN to the peak race. So, Week 1 is 1-7 days before the peak race. Week 26 is about 6 months before the peak race. Many of the scenarios below assume a 36 week build up to a peak race. There may be some important races in that 36-week window, but we try to identify the biggest goal as the peak race. This approach also allows us a 16-week session that may be more focused on the athlete’s weaknesses during a training year.
If you are a newer or younger runner, please remember that our male athletes are running close to 7:50-8:00 for 3K (8:30 for 2 miles) and our female athletes are running close to 9:00 for 3K (9:40 2 mile).
Read Scott Christensen’s articles on our Prose from the Pros page to learn about fractionalization… or pacing yourself appropriately for different types of workouts.
Also, our athletes are experienced and able to run 160K / 100 mile+ weeks. Our weekly volumes change throughout the year so don’t assume what you see one week is repeated every week - it is not.
CTC 1: 15-20K Pace Work
Workout Warm-Up: 2K slow jog, 15 minutes of drills.
Workout Reps: 5 x 1600m or 5 x 2000m at 15K-20K Race Pace. Flat course or small hills.
Rest Between Reps: 45-60 seconds - standing
Cool Down: 2K Recovery Pace (Slow); Stretch session.
When do we do this: Either CTC 1 or 1A - Most of the year, about 45 weeks. 20K Race pace earlier in the season, then become faster toward 15K race pace. Workout stops / gets much easier 25 days before peak race.
Example:
13:50 5000m Runner; 2:56-3:05 per K
14:30 5000m Runner; 3:05 - 3:14 per K
15:50 5000m Runner; 3:23 - 3:31 per K
Athlete should be fairly tired at end, but NOT devastated.
CTC 1A: 15-20K Pace Work
Workout Warm-Up: 2K slow jog, 15 minutes of drills.
Workout Reps: 6400 - 8000m run, at 15K-20K Race Pace. Flat course or small hills.
Rest Between Reps: None. Run is continuous.
Cool Down: 2K Recovery Pace (Slow); Stretch session.
When do we do this: Either CTC 1 or 1A - Most of the year, about 45 weeks. 20K Race pace earlier in the season, then become faster toward 15K race pace. Workout stops / gets much easier (less volume / reps) 25 days before peak race.
Example:
13:50 5000m Runner; 2:56-3:05 per K
14:30 5000m Runner; 3:05 - 3:14 per K
15:50 5000m Runner; 3:23 - 3:31 per K
Athlete should be fairly tired at end, but NOT devastated.
CTC 2: 3K-5K Pace Work
Workout Warm-Up: 2K slow jog, 15 minutes of drills.
Workout Reps: 6400 total meters, at 3K - 4K Race Pace. Flat course or track.
16 x 400m, or 11 x 600m, or 8 x 800m, or 6 x 1000m, or 5 x 1200m
Rest Between Reps: 30 seconds standing, slow jog, then final 30 seconds standing; Total rest between reps is about 1:1, minus 2 seconds per 400. Example: 800m repeats at 2:20 would have a 2:16 rest (30 seconds walking, 1:16 SLOW jog, 30 seconds walking).
Cool Down: 2K Recovery Pace (Slow); Stretch session.
When do we do this: 20-5 weeks before peak race (1x per week). Make it much easier about 31 days before peak race. This is a PRIORITY workout from Weeks 20 - 5 on the countdown.
Example:
13:50 5000m Runner; 2:39 - 2:43 per K
14:30 5000m Runner; 2:45 - 2:49 per K
15:50 5000m Runner; 3:01 - 3:05 per K
The athlete should be “NEARLY” exhausted. If the coach assigned 1 more rep, the athlete could do it if necessary.
CTC 2A: 3K-5K Pace Work
Workout Warm-Up: 2K slow jog, 15 minutes of drills.
Workout Reps: 3200 total meters, at 3K - 5K Race Pace. Flat course or track. 8 x 400m, or 5 x 600m, or 4 x 800m, or 3 x 1000m, or 3 x 1200m
Rest Between Reps: 30 seconds standing, slow jog, then final 30 seconds standing; Total rest between reps is about 1:1, minus 2 seconds per 400. Example: 800m repeats at 2:20 would have a 2:16 rest (30 seconds walking, 1:16 SLOW jog, 30 seconds walking).
Cool Down: 2K Recovery Pace (Slow); Stretch session.
When do we do this: 36-21 weeks before peak race. Make it much harder about 20 weeks before peak race - see CTC 2 above.
Example:
13:50 5000m Runner; 2:39 - 2:43 per K
14:30 5000m Runner; 2:45 - 2:49 per K
15:50 5000m Runner; 3:01 - 3:05 per K
The athlete should be aware that a good pace was run, but definitely not exhausted. The goal is to stay familiar with 3K race pace, but not set the athlete into an acidic / exhaustive state.
CTC 3: Long Run
Workout Warm-Up: 15-20 minutes of drills and strides.
Workout Reps: 26K, 27K, 28K, 30K (changes weekly). Therefore, 30K every 4 weeks.
Paces:: This is NOT an EASY run. Slightly SLOWER than race pace for each distance. The athlete should be able to talk throughout. The athlete should be able to add another 10K at the end if the coach directed it. If the athlete could add another 15K the workout MAY be a little too slow. The pace is “similar”/ “slower” than Marathon pace, but Marathon pace is a little challenging to define for a non-marathoner. Hills are okay - pace accordingly.
The monthly 30K is a little more aggressive. NOT at full 30K race pace, but close. The CTC 30K is often a fitness test and PRIORITY workout done at about 95-97% effort.
Strategy: Always start a little slower than goal pace (the beginning 5K should be very reasonable / tolerable). Pick up the pace every 5K. The last 5K should be run pretty well (very little talking).
Cool Down: Stretch session.
When do we do this: 36-9 weeks before peak race. Start lowering the distance 9 weeks before peak race. The Long Run is stopped 14-21 days before peak race. Therefore, we may still have a 25K Long Run 3 weeks before a major competition. Marathoners would hold onto the Long Run longer than the 9-week mark.
CTC 3A: Long Run (Short)
Workout Warm-Up: 15-20 minutes of drills and strides.
Workout Reps: 22-24K (changes weekly).
Paces:: This is NOT an EASY run. SLOWER than race pace for the distance. The athlete should be able to talk throughout. The pace does not seem too easy, simply because the athlete is running a lot of KMs per week. If it were a stand-alone workout with rest days before it, the workout would seem easy - but there are no rest days before it. The pace is a little “slower” than Marathon pace, but Marathon pace is a little challenging to define for a non-marathoner. Hills are okay - pace accordingly. Be ready to run well tomorrow!
Strategy: Run this workout at a consistent pace.
A triangular run or a loop run is helpful for both CTC 3 and 3A if the athlete has no access to support. That way, the athlete is never 15K away from home during the workout.
Cool Down: Stretch session.
When do we do this: 20-36 weeks before peak race. This workout goes away once the harder 3K-5K pace work begins about 20 weeks before the peak race.
Example: CTC 3 is done on Sundays and CTC 3A is done on Wednesdays for our 1500m - 10000m runners during the General Prep / General Fitness phase.
CTC 4: 200m Repeats
Workout Warm-Up: 2K jog, 15 minutes of drills and strides.
Workout Reps: 6-10 x 200m (changes weekly / during the season).
Paces:: 800-1K Race Pace
Recovery: 1:45 - 2:30 walk recovery
Strategy: Run this workout at a consistent pace. A 2:00 800m runner would run 30s at an even pace, for example.
Cool Down: 2K jog. Stretch session. Core Routine.
When do we do this: 36-9 weeks before Peak Race
Example: CTC4 is often done on a Saturday morning during the non-competitive season. Early in the season the rest is closer to 2:30, maybe more. The athlete should NOT be tired after the workout. Many distance folks feel refreshed to be able to pick up the speed a little. If the athlete is getting tired, we’ll shorten the reps to 160 meters. We are NOT looking to have the athlete enter an acidic state. The athlete should NOT be dreading this workout!
CTC 5: 30m FLY / Max Velocity
Workout Warm-Up: 2K jog, 30 minutes of drills and strides. Make sure the drills / progression prepares the athlete to sprint.
Workout Reps: 8-11 x 30m Flys
Paces:: FULL SPEED!!!
Recovery: 3-5:00 walk recovery. The athlete should not be winded at all.
Strategy: Jog 10 meters, accelerate 15-20 meters, FULL SPRINT for 30 meters. Usually on a track. Work on proper sprinting mechanics. Therefore, the total event is about 60 meters. We use cones, shirts, or bottles as markers on the track. Note: The exchange diamonds are normally 20 meters apart. This should help the athlete guess the appropriate distances.
Strategy Part 2: 1500m - 5K runners… add another 6-7 miles at about Half Marathon race pace. An Out & Back run (slow out and fast back) is acceptable. Hills are okay. Then stretch session.
When do we do this:
800m - 5000m runners: Every 7-9 days, 36-4 weeks before peak race.
10000m runners: Every 10-14 days, 36-4 weeks before peak race.
Example: Please understand that our 1500m - 5000m runners do a sprint-specific, stand-alone Drill session, 1-2 days per week as a 2nd / 3rd workout of the day. We care about sprint mechanics. The 30m Fly workout is our chance to apply what is learned in the Drill sessions.
CTC 6: Sprinting Mechanics
Workout Warm-Up: 2K-5K jog, depending on the athlete’s mileage needs.
Workout Reps: 30-45 minutes of drills. No sprinting (sprinting is done on 30m Fly days).
Strategy: This is a learning session. The athlete’s muscles may experience fatigue from holding the sprinting positions, but the athlete is not winded or becoming acidic during the session.
Workout Cool Down: 2K-5K jog, depending on the athlete’s mileage needs.
When do we do this: 36-2 weeks before peak race. Every 7-10 days from 1500m - 5000m runners. Every 10-14 days for 10000m runners. This is the 2nd or 3rd workout of the day for an athlete. It is technical development, not fatigue related.
CTC 6: Recovery Runs and Easy Runs
Workout Warm-Up: 10-15 minutes of Drills
Strategy: EASY run so you can return to harder work in the next 12-48 hours. Find a friend and / or some happy music and take it VERY EASY.
Try to get your heart rate close to 140 BPM. If you need to walk a few times during your run to keep your HR low, then walk.
Distances range from 7-15K.
If the pace is so slow that it causes a painful running form, then add some walks with it to keep the HR down.
We are trying to get some blood moving slowly through your muscles to help them recover.
We may combine this run with an immediate 30-90 minute of a bike or swim to keep the HR in the correct zone for an extended period of time (while giving the feet / bones a break).
When do we do this: Most days when you do not have something else assigned. Many of our athletes complete 9-14 runs per week. Recovery runs account for about 3-8 of these runs. Some athletes need a faster pace on some recovery days. The point is to feel like it was too easy.
CTC 7: Out & Back
Workout Warm-Up: 10-15 minutes of Drills
Volume: Normally 10K - 20K. Our Long Runs are also similar to Out & Back runs since we finish stronger.
Strategy: The Out & Back is a less taxing run mentally, but allows the athlete to get a solid workout. The 1st half of the run is done under a controlled pace (not always easy) and the 2nd half of the run is often accelerated to a high quality pace.
This run is helpful for safety reasons as well. If the runner feels bad on the way “Out” he / she can turn around early and head home. Otherwise, the athlete is charging home and arrives pretty quickly after the turnaround point.
CTC 8: Hills… and More Hills
Workout Warm-Up: 10-15 minutes of Drills
Strategy Examples:
8-11 second steep hills: 5-6 reps of hill sprints
Early in season, every 8-14 days. 3-5 minute recovery walk.
15-25 second hills: 5-6 reps of hill sprints or bounds (vertical or horizontal bounds / skips)
26-15 weeks before peak race, every 5-9 days. 3-5 minute recovery walk.
40-50 second hills: 1-5 sprint reps, lower volume athletes may do more.
10-15 minute recovery walks.
We start these with 1 rep, about 25 weeks out before peak race. By 9 weeks out, we may be up to 5 reps.
2 minute - 4 minute hills: Solid paced run on a challenging hill.
Used throughout the year, especially in a fartlek (fast / slow) - type session.
When do we do this: We do some type of hill work a few times per week. The Long Run may have hills, or we may work several variations into our schedule. If you do not have hills / a bridge, use sand or stairs. If you do not have either… move or play soccer:)
CTC 9: 1500m / Mile Race Pace Workouts
Workout Warm-Up: 2K slow jog, 20-30 minutes of drills.
Workout Reps: 1600 - 6400 total meters, at Mile Race Pace. Flat course or track.
Rest Between Reps: Depends on the time of the season and workout volume. Sometimes 1:1, sometimes less, sometimes more.
Cool Down: 2K Recovery Pace (Slow); Stretch session.
When do we do this: Much of the training year.
In the off season, it may be a simple 2 x 400 at the end of an easier workout. The volume would be very low, but the speed would be present.
About 12-7 weeks before peak race the volume increases significantly for 1500m runners.
Some excellent coaches / teams / runners will run 400 reps all year. However, the pace will be slower earlier in the year and become predictably fast as the athlete works through the season. A 4-minute miler may start out 26 weeks before peak, running 12 reps at 65 seconds and then end up with 16 x 59.5 seconds with a 1-minute recovery near the end of the season.
Our 5K-10K runners use the workouts (for variety and leg speed) earlier in the season, but don’t get buried in weekly 400m repeats at the end of the season.
CTC 10: Fitness Testing
Strategy: It helps to know if our practice and training philosophy is creating faster runners. We employ the following fitness tests throughout the training year to track our athletes’ progress.
30K at high effort (slightly less than race pace) over known course: Allows us to see if our aerobic development / stamina workouts are effective. Used for 1500m, 3000m, 5000m, 10000m, XC, Half, and Marathon runners. Not necessary for all 800/1500 specialists, but helpful for some.
3000m time trial: Gives us a glimpse into the athlete’s aerobic power and helps to set training paces for other workouts. Possibly not necessary for 400/800 specialists. We will often do this workout 36 hours after an athlete returns from altitude to simulate race travel and logistics / preparation.
600m run: Preferred speed assessment for our 3000m, 5000m, and 10000m runners. The 800m gets a little weird / too aerobic.
400m run: Preferred speed assessment for 800/1500m runners.
30m Fly: Max Velocity sprinting test that helps to test overall athleticism of our 800-1500m runners, and is helpful for some 5000m runners. Helps to assess if the athlete is responding to weight training and power work.