Periodization for the Mile (1600m): HS/College Track Athletes
If you're a high school or college miler looking to drop serious time, you need more than just running hard every day. You need a plan: and that's where periodization comes in.
What is Periodization?
Periodization is simply organizing your training into distinct phases that build upon each other throughout the season. Instead of doing the same workouts week after week, you strategically progress from general fitness to race-specific preparation.
Think of it like building a house: you start with a foundation (aerobic base), add the frame (lactate threshold and VO2 max work), then finish with the details (race-specific speed and tactics). This concept, popularized by Arthur Lydiard's systematic approach to distance running, ensures you peak at the right time while minimizing injury risk.
The Three-Phase Mile Season Structure
Phase 1: Base Building (8-12 weeks)
Your foundation phase focuses on aerobic development and general strength. Steve Magness emphasizes that this phase isn't about running slow: it's about building the aerobic system that supports everything else you'll do later.
Weekly Focus:
- 70-80% easy/moderate running
- Long runs (60-90 minutes for most HS/college athletes)
- General strength work and mobility
- Basic speed development (strides, short hills)
- Weekly mileage: Build gradually to your seasonal peak
Example Week:
- Monday: Easy 6 miles + strength training
- Tuesday: 8 × 200m hill repeats (relaxed)
- Wednesday: Easy 8 miles
- Thursday: Tempo run (3-4 miles at comfortably hard effort)
- Friday: Easy 4 miles + strides
- Saturday: Long run (10-14 miles)
- Sunday: Recovery run (4-6 miles) or rest
Phase 2: Specific Development (6-8 weeks)
Now you're building race-specific fitness. Jack Daniels' training philosophy shines here: workouts target the exact energy systems you'll use in the mile while maintaining your aerobic base.
Weekly Focus:
- Lactate threshold work (tempo runs, cruise intervals)
- VO2 max intervals (3-5 minute repeats)
- Mile-pace workouts introduced
- Maintain easy mileage but slightly reduced volume
Example Week:
- Monday: Easy 5 miles + strength training
- Tuesday: 5 × 1000m at 5K pace (90 seconds recovery)
- Wednesday: Easy 6 miles
- Thursday: 4 × mile at threshold pace (60 seconds recovery)
- Friday: Easy 4 miles + strides
- Saturday: Long run (8-12 miles, slightly faster than base phase)
- Sunday: Recovery run (4-5 miles) or rest
Phase 3: Sharpening and Taper (3-4 weeks)
Your final phase emphasizes race preparation and recovery. The volume drops significantly while intensity becomes very specific to mile racing demands.
Weekly Focus:
- Mile-pace and faster workouts
- Race simulation sessions
- Reduced weekly volume (20-30% less than peak)
- Emphasis on recovery and mental preparation
Example Week:
- Monday: Easy 4 miles + light strength training
- Tuesday: 6 × 400m at mile pace (400m jog recovery)
- Wednesday: Easy 5 miles
- Thursday: 3 × 600m at slightly faster than mile pace (full recovery)
- Friday: Easy 3 miles + 4 × 100m strides
- Saturday: Time trial or race
- Sunday: Easy 4 miles or rest
Common Periodization Mistakes
Starting Too Fast: Many athletes jump into intense workouts without building proper aerobic fitness. Lydiard's model works because the base phase creates the platform for everything else.
Skipping the Taper: Young athletes often fear losing fitness in the final weeks. Trust the process: your body needs time to absorb training and peak for competition.
Ignoring Individual Needs: While these phases provide structure, some athletes need longer base phases, others respond better to more intensity earlier. Pay attention to how your body responds.
Inconsistent Easy Days: Steve Magness often discusses how easy days must truly be easy to allow adaptation from hard sessions. Don't turn every run into a moderate effort.
Poor Workout Progression: Jumping from 800m repeats to 400m repeats without proper transition work. Each phase should flow logically into the next.
Making It Work for You
The beauty of periodization lies in its flexibility. A high school athlete with a 12-week season will compress these phases, while a college athlete might extend the base phase significantly. The key is understanding the principles:
- Build aerobic capacity first
- Develop lactate threshold and VO2 max
- Sharpen with race-specific work
- Taper appropriately for peak performance
Weather, facilities, and individual response rates all influence how you'll modify this basic structure. Some athletes thrive on higher mileage during base phases, others need more intensity earlier in the season.
The mile demands a unique combination of speed and endurance: you need the aerobic capacity to handle the pace for four laps, plus the anaerobic power for tactical moves and kicks. Proper periodization develops both systems in the right sequence.
Your Next Step
Want a periodized training plan tailored specifically to your goals, current fitness level, and competitive schedule? Every athlete responds differently to training stimuli, and cookie-cutter approaches only go so far.
At ALT Performance, we create customized training plans that apply these periodization principles to your unique situation. Whether you're chasing a state title or aiming for All-American honors, proper planning makes the difference between good seasons and breakthrough performances.
Stop guessing with your training. Start with a plan that gets results.