[TrainingTalk] Macro and Micro-Periodization, Health, Performance, and more
An update in my quest to stay healthy while still pushing my limits
I wrote about changing my periodization about a year and a half ago (here), with the goal of staying healthier while still trying to push my limits.
Since enough time has passed, in this blog I’ll assess how that went, and discuss a few additional changes I am going to implement in the next months, motivated by my past year’s health and performance.
In last year’s blog, I wrote the following, which still applies and drives most of what I will discuss in this blog:
I normally evaluate how things went, and try to make some adjustments, with two goals in mind: 1) staying healthy (in broader terms, and specifically in the context of running, i.e. injury-free), 2) possibly improving as a runner. Point 2) is nice to have, but comes after 1).
Improving as a runner here means performing better (i.e. racing faster), but performance needs to be defined as well. For me, at the moment, it means improving my time in a hilly 100 km (100 km del Passatore, learn more here). While in the past two years I have also focused on the marathon, I have lost motivation since I’ve raced times that are close to my genetic ceiling (3h 02’, 2h 59’, 2h 56’), and at the moment I am not focusing on this distance.
In 2022 and 2023 I had succeeded at 2), performing beyond my expectations, but not at 1), as I was often injured or carrying physical problems that would impact my day-to-day life (and especially my mental health) in negative ways.
At that point, in July 2023, after my first 100 km race (9h 50’, see here), I made the following changes to try to stay healthy while pushing my limits:
Using 2-week microcycles instead of 1-week microcycles, with the idea of packing less intensity in a microcycle.
Leaving 4 days between hard sessions (it used to be 3 days). For example: hard easy easy easy easy hard etc. - again, the idea is to pack less in a short time and take fewer risks in terms of possible injuries.
Using non-linear periodization, i.e. doing a bit of everything every 2 weeks, instead of focusing on one aspect of training at a time as in a standard block periodization. This was the main change.
Taking 1 day off running per week, when training hard.
Let’s unpack the points above, and then also see how it went.
Macro-periodization
As my main race is at the end of May, in terms of macro-periodization, I split the year in two, with the first half focused on maximizing fitness, and the second half focused on race specificity:
Given these two main blocks, we can structure the various months within each block in different ways. Two common approaches are non-linear periodization and block periodization.
Non-linear periodization alternates workouts within shorter timeframes, often cycling through different types of stimuli, with the goal of maintaining multiple qualities simultaneously. Non-linear periodization tends to benefit beginner athletes and might be less effective for elite athletes or athletes who have been training at high volume and high intensity for many years (I’ll put myself in this latter category).
Block periodization, on the other hand, emphasizes concentrated blocks of training focused on specific qualities (e.g., VO2max, threshold, race pace), making it more suitable for advanced athletes with well-developed capacities who need to target specific performance aspects.
Prior to 2024, I had used block periodization for a few years, with great success from a performance point of view, but also carrying with me plenty of injuries, as mentioned above. Thus, in the past year and a half, I tried to address this issue by using non-linear periodization, and therefore avoiding e.g. a heavy block of threshold training where I would end up pulling a hamstring, or a heavy block of marathon pace where I’d end up overtrained, or a heavy block of VO2max intervals where I’d end up with a foot injury. Rotating between workouts could give my body a break in a similar way to alternating terrains or using hills to change the repetitive impact of running.
Here is an example of block periodization that I used before 2024 and of the current approach, alternating workouts over a 2-week period:
As I move from a fitness goal to a race-specificity goal, some of the key workouts / sessions (what I call “Hard” days below) typically change.
For example, between March and May it is unlikely that I’d do VO2max sessions, but key workouts could be 30-50km-long runs with tempo climbs (e.g. 3-4 x 5km moderate uphill) or 20-25 km with threshold climbs (e.g. 2 x 5km hard uphill).
This is how specificity looks like for my race (hilly ultramarathon on asphalt). However, this is the general principle I have followed in the past 18 months.
Micro-periodization
In terms of micro-periodization (weekly or daily training) the main change was to go from training hard every three days, to training hard every four days. Training hard every three days was the maximum intensity I could pack, as I would normally be terribly sore (barely able to run) for the first two days post-workout, then feel somewhat better (but still sore and stiff) on the third day, and then I could pull off another workout.
Needless to say, even when “it was working” (i.e. I was executing the key sessions very well), I always felt nearly broken. I was never running easy while feeling good. It was either a slog between workouts or a good workout. I thought that by pushing my second workout by one day I could maintain a decent frequency for key sessions while risking less.
Alright, I’ve discussed most aspects that I have changed in terms of my macro and micro periodization in the past 18 months, but did it work?
Let’s get to it.
Outcomes: Health
In terms of my health, the changes I made had the desired output, i.e. I stayed healthy, and indeed I never ran this much in a year (just because I was able to be more consistent, without frequent injuries).
Here is my cumulative running volume and elevation again over the past few years, with 2024 shown in yellow:
As someone who is prone to injuries and has been injured multiple times per year since I started running, this year felt really different, in a good way.
Between October and November, I ran almost 150 km / week every week, feeling good, occasionally racing and training hard, spending time on trails, going for long adventures, etc. - Running felt the way it should feel, a great experience, without physical pain or mild depression because of physical issues. I honestly could not believe it at times.
At the same time though, during all these months, while I did feel strong and fit, I also felt like I wasn’t at my best for any event / distance.
Let’s look into performance next.
Outcomes: Performance
In terms of performance, in 2024 I ran personal bests in the half marathon (February), 50 km (twice, April and September), and 100 km (May):
However, I have noticed important differences between my response to block and non-linear periodization. In particular, despite running < 81’ for a half marathon, and personal bests in the 50 and 100km, this year I never felt like I could run a 3h marathon. In fact, I was performing so poorly at marathon pace in training that I decided to use all my marathons as workouts, running conservatively at high-end Zone 2, just below or at my first lactate threshold (LT1), and possibly adding a faster finish when feeling good, so that I would not compromise training for a disappointing result.
In my mind, my physiology and limiters combined with my periodization can easily explain my results. I have a poor running economy and poor durability at any intensity between LT1 and critical speed, which means I can run a decent marathon only if I run a big block of marathon pace on top of a big block of VO2max/threshold (gain speed and fitness, then extend the ability of running at intensity, and slowly become more efficient at race pace). The occasional tempo run in a non-linear periodization as I do now, simply won’t cut it. It’s not enough of a stimulus. On the other hand, my strength is my ability to run hard near LT2 for 50-80 minutes, and the occasional threshold session combined with the remaining workouts, will be enough to get me near my best for that time / distance (e.g. a 10-mile race or a half marathon).
As per longer distances, these are run below LT1 or near it, and as such, I do not suffer it as much as a marathon, which means I can still improve using the current non-linear periodization approach. My limiter there remains associated with muscular issues (e.g. cramps) but this is addressed with a high volume of easy running, while the same does not apply to marathon pace. My durability below LT1 is getting better despite my durability above LT1 getting worse (the way I train, with lots of easy running, probably explains part of this).
From this 18-month-long experiment I learned that if I were to target the marathon again, I would need to train differently and go back to block periodization, with the associated risks. I have also learned that I am beyond the phase of “improving everything” which I experienced for the previous two years, and I need to be selective on what I want to target now. I won’t get better in the marathon anymore by training for a better 100 km. I don’t think this was obvious before, especially for someone my level (i.e. average).
After my latest marathon, which I ran in Zone 2 but where I wasn’t able to push in the final part, I gave a lot of thought to my periodization and how to possibly make it better for my performance, without compromising injury risk.
Below is what I came up with.
Moving forward: excessive polarization?
A highly polarized micro-periodization did me a lot of good in the past 6-7 years since I adopted it. I went from running 40 km / week to running 120-150 km / week. I went from running 1h 45’ for the half marathon, to running 1h 20’ for the same distance, and sub-3h marathons. I went from cramping after 15 km to running for 100 km without breaks. In my mediocrity as a runner, these results are a testament to what proper training can do.
However, as I find myself now in a different position, needing to be selective on my goals, I wonder if, given my limiters, I might benefit from a slightly less polarized micro-cycle, which is what I will try next.
Given the muscular issues discussed above (persistent soreness, cramps, injuries, etc.), I tend to train really slowly between workouts. I do not do this on purpose: I do not think, hey I should go slower than this or keep my heart rate lower than that. I simply run slow because my muscles are so sore that I cannot possibly run any faster. This often means that even if I am in sub-3 marathon shape, I will run near 6’/km (almost 10’/mile) for most of my runs between workouts. I wonder if - at this specific time and with the current changes I have already implemented 18 months ago, as well as with my goals in mind - I could benefit from more running near LT1. I often neglect a very broad range of paces / intensities as they are not hard enough for a workout, but they are too hard for me to train between workouts. This is what I want to try to change in the next year.
Here is my current plan (same as above, i.e. what I used in the last year and a half), with aspects I will stick to for now:
Using 2-week microcycles instead of 1-week microcycles, with the idea of packing less in a microcycle.
Leaving 4 days between hard sessions, at least (it used to be 3). For example: hard easy easy easy easy hard etc. - again, the idea is to pack less in a short time and take fewer risks in terms of possible injuries.
Using non-linear periodization, i.e. doing a bit of everything every 2 weeks, instead of focusing on one aspect of training at a time as in a standard block periodization. This was the main change.
Taking 1 day off running per week, when training hard.
and here are some changes I will add in an attempt to condition my muscles to run more at a sustained pace that is however not a “workout pace” (i.e. easy as in below LT1):
Adding a weekly high-end Zone 2 session: since I take 4 days between hard workouts, and normally feel better throughout the various weeks (as I pack less intensity) I could try to use every third day to run in Zone 2, without a predetermined time / distance, but depending on how I feel. Maybe an hour of this could be better than staying out 2-3 hours at a much easier pace, in terms of improving my durability for a “fast” ultramarathon.
Alternating highly polarized weeks with less polarized weeks: given that I am not sure I will be able to do what is described above, due to soreness, something else that came to mind is to do blocks of 2-3 weeks of my typical training (e.g. rotating between workouts, then running lots of very easy mileage), and then add a week of Zone 2 or less polarized training. Every third week I could run less, but harder, near LT1, for a few days, and see how that goes. It could also be a useful way to force myself to hold back in terms of total distance (I have a tendency to maximize volume) while not feeling like I’m slacking, as I’d be focusing on running a bit quicker without stressing my body excessively.
The goal of these changes is to add some more quality and specificity to my racing goals (50-100km) while still limiting injury risk. The goal is not to use this type of periodization to modulate load (e.g. in a classic load vs recovery week type of approach), but only to modulate the type of stimulus. To modulate load, there are better tools (see also here), as anyone reading this blog should know!
Food for thought.
Please note that I use the term high-end Zone 2 to identify my first lactate threshold, but in general, I use zones in terms of their applied meaning when it comes to race intensities. Zones are just a tool, and in this context, high-end zone 2 is nothing else than 50 km race pace for me. Marathon pace would be Zone 3, as I cover in more detail in this blog.
A note on specific workouts / sessions
I am self-coached and I plan my training based on a combination of general training theory, my experience based on my specific limiters, and my racing goals. I was asked a few times about specific workouts / sessions, hence this section.
In terms of workouts, I keep things simple. I have nothing against programming with more entertainment in mind if it helps you / your athletes, but it doesn’t make any difference for me personally, so I tend to use the same sessions over the years. This also helps me understand where I am at as I can directly compare different sessions.
For example, in terms of short intervals, I often do 10-12 x 90” hard 90” easy or 6-8 x 3’ hard, 2’ easy. This is similar to doing 400m or 800m reps on a track, if I have access to a track.
If I want to work at threshold (here I mean the second threshold or critical speed), I do reps of 2000m to 4000m (3-5), with 2’ easy in between.
Normally the stimulus grows naturally, e.g. after a race and a few easy weeks I will start with shorter intervals, then a shorter threshold session (e.g. 2km reps), and keep increasing over time as I approach another (long) race.
Similarly, a marathon pace session could start with 10 km Zone 2 + 10 km at marathon pace, and evolve towards 3 x 10 km at marathon pace with 1 km easy in between.
Since I spend much time in the hills now, I also use them for workouts, typically doing similar workouts to the ones mentioned above, but a bit less structured as hills have varying grades / lengths, etc. - but similar principles apply.
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Marco holds a PhD cum laude in applied machine learning, a M.Sc. cum laude in computer science engineering, and a M.Sc. cum laude in human movement sciences and high-performance coaching.
He has published more than 50 papers and patents at the intersection between physiology, health, technology, and human performance.
He is co-founder of HRV4Training, advisor at Oura, guest lecturer at VU Amsterdam, and editor for IEEE Pervasive Computing Magazine. He loves running.
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Hello Marco, I read your post with great interest, do you have any books or online resources to learn more about training methods? It's a very interesting topic for me, I hope you can expand Hrv4training app with this topic too. Many thanks and thank you for your work, ciao.
A really interesting and informative read Marco, thank you. I've struggled this year with injuries, ill health and tiredness, which as you know is so frustrating!! - I spent much of our three week summer vacation reviewing my training and realised it was all geared towards peaking for certain races, with little or no time was spent building a strong aerobic base! - I decided that once I've recovered from an annoying hamstring injury (not running related) I'm going to follow the Dynamic Loading principles of 2-1-2-1-1 (4 loading days separated by 1 easy day, followed by 2 easy days) for 6 months and see where journey takes me.