Hadd's Approach to Distance Running

I've just started using Hadd's method for my training.

This is it here: Link to www.counterpartcoaching.com

I have been doing it for 2 weeks now. I am trying to increase my mileage from about 40/50 miles per week to 50/60 miles per week. Then hopefully 60 to 70 miles depending on my training time and how much faster I get. I am doing 2 sub lactate runs per week (155-160bpm) and the rest of my running is below 145bpm. I have been going quite a bit slower but feel much better and my legs feel much fresher than what they had been.

I was wondering if anyone else is using his method or has tried it in the past and the results you have got with it.

Comments

  • I was about to give this ago a while back but then I got distracted by triathlon training. Recently I have just been too lazy!

    Good luck with it. If you stick with it then keep us updated on how you get on, as I would be interested to know.

  • I seem to remember there being a mammoth thread on this a while back.

    Great method if you have the time to devote yourself to it properley,

  • Hadd/Parker/Lydiard - isn't it all pretty much one and the same thing?

  • I would say Lydiard/Parker encorporate quality as well as the base mileage.  Hadd seems to be only about grinding out mile after mile @ <70% for months on end.  Have to say though I did try Hadd for about 7 months and during that time I ran a pb for 13.1 with no taper and not particularly trying. It felt very, very easy.  

    If you have the time and committment Hadd training is extremely beneficial at building a HUGE aerobic base and developing the slow twitch mitochondria (sp?).. Personally I'm working a sort of combination of Hadd but leaning more towards Parker training.  Whatever works for the individual really.

    TBSIARF

  • IIRC Hadd has the heavy mileage and slow pace stuff for base training only. He still recommends sharpening for races with more varied training so in that respect its like the Periodisation principles of Lydiard. Parker is a bit less specific though he does recommend something of a base period before bringing the harder sessions back in. Parker really isnt terribly prescriptive about training. His only real edict is that easy sessions need to be easy and hard sessions need to be hard.
  • TBSIRF

    What time was half and how big was the pb?

    Did any of you do the 2400m tests?

  • My 13.1 time was 1:27 a pb by 12 minutes. 

    Myself I never did the 2400 tests as I could see improvements were being made through ordinary training and races.  

  • JK - I totally agree.  It's about aerobic miles and lots of them.  I did no "speedwork" before my 13.1 pb. Just loads of miles.  Didn't someone (Lydiard, Bowerman??) say "Miles make champions".

  • Jokerman - Any websites or books you can recommend with regard to Lydiard and his training methods?

  • Many thanks. Will have a look at those.

  • I agree alot of this is based on Lydiard's methods.

    But I think Hadd makes it alot clearer using a heart rate monitor at what level easy running actually is.I've often ran too fast on my easy runs in the past.

    Impressive pb

    Impressive pb TBSIRF, that was a big improvement. What sort of mileage were doing before and during the base training? 

  • This guy has some interesting things to say about Hadd, Lydiard and Maffetone.
  • IanRunner

    Prior to starting the Hadd training I was averaging 40-45 miles a week, including a tempo session and Sunday long run.   Once I got into Hadd, and started using a heart rate monitor to ensure my runs were run at the correct %whr/bpm, i could easily begin to rack up the miles. 

    It didn't take too long before i could easily run 70 miles a week and I peaked at 85 miles.   I could really begin to feel the difference as I could run 10-12 miles most evenings with no problem at all.   The "long run" at the weekend (normally something between 16-20) seemed like no distance.

    At the start of the training it was sooooooo frustrating trying to keep my heart @145bpm and seemed so slow but gradually, over time, this improved.  You have to stick with it and wait for the bodies adaptations to take place, but boy, it feels so good to have your legs ticking over nicely even @ <70%whr. 

  • Thats big improvements in mileage and from what sounds like, fairly comfortably.

    What are your pb's at the moment if you dont mind me asking ?

  • My pb's (which are from 2006 as I've had 2 years out from running and only started again in May areimage

    10m: 65:07
    13.1:  1hour 27 45s
    26.2:  3 hours 4 minutes 18s

  • Did you find that 40-45 miles a week was your maximum pre Hadd then - any more and you suffered injury or fatigue ?   
  • No, not really.  It's just at that point I decided to try Hadd and it was a very easy way of adding mileage. It was just what I decided to do.  Have to say when I was running 40-45 a week I was probably running the "easy" runs too hard!

    Hadd forced me to slow down (a good thing) which allowed my body to be ready for the long runs. Long runs prior to Hadd were quite a slog before this.  So yeah, less fatigue come Sundays....

  • PhilPubPhilPub ✭✭✭
    Kryten - great link, thanks!  If the guy's conclusions are correct it's made me feel more comfortable about keeping in a moderate amount of LT or faster training in prep for a marathon, since one of the main conclusions is that it doesn't adversely affect aerobic conditioning. Think I'll borrow it for the sub-3 thread if that's OK, since there are a couple of people there HADDing/Lydiarding/base training at the moment.  image
  •  Having read JL Parkers book and starting to build an aerobic base using his methods do you think that Hadds methods are better for this or do you feel that there isnt much between them? I am currently running 25 miles per week and building on the mileage.

    Having read Hadds thread (but using Parkers formula to find HR) I find there is like nearly 10bpm difference. Or do I not have enough miles per week to make a real difference at the minute?

  • Kryten
    good link - the critical part about the paper in relation to the base conditioning phase - and it is important that this phase is studied in isolation is "So in conclusion, after considering the arguments of both Maffetone and Hadd, I can see no reason for avoiding moderate amounts of running near or even above the lactate threshold during the conditioning phase, provided excess cortisol production is avoided."

    Now I don't know about you all but I have difficulty determining lactate threshold tolerance level from HR never mind when the body may or may not be producing cortisol !!!

    Periodisation in training is important and if a base phase of steadily increasing mileage of 12 weeks or so is carried out without exceeding lactate threshold levels except on occasional bits up hills etc then the aerobic system efficiency will be maximised.

    Thereafter increasing quantities of higher threshold training may be introduced and this will benefit both aerobic and anaerobic systems. But getting the  foundations of aerobic conditioning right in the first place enables that subsequent phase to be successfully undertaken with less stress.

  • I think 2 hr runs at 70 to 80% of hr max 2 to 3 days a week every other day allows you to grow more capilaries and more mitacondria giving u more power at lower hr.
  • My best time marathon is 2 hrs 44
  • Dr.DanDr.Dan ✭✭✭

    Eddie - you're answering a 3 year old thread ... there's a new Hadd thread here:

    http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/training/hadd-training-plan/181933.html

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