Running Times Circuits – Parts 1, 2 and 3

Posted on August 6, 2010 by CoachJay

Circuits are a great way to address training needs for athletes who currently can’t handle a great deal of volume, such as athletes coming back from injury or high school athletes that are new to the sport. RunningTimes.com asked me to produce a series of circuit videos for them to help readers understand this type of training. Below are the three videos in the series. If you have time, please watch the rationale for the circuits before watching the videos below so you will understand not only the rationale behind these circuits, but also how the running portions and exercise portions of the circuit work together.

Obviously I’ll be happy to answer questions you have about this workout. I think circuits are a great way to get ready for a fall marathon or for high school athletes to gain fitness in the opening weeks of the cross country season (the “danger zone” as my college coach liked to say) and if I can be of help simply ask your question below.

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  • JS

    Jay, Thanks for the videos.
    Couple questions:
    1) Are each of the circuit workouts above done on the same day?
    2) Would you suggest doing the circuits before or after the primary workout (running) portion of the day?
    3) How you suggest placing the workouts into a week? Day before workout session? Day after? Day of?

    I hope these questions make sense. Let me know if I need to clear up anything.

    Thank you.

  • Lydia

    I love the videos. Thanks for sharing. I have all the same questions as JS, plus a I have a few of my own. I am fairly new to running. I have run only 2 half marathons both at about a 11:50 pace. I am currently about 220 pounds. I am trying to train more to get faster and obviously to lose more weight =) I have been running, swimming, and biking. Do you suggest replace swimming and biking with circuit training? How do you fit so much variety into your week?

  • coachspitz

    Hey Jay!
    I absolutely love the site and have been following since last fall. I coach HS XC/T&F and I have a few questions regarding the circuit workouts because I am a huge believer in strength training. I understand these circuits are used for summer/early season workouts or maybe athletes returning from injury. How many times a week are you using this circuit workout in the beginning of the XC season and are you using it with only a specific type of athlete? Have you ever used these workouts throughout the entire season to incorporate strength training?…maybe considering it as part of a warmup. Thanks in advance for your thougths.

  • http://coachjayjohnson.com CoachJay

    No, the circuits would be done on different days. You could do two circuit workouts a week, but most of the time we're trying to do one circuit workout a week when we're building our volume.

    I would consider the circuit THE workout. If you try it, you'll see. You'll get fatigued quickly even when the 700's or 300's aren't that fast. That said, with the professional athletes we are currently using the circuit at the end of a run.

    Regarding the last question, if you consider the circuit workout a stand alone work then you would simply take out a workout and insert the circuit. Again, try with 700's at just half marathon pace and you'll see that it's challenging.

    Thanks for the questions.

  • http://coachjayjohnson.com CoachJay

    I wouldn't replace this with the swimming and biking, but instead replace one of your running workouts with this workout.

    When you look at your week you could look at the running workouts as harder on your body due to the impact of each foot contact. So that would allow you to use the bike and the swim as your recovery days from the running workouts. But that's just my thought and I should be honest that every time I talk with triathletes I'm blow away by how much total work they put into a week of training.

  • http://coachjayjohnson.com CoachJay

    Once a week is probably all you can fit in once the cross country season begins. I definitely consider this work challenging, yet I also think it's great for a new athlete or a young athlete. Why? Because they can't run very vast on the 300's or 700's and you'll protect them from shin issues, stress fracture, etc.

    I can't see how this would be used as a warm-up, but I do think skipping exercises can and should be used in a warm-up (see link below), yet those movements are much different from body squats or burpies. But I like how you thinking of this circuit work – body weight work and general strength as a precursor to strength training. That's a logical progression and it's the progression most track coaches adhere to. For more information check out Vern Gambetta's book Athletic Development – it's a great resource.

    http://vimeo.com/3576411

  • Eddy Lee

    Hey, Jay–

    I'm currently preparing for Spring track, and I'm wondering if you can possibly insert this workout into my weekly schedule somewhere.
    Monday: AM: 8miles medium effort: 620average/mile
    PM: 10x400s w/2min rest; 66-67
    Tuesday: Easy: 1 or 2 runs
    Wed: AM: 6mile tempo 545/mile
    PM: 12x250m faster than mile race pace
    Thursday: Easy ; 1 0r 2 runs
    Friday: Same as Thursday
    Saturday: VO2max workout of some sort; 4miles of work
    Sunday: long easy run

    Thanks!!!

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