This weeks sessions are focused on keeping a nice high cadence when running and on building the ability to do efforts near threshold; ideal for cross country season.
Strength and Conditioning
All exercises should be body weight variants only unless an S&C coach (can be me) has agreed you have perfect form. Good examples of form can be found on https://www.muscleandstrength.com/exercises
Side Plank with hip dip, Supine Toe Tap (not on exercise DB; lie on front raise one leg, tap toe on floor and raise leg again do some reps then change legs), Bird Dog
Suggested Drills for the week
A-Progression Drills
High Cadence on the spot with a ‘fall’ into a run
Strides; imagining you have a balloon attached to your head drawing your torso up
Tuesday Session
10 minute warm-up
40 minutes of:
During the warm-up decide an order to run in.
Start out at a steady (long-run, i.e. arerobic) pace the first runner then chooses when to start the interval, how fast to run the interval and where to end the interval – they do no need to tell the rest of the group their decision, the rest of the group will simply attempt to keep up as best they can. Once the first runner reaches the end point they have selected for their interval they turn around and run to the back of the group.
For a detail explanation with diagrams see here.
10 minute cool-down
Thursday Session
15 mins easy warm up – include the suggested drills for the week
7 x 400m hard effort (faster than 5km race pace) 20 second standing recovery
2 minutes recovery
7 x 400m hard effort (faster than 5km race pace) 20 second standing recovery
5 mins cool down
Weekend Session
Minimum of 10 minutes warm up
Do a long run (distance will be up to you but this should be your longest run of the week) but every 1km do a stride (accelerate to 90% of sprint speed, hold it for 10 breaths or approx 20 seconds, then decelerate).
Manchester Harriers and Athletics Club 