Author: Alex Masidlover

IMPORTANT: Please bring head torches as the temperature may make the track unusable for some of the sets.

This week our technical focus is on activating the glutes.

Our fitness focus is on a mini taper for Northern XC championships.

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

Glute Bridge, Cobra, Turkish Get-Up – we’re working on the Turkish Get-Up for a while since it is a complex but extremely useful exercise.

Suggested Drills for the week

Glute Bridge into Straight Leg Run complex

Strides; imagining you have a balloon attached to your head drawing your torso up

Tuesday Session

10 minutes warm-up

Chain running – run in a line, the last runner runs hard (90% of max pace) to the front of the group, when the last runner reaches the front then the next ‘last runner’ sets of hard to get to the front. REPEAT for 15 minutes

10 minutes easy

15 minutes more chain running

10 mins Cool Down

Thursday Session

10 mins easy warm up including (extra) drills

4* x 400 @ 10km race pace – lots of recovery

10 mins Cool Down

* If you are not racing at the Northerns then do 6×400 by adding in an extra 400 during

Weekend Session

XC or a fast run on a muddy course

IMPORTANT: Please bring head torches as the temperature may make the track unusable for some of the sets.

This week our technical focus is on a nice tall posture to maintain running efficiency when tired.

Our fitness focus is on starting to build a little more speed as cross country season begins to come to a close.

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

Glute Bridge, Cobra, Turkish Get-Up – we’re working on the Turkish Get-Up for a while since it is a complex but extremely useful exercise.

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

12 minutes warm-up

All efforts @ 5km race pace

A) 3 mins effort, 2 minutes recovery

B) 2 mins effort, 1 minute recovery

C) 1 min effort, 3 minute recovery

repeat A to C 3 times, i.e, 3 min effort, recover, 2 min effort, recover, 1 min effort, long recovery, 3 min effort etc.

12 mins Cool Down

Thursday Session

Long Warm-up with drills

FOUR TIMES: 800m faster than 5km pace, 200 easy, 200 max then recovery (easy or walking/stretching)

Cool Down and Strength Work

Weekend Session

Long run with a stride (accelerate to 90% sprint pace, hold for 20 breaths then decelerate) every 1km

This week our technical focus is on a nice short stride for running on muddy surfaces.

Our fitness focus is on tapering for Tatton Park XC.

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

Press up variations, chin ups (fingers curled towards you on the bar so that most work is done by the biceps), Turkish Get-Up – we’re working on the Turkish Get-Up for a while since it is a complex but extremely useful exercise.

Suggested Drills for the week

Straight Leg Run – landing on the ball of the foot and using the springiness in the calf and achilles to keep ground contact time short.

B-March

B-Skip

Short strides with a focus on driving the feet back and a short stride length.

Tuesday Session

10 mins easy warm up

8 x 400 @ 10km race pace – 400m recovery

10 mins Cool Down

Thursday Session

10 mins easy warm up including (extra) drills

4 x 400 @ 10km race pace – lots of recovery

10 mins Cool Down

Weekend Session

XC or a muddy 10km in a field of your choice

This week our technical focus is on a nice strong arm drive.

Our fitness focus is on long threshold efforts.

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

Press up variations, chin ups (fingers curled towards you on the bar so that most work is done by the biceps), Turkish Get-Up – we’re working on the Turkish Get-Up for a while since it is a complex but extremely useful exercise.

Suggested Drills for the week

A-Progression (A-March, A-Skip, A-Run)

A-Progression (A-March, A-Skip, A-Run) with focus on arm drive

Strides while focusing on the individual aspects of arm drive in each of 4 sets of strides; keeping elbow joint at 90 degrees, keeping the arm in the correct plane, getting a full arm drive and keeping the shoulders relaxed.

Tuesday Session

10 minutes warm-up

Alternating minutes at 10km / Cross-Country race pace and half marathon race pace, i.e., 1 minute at each for a total of 16 minutes – repeat this twice with a break of 5 to 6 minutes between the efforts.

10 minutes cool-down

Thursday Session

15 mins easy warm up – include the suggested drills for the week

2000m effort 3 minutes rest

1600m effort 2.5 minutes rest

1200m effort 2 minutes rest

800m effort 1.5 minutes rest

400m effort

5 mins strength

5 mins cool down

The efforts should be at approx. 5km race pace.

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) on a course that has rolling hills

The fitness focus will be VO2 Max improvement and strength.

The technical focus will be a nice short stride

Strength Exercises for the week

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

Squat progressions, Turkish Get-Up, Cobra – we’re working on the Turkish Get-Up for a while since it is a complex but extremely useful exercise.

Suggested Drills for the week

Straight Leg Run – landing on the ball of the foot and using the springiness in the calf and achilles to keep ground contact time short.

B-March

B-Skip

Short strides with a focus on driving the feet back and a short stride length.

Tuesday Session

12 minutes warm-up

All efforts @ 5km race pace

A) 3 mins effort, 2 minutes recovery

B) 2 mins effort, 1 minute recovery

C) 1 min effort, 3 minute recovery

repeat A to C 3 times, i.e, 3 min effort, recover, 2 min effort, recover, 1 min effort, long recovery, 3 min effort etc.

12 mins Cool Down

Thursday Session

Easy warm up including drills

Fun with dice!

10 mins Cool Down

Weekend Session

Minimum of 10 minutes warm up

Do a long(ish) run on rolling hills – when you crest each hill aim to maintain the same effort as you ran the uphill for the same length of time it took you to run the uphill. This is a psychological and pacing drill so, within reason, the actual effort and pace doesn’t matter; the aim is to keep it consistent following an uphill effort.

At least 10 minutes cool down

The fitness focus will be tapering for the GMAA XC Championships.

The technical focus will be practising all the drills with a view to having a good race warm-up routine.

Strength Exercises for the week

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

Leg swings

Straight Leg Running

A-March to A-Skip progression

B-March to B-Skip progression

High Heels drill

Side stepping

Carioca

Strides whilst imaging a balloon attached to your head.

Tuesday Session

10 minute warm-up

4x 6 minutes @ 5km pace with 4 minute recoveries.

10 minute cool-down

Thursday Session

10 mins easy warm up including (extra) drills

4 x 400 @ 10km race pace – lots of recovery

10 mins Cool Down

Weekend Session

Cross-country or 9km at race pace in a muddy field.

The main fitness focus will be work on negative splits!

The technical focus will be running with a short stride (and therefore high cadence).

Strength Exercises for the week

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

Squat progressions, Turkish Get-Up, Cobra – we’re working on the Turkish Get-Up for a while since it is a complex but extremely useful exercise

Suggested Drills for the week

B-Progression (B-March, B-Skip, B-Run)

Strides while keeping a high cadence

Tuesday Session

No warm up!

Start at an easy pace, every km (or 1.2km if on the track) get faster – try and use your judgement to be unable to get any faster by the time you get to approx 50 minutes of running.

10 minutes of easy running to cool down

Thursday Session

10 mins easy warm up – include the suggested drills for the week

2 or 3 REPS of:

1600m effort as 800m @ roughly 5km pace and then 800m 5-10 seconds faster then 400 easy to recover

10 minutes strength work

5 mins cool down

Weekend Session

Long* Run with a fast (10km race pace) finish

*Long is relative to what you have been doing recently; no more than 20% longer than any run you’ve done in the past 4 weeks.

The main fitness focus will be work approaching VO2 Max but with sets carefully selected to get the most time at that effort for the least (perceived) effort!

The technical focus will be running with a short stride (and therefore high cadence).

Strength Exercises for the week

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

Squat progressions, Turkish Get-Up, Cobra – we’re working on the Turkish Get-Up for a while since it is a complex but extremely useful exercise

Suggested Drills for the week

B-Progression (B-March, B-Skip, B-Run)

Strides while keeping a high cadence

Tuesday Session

8 mins easy warm up

1 minute, 2 minutes, 4 minutes, 8 minutes, 8 minutes, 4 minutes, 2 minutes and then 1 minute at ‘max effort for that time’. With 2 minutes at a recovery pace (probably 5-10s per km slower than marathon pace) between each effort

8 mins Cool Down

Thursday Session

10 mins easy warm up – include the suggested drills for the week

2 or 3 REPS of:

800m effort, 2 mins staying mobile, 400m effort, 1 minute staying mobile, 200m effort straight into 600m easy – the ‘efforts’ should be minimum of 5km race pace but can be max for distance at athletes discretion

10 minutes strength work

5 mins cool down

Weekend Session

Long* Run with a fast (10km race pace) finish

*Long is relative to what you have been doing recently; no more than 20% longer than any run you’ve done in the past 4 weeks.