Dates for all the events we are competing in, hosting or assisting with here:
Category: News
Seniors’ Endurance Training w/c 8.12.2025
This week we’re still focusing on XC fitness and skills; we have two sets that keep intensity relatively high with minimal rest
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
Squat to Pop Squat progression
Split squat to alternating leg lunge jump
Suggested Drills for the week
Mobility circuits including A and B skips
Tuesday Session
15 minute warm-up
8x 3 minutes @ 3km pace with 1 minute recoveries.
13 minute cool-down
Thursday Session
Warm-Up
FIVE TIMES: 800m faster than 5km pace, 200 easy, 200 max then recovery (easy or walking/stretching)
Cool down
Weekend Session
A long (relative to your normal weekly runs) run with strides (accelerate to 90% of your max speed and hold for 10-15 seconds) every 1km.
Seniors’ Endurance Training w/c 1.12.2025
This week we’re splitting the week between and endurance and working smoothly at pace.
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
We will be doing split squats and then jump split squats / lunges
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
Mobility drills
Tuesday Session
Warm-Up
TWO TIMES: 20 minutes at a pace at or slightly faster than 10km race pace take 5 minutes easy between the efforts
Cool down
Thursday Session
Warm-Up
1600 + standing rest
2x 800 + standing rest
4x 400 + standing rest
8x 200 + jog recovery
All reps to be done at max effort for that distance
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.
Seniors’ Endurance Training w/c 22.11.2025
This week we’re back on our 200s with minimal rest session.
For our technical goal we will be aiming to use a nice, strong arm drive.
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
4 minutes of run fast* for a count of 20 breaths, walk for 10 breaths (repeating this cycle for 4 minutes) THEN full recovery including some easy running.
* fast – this should be a reasonably smooth acceleration to your maximum pace. By the end of the 4 minutes it will feel EXTREMELY challenging.
REPEAT the above four times
10 mins Cool Down
For background see here.
Thursday Session
20 mins easy warm up – include the suggested drills for the week
The track will be set with cones a short distance (approx 15 seconds walk) from the 200m and start/finish points. Accelerate to a max effort between the 200m points on the track. When you get to either the 200m or start/finish point the slow down and stop, walk to the cone and back and then do the next 200m hard effort. If done correctly you should get about 30 seconds hard effort and 30 seconds walking.
You will do the above for 5 minutes, then take an extended break (2 minutes) then repeat…
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).
Seniors’ Endurance Training w/c 17.11.2025
The fitness focus will be tapering for the next XC of the season.
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
Some 400s @ 10km race pace – lots of recovery
10 mins Cool Down
Weekend Session
Cross-country or 9km at race pace in a muddy field.
Fixtures Update November 2025
Dates for all the events we are competing in, hosting or assisting with here:
Seniors’ Endurance Training w/c 7.11.2025
This week we’re splitting the week between and endurance and working smoothly at pace.
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
We will be doing split squats and then jump split squats / lunges
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
Mobility drills
Tuesday Session
Warm-Up
TWO TIMES: 20 minutes at a pace at or slightly faster than 10km race pace take 5 minutes easy between the efforts
Cool down
Thursday Session
Warm-Up
1600 + standing rest
2x 800 + standing rest
4x 400 + standing rest
8x 200 + jog recovery
All reps to be done at max effort for that distance
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.
Seniors’ Endurance Training w/c 2.11.2025
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).
Seniors’ Endurance Training w/c 27.10.2025
This week we’re still focusing on XC fitness and skills; we have two sets that keep intensity relatively high with minimal rest. The eagle-eyed amongst you will notice that these are a progression on last week’s sets.
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
Squat to Pop Squat progression
Split squat to alternating leg lunge jump
Suggested Drills for the week
Mobility circuits including A and B skips
Tuesday Session
15 minute warm-up
7x 4 minutes @ 3km pace with 1 minute recoveries.
13 minute cool-down
Thursday Session
10 mins easy warm up including (extra) drills
5 x 1200 with reducing rest (starting at 120 seconds rest)
10 mins Cool Down
Weekend Session
A long (relative to your normal weekly runs) run with rolling hills, put in an effort on the uphills.
Seniors’ Endurance Training w/c 20.10.2025
This week we’re still focusing on XC fitness and skills; we have two sets that keep intensity relatively high with minimal rest
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
Squat to Pop Squat progression
Split squat to alternating leg lunge jump
Suggested Drills for the week
Mobility circuits including A and B skips
Tuesday Session
15 minute warm-up
8x 3 minutes @ 3km pace with 1 minute recoveries.
13 minute cool-down
Thursday Session
10 mins easy warm up including (extra) drills
5 x 800 with reducing rest (starting at 120 seconds rest)
10 mins Cool Down
Weekend Session
A long (relative to your normal weekly runs) run with strides (accelerate to 90% of your max speed and hold for 10-15 seconds) every 1km.
Manchester Harriers and Athletics Club 
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