Category: Training

This week is going to be VO2 Max with some plyometrics thrown in for fun (unless you’re racing XC at the weekend in which case we dial it down a bit)!

Strength and Conditioning/Drills

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

This week we’re mixing the drills and strength

We will be doing; Jump Squats, Jump Lunges, Lateral Hopping and Burpees.

Tuesday Session

Warm-Up – 10 minutes

5 times five minutes hard 3 minutes easy

Cool down – 10 minutes

Thursday Session

Warm-Up

6 TIMES: 800 with a good length recovery – each effort should be max (unless you’re doing XC in which case 400 hard into 400 easy followed by recovery)

Cool down

Weekend Session

Heaton Park XC or Long* Run with strides (30m acceleration, 30m at 90% of sprint pace, 30m deceleration) every one km.

*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.

With cross-country season heading towards its finish we’re going to start introducing more content that reflects the spring and summer road and track season. This week is going to be anaerobic with some plyometrics thrown in for fun!

Strength and Conditioning/Drills

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

This week we’re mixing the drills and strength

We will be doing; Jump Squats, Jump Lunges, Lateral Hopping and Burpees.

Tuesday Session

Warm-Up – 10 minutes

One minute hard effort and two minutes recovery repeated 13 times

Cool down – 10 minutes

Thursday Session

Warm-Up

12 TIMES: 400 with a good length recovery – each effort should be max

Cool down

Weekend Session

Long* Run with a fast finish (somewhere between your 5k and 10km race pace for the last 25-30% of your run).

*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.

This week we’re going to be pushing VO2 Max a bit harder, the rests are longer but that means working harder on the work efforts! In terms of form we’redoing drills that encourage getting the foot travelling backwards slightly before it touches the ground.

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

Single Leg Russian Deadlift – great for balance and the upper posterior chain (hamstring and glutes)

Suggested Drills for the week

B-Skip

Side stepping

Carioca

Tuesday Session

Warm-Up – 10 minutes

SIX TIMES: Three minutes hard then three and a half minutes recovery (actually 3:40 makes the numbers work, but I’m allowing for a few seconds error).

Cool down – 10 minutes

Thursday Session

Warm-Up

SIX TIMES: 800 with increasing rest – each effort should be max

Cool down

Weekend Session

Long* Run with rolling hills; hold the effort level on cresting the hill.

*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.

This week is a max of effort near VO2 Max and then effort around threshold; its also my 48th birthday this week and my 200th week of setting sessions for this group, so both numbers feature!

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-March

High Cadence running on the spot then lean forward from the ankle until you ‘fall’ into a run

Strides – imagine a helium balloon attached to your head lifting your head and torso up (but keep your shoulders relaxed)

Tuesday Session

Warm-Up – 10 minutes

SIX TIMES: 200 seconds max effort, 200 seconds recovery

Cool down – minutes

Thursday Session

Warm-Up

12 x 400 meters (48 hundreds!) with 48 seconds rest between them

Cool down

Weekend Session

Long* Run with rolling hills; hold the effort level on cresting the hill.

*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 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

4-8 x 400 @ 10km race pace – lots of recovery (eight times four hundred if not racing)

10 mins Cool Down

Weekend Session

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

This week is suspiciously like last week!

This week our technical focus is on keeping the hips high and stable to avoid wasting energy lifting the torso up and down.

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

Ball Slam

Jump Lunge

Single Leg Box Squat

Suggested Drills for the week

A-March

B-March

Straight Legged Running

Carioca

Tuesday Session

Have an hour long easy run

Thursday Session

Happy New Year – find a Parkrun that’s on!

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.

This week our technical focus is on keeping the hips high and stable to avoid wasting energy lifting the torso up and down.

For our main sets we have some Christmas specials!

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

Ball Slam

Jump Lunge

Single Leg Box Squat

Suggested Drills for the week

A-March

B-March

Straight Legged Running

Carioca

Tuesday Session

Have an hour long easy run

Thursday Session

Merry Christmas – find a Parkrun that’s on!

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.

This week our technical focus is on keeping the hips high and stable to avoid wasting energy lifting the torso up and down.

For our main sets we have some Christmas specials!

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

Ball Slam

Jump Lunge

Suggested Drills for the week

A-March

High Cadence running on the spot then lean forward from the ankle until you ‘fall’ into a run

Strides – imagine a helium balloon attached to your head lifting your head and torso up (but keep your shoulders relaxed)

Tuesday Session

10 minutes warm-up

10 seconds max effort then 2 minutes recovery

20 seconds max effort then 2 minutes recovery

30 seconds max effort then 2 minutes recovery

40 seconds max effort then 2 minutes recovery

50 seconds max effort then 2 minutes recovery

60 seconds max effort then 2 minutes recovery

70 seconds max effort then 2 minutes recovery

80 seconds max effort then 2 minutes recovery

90 seconds max effort then 2 minutes recovery

100 seconds max effort then 2 minutes recovery

110 seconds max effort then 2 minutes recovery

120 seconds max effort then 2 minutes recovery

10 minutes cool-down

Thursday Session

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

Pass the parcel! Full details will be explained on the night. If you want something equivalent then 10×400 with approx 2 mins rest between efforts.

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) on a course that has rolling hills.