Category: Training

This week we will be continuing to work on pace in anticipation of spring with some 1-2 minute anaerobic efforts.

From a technical perspective everyone’s running form is starting to look pretty good so we’re good to add some ‘icing on the cake’ with some hip mobility and proprioception.

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

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. Due to the temperatures we’re sticking with the same exercises and will try and get them in when it is comfortable enough to do them outside or we have the clubhouse available.

Suggested Drills for the week

Toe touches – swing left leg forward while keeping it straight and aim to touch the toes of your left leg with your horizontally outstretched right arm; repeat this on the opposite side.

A-Progression

Carioca (also known as grapevine)

Tuesday Session

10 minutes warm-up

40 minutes of:

During the warm-up give everyone in the group a number from 1 to 3, ensuring that there are roughly equal numbers of ‘1’s, ‘2’s and ‘3’s.

Start out at a steady (long-run, i.e. arerobic) pace then pick a landmark (lampost, postbox, bush, cone, anything!) that you are about to run past, the whole group should continue running at a steady pace after passing it, continue for 30 seconds, then all of the ‘1’s should run fast (3-5km pace or faster) back to the selected landmark, turn around at the landmark and continue, fast, back to the group. When the ‘1’s return to the group, pick a new landmark and then the ‘2’s run fast back to it after the whole group has gone 30 seconds past the landmark, repeat this for the ‘3’s and then continue this pattern until it is time to cool down.

For a detail explanation with diagrams see here.

10 mins Cool Down

Thursday Session

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

6 times 200m max effort for that distance.

4 times 400m max effort for that distance.

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) do the last quarter at a pace where you can only manage 3 to 4 word sentences.

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