Category: Training

The fitness focus will be lactate shuttling; we will be working around (above and below) threshold pace (the pace you can run for around an hour for most people).

The technical focus will be more XC focused.

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 (and technical work) for the week

Tight turn course

Straight Leg Run

B-march

B-skip

Srides focusing on arm drive

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

20 mins easy warm up including (extra) drills

4 TIMES:

400 m @ marathon pace, 200m @ 5km pace, 200m @ half-marathon pace, 200m @ 5km pace, 200m @ half-marathon pace, 400m @ marathon pace

5 mins Cool Down

Weekend Session

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

This weeks fitness focus is on efforts slightly under threshold (maximum lactate steady state) and unpredictable surging efforts- starting to get specific to the demands of cross country racing with efforts from 40 minutes to an hour.

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

Ground touches (while running)

Leg swings

Carioca (Grapevine)

Tuesday Session

10 minutes easy running to warm up

Twenty minutes of effort – spend 2-3 minutes building to a pace where you are gasping for breath, then dial back the pace a little bit to the point where you can say 3-4 words – hold that pace. If you feel that you could manage a full sentence of talking then accelerate until you just start to gasp for breath and then ease back a little.

5 minutes easy

Repeat the twenty minutes effort

5 minutes cool down

Thursday Session

10 minutes easy running

Drills

Dice Fartlek – there will be dice at the end of each straight. You will roll the dice…

1 = 200m easy

2 = 200m Hard

3 = 400m Hard

4 = 400m easy

5 = 600m Hard

6 = 800m Hard

Cool down

(Inspired by https://www.snackinginsneakers.com/fartlek-workouts/ )

Sunday Session

A long (relative to your normal weekly runs) run make sure to include some hills in the route every time you encounter a hill, even a small one, put in a max effort for the first 30 seconds of the hill (or the whole hill if its a really small hill).

This weeks fitness focus is on efforts slightly over threshold (maximum lactate steady state) – starting to get specific to the demands of cross country racing with efforts from 40 minutes to an hour.

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

Ground touches (while running)

Leg swings

Carioca (Grapevine)

Tuesday Session

10 minutes easy running to warm up

FIVE TIMES: 6 minutes running at 10km / cross-country race effort and 3 minutes easy running

5 minutes cool down

Thursday Session

10 minutes easy running

Drills

5 x 800 with reducing rest (starting at 120 seconds rest)

Cool down

Sunday 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.

The fitness focus will be ‘lactate shuttling’ the ability to do short very hard efforts during a long hard effort (just like cross country running).

The technical focus will be keeping a good upright posture when running.

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 squats on to a box (or chair)

Suggested Drills for the week

A-March to A-Skip progression

Lunge progression with a focus on keeping torso ‘tall’

Strides whilst imaging a balloon attached to your head.

Tuesday Session

10 minute warm-up

4x 8 minutes @ 10km pace with 2 minute recoveries.

10 minute cool-down

Thursday Session

10 mins easy warm up including drills

3x 800m @ 10km race pace with 400 easy between reps followed by a threshold effort* with 50m ‘sprint’ bursts.

* threshold should be approximately a pace you can sustain for an hour – this will be somewhere between 10km and half marathon race pace. This table allows you to look up your ‘VDOT’ based on race paces and then table 2 on the same page shows your threshold pace.

10 mins Cool Down

Sunday Session

Minimum of 10 minutes warm up

Find some rolling hills and do a run at a conversational pace but with a bit more effort on the uphills.

At least 10 minutes cool down

As summer draws to a close we are heading towards XC season – in fact, nationals are this week. This week’s foci are driving the ground backwards and staying near threshold.

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 squats on to a box (or chair)

Suggested Drills for the week

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

Straight legged running

Strides while focusing on getting a full arm drive and keeping the shoulders relaxed.

Tuesday Session

10 minute warm-up

Marathon Pace – 5 minutes
Easy 3 minutes
Half Marathon Pace – 5 minutes
Easy 3 minutes
10km Race Pace – 5 minutes
Easy 3 minutes
5km Race Pace – 5 minutes
Easy 3 minutes
1 mile Race Pace – 5 minutes*

10 minute cool-down

* If your mile pace is sub-5 minutes then feel free to do 1 mile ‘best effort’ and have some extra rest 🙂

Thursday Session

5 minutes easy

Warm-up drills

SIX TIMES 1km @ 10km race pace (or faster) with 90 seconds rest

Cool-Down

Weekend Session

Minimum of 10 minutes warm up

Find a course with some ‘rolling’ hills (at least 4 hills that take between 90s and 10 minutes to climb) put in a maximal effort up each hill – maintain that for a further 30 seconds after you crest the hill – ideally there should be a flatish section at the top.

At least 10 minutes cool down.

As summer draws to a close we are heading towards XC season – particularly with the Nationals in less than a month. This week’s foci are staying tall while running and doing efforts over threshold, recovering just under threshold and repeating.

IMPORTANT – we will be doing some of Tuesday’s session on grass – please bring appropriate footwear!

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 squats on to a box (or chair)

Suggested Drills for the week

Straight legged running

Hopping

Strides while staying tall

Tuesday Session

10 minutes warm-up

8 TIMES: 4 minutes build to maximum effort, 2 minutes super easy running as recovery – the aim should be to start each 4 minute effort at roughly 5km race pace and then aim to get faster and faster.

10 minutes cool-down

Thursday Session

5 minutes easy

Warm-up drills

Set One (on the track) – 200 easy into 200 max – no recovery – repeat for approx. 15 minutes

Followed by Set Two (on grass) – around a circle set out in cones the group will run at a steady pace in a line around the circle of cones, the first runner in the line will speed up and run around the circle until they catch up with the back of the group. Repeat…

Cool-Down

Weekend Session

Minimum of 10 minutes warm up

Find a hill suitable for at least two minutes of effort but ideally three, then run 6 to 8 intervals starting steady and accelerating to the maximum effort you feel possible by about half way up the hill, sustain that to the top. Walk down the hill until your breathing returns to normal, then jog down to the starting point.

At least 10 minutes cool down.