Mo Farah set a brilliant new British and european 10k record running at the Prefontaine Classic this Saturday beating his previous best time by over 40 seconds. Where did this breakthrough performance come from? I'm guessing that the major reason is confidence. After winning both the 5k and 10k titles at the European Championships last year, mo was definitely on a high. Secondly, he has switched coaches and location. He is now training with Alberto Salazar. I'm guessing he is training in a stringer group than previously and that his training emphasis has changed also. Whatever it is, it was an outstanding performance and one that shows he is right up there with the Africans!! … [Read more...]
Sammy Wanjiru RIP
May 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
I first became aware of Sammy Wanjiru when he broke the world record for the half marathon in 2005 when he was only 18 years old. The first time I saw him run was in the London Marathon of 2008 where he finished second behind fellow Kenyan Martin Lel. What impressed me was his relaxation when running very quickly and his obvious enjoyment in his running. In the 2008 Olympics, Sammy produced one of the finest marathon performances ever defying the oppressive heat to win in a new Olympic record. I remember watching the race thinking that he had gone off too fast and would pay in the latter stages of the race. While everyone else wilted in the heat, Sammy just kept going. With his victories in London, Chicago and Bejing, Sammy won $500,000 … [Read more...]
Running Coaching – Non Linear Periodisation
May 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The rise of Eastern Bloc athletes from the 1950s has been attributed, in some areas, largely to the implementation of periodisation. In practice, this was a method of splitting the training year into phases with a different emphasis on each phase each building on the last in a linear fashion. A typical example of a training year would include: general preparation phase specific preparation phase pre competition phase competition phase recovery/transition phase. The success of the Lydiard method during the 1960s was based on similar principles. Runners would spend as many weeks as possible running high mileages at aerobic paces. They would then spend 4 weeks with an emphasis on hillwork before spending 4 weeks with an … [Read more...]
Running Coaching – Minimum Effective Dose
May 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Minimum Effective Dose • The best way to improve your running is to run more miles • The best way to get injured running is to run more miles Every runner who is seeking to improve will at some point face this problem – the best way to get fitter is to run more miles but if I do that, I’m likely to get injured. Most running books and magazines quote the 10% rule when looking to increase mileage – that it is safe to increase your mileage by 10% each week. Some wiser writers include the warning that every fourth week should be a recovery week where you back off to let your body recover. Using this as a principle though, you could go from running 10 miles a week to running 100 miles in a week in less than a year! Well you … [Read more...]
Welcome to the NEW Running Coaching
May 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Welcome to the new Running Coaching. It is great to be back with you after some technical difficulties! As I re-launch the site, I just thought I’d explain a little about who it is aimed at and my training philosophy. There are some runners who just enjoy the running itself and who run for fitness and the pure enjoyment of running. These are noble motives and I’d like to think I can provide a little information that might be beneficial to them. There are some runners who disappear away at the front of a race never to be seen again until either they lap you or you see them picking up a trophy at the end of the race. Most of these runners have their own coaches but I’m sure there will be snippets of information that would … [Read more...]