A good fun track workout for a special occasion (Christmas, someone’s birthday etc.); its basically 10x400m but with a twist. Wrap a small (or large) prize in 10 layers of wrapping paper, between each layer of paper put a number of seconds. This number of seconds in the first layer that will be unwrapped (theContinue reading “Pass the Parcel!”
Category Archives: Workouts and Drills
Alternating Group Chase
This is another ‘classic’ VO2 Max improving interval set but with a twist to keep it interesting. We’re going to aim for 3 minutes hard effort (faster than 3km race pace) followed by a 3 minute walk. But to keep it interesting as a group we’re going to add in a little twist. As alwaysContinue reading “Alternating Group Chase”
Group Catch-Ups
This is a workout designed for a group to have a bit of fun (type 2 naturally together) whilst working on technique and the alactic/neuromuscular systems. After a really good warm-up, a minimum of 15 minutes with a build to the top of your aerobic zone, i.e., where your running companions can hear you breathing.Continue reading “Group Catch-Ups”
Cresting Hills
This set is not just a great way of practising maintaining ‘momentum’ (physical and psychological) at the top of the short sharp hills that often occur on cross country courses, but also of improving the bodies ability to ‘shuttle lactate‘. In a grassy park (or similar location) find a short (30 seconds to 2 minutes)Continue reading “Cresting Hills”
Up & Down
Most cross-country courses have a certain ‘rolling’ nature and the difference between runners is usually most obvious on the ups and on the downs. This set is about developing the physical and psychological skills associated with uphill and downhill running simply by practicing. The set itself is simple however care should be taken to findContinue reading “Up & Down”
Hard Starts
This main set is a cross-country focused workout designed to have two impacts on the runner (for a track/road variant see this workout). Firstly its a psychological training exercise, after having pushed hard for tens of seconds and got to the point where your lactic energy system has kicked in, your heart is beating hardContinue reading “Hard Starts”
Silly Team Games
There comes an odd point in the endurance running season, at least in Manchester anyway, where the track season and most of the serious road running series are finished yet it feels a long time before cross-country season starts (don’t worry its not that long!) So before we get in to cross-country training there isContinue reading “Silly Team Games”
Group Fartlek
Almost every post I read on Fartlek running starts with “Fartlek is Swedish for Speed Play”, so that’s where we’ll start. Fartlek is, normally, a set of variable length self-paced intervals with variable length self-paced rest, i.e., depending on how you feel you run quick for a bit, then slow for a bit and repeatContinue reading “Group Fartlek”
800’s With a Hard Start
It is well established that psychology plays a significant role in running performance[1] and this workout, whilst having VO2 Max enhancement benefits, is mainly aimed at making an athlete comfortable with being uncomfortable. In order to do that we place high demands on the bodies’ aerobic and lactic systems at the beginning of the intervalContinue reading “800’s With a Hard Start”
Group Variation on Paarlauf
Paarlauf is usually done in pairs where one runner runs ‘easy’ and the other runs ‘hard’ and when they meet they swap paces, it requires quite a specific shaped layout. This variation can be done on pretty much any course and with mixed size groups. The aim of this workout is to get some runningContinue reading “Group Variation on Paarlauf”
Coach Alex Masidlover 