Psychological – Coach Alex Masidlover

The Frog

Drawing of a frog in a beaker being heated and not being aware of the changes

Or “How to boil your athletes alive” or, more formally, 12×400 with reducing rest. I’m not 100% sure what inspired me to write this session; we were nearing the end of road and track season and starting to train for the cross country season. Track and road racing tends to have me focusing on shortContinue reading “The Frog”

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”

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”