Tag Archives: workout

Planning for Groups

I’ve been the coach for Manchester Harriers & A. C. Senior Endurance Group for almost 3 years now; each week I prescribe 3 sessions for the group. I started out by creating a spreadsheet with a technical focus for the week, a fitness focus for the week and then set two sessions that would occurContinue reading “Planning for Groups”

The Frog

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”

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”

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”

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”