Age Groups Part 4.      Senior Runners Part 1

, Age Group Part 4.            Senior Runners Part 1

This is not comprehensive information, but just lays out the foundations and some of the structure needed in creating your training plan to develop as a Senior Runner to achieve your full potential.. 

This is to progress and enjoy your running for improvement, but with the emphasis here on coming 

to a winter peak for cross- country championships and going on to spring half or full marathons or shorter 5k road and relays, going onto a summer track, 10k  or fell season.

If you are training correctly for the cross country, then you should be able to bash out a pretty decent 10K or half marathon at any given time without even peaking for them.

The secret or art is to fit your running into your lifestyle to best effect, and to recognise 

what is happening to you and where you are at, then to adapt and adjust suitably to get the most benefit from it.

Consistency, common sense and patience are the main keys to a smooth development towards your goals, the right training effect doesn’t happen immediately, but comes in plateaus and levels of progression attained, and sometimes a next step up, when you least expect it.

I will expand on it later, but training is subjecting to a stress, recovering, adapting / recovering, then subjecting another progressed training stress and so on, the beauty of planning and coaching, is finding what is suitable and right for each of you as individuals, for your 

goals and to safely and consistently improve and move towards those realistic goals.

I must stress that basic running is not rocket science, but each individual has their own nuances, dependant on where they are fitness/ training wise, where you have come from 

in health, sport or exercise background, what degree your body has imbalances, good running posture and form, and also where you want to go running wise in the future. 

Recognising all the signs and indicators, either by your coach or yourself,( if you have learned 

them yet ), is necessary to progress to your goals in good time or going beyond what you thought to be capable of.

There are many, many more things you can learn, depending on the levels that you want to take your running to and exactly what you want your running to do for you in your current and future lifestyle.

I’ll start with some basic tips and warnings, describe my ethos for training, and go on to 

holistic attitude or lifestyle, best practice for consistency and progression, to set up for your 

most effective  training plan and methods, for achieving your goals, whether winter,

Spring, summer or autumn.

Transitioning from Junior to Senior has it’s own nuances to do it effectively no matter what level you are at, but it can’t be rushed. Patience, progression, performance.

I will expand on this later.

Initially I will break it down into advanced and Club runner and go into more training detail later.

Enjoy and make full use of this information and if in doubt talk to me.. 

Four Principles For Correct Training 

General  Training Plans For Advanced runners.

This piece centres on the cornerstones of any sound career-long running programme, which include progressively higher mileage, periodization, and limiting the amount of hard interval track training, particularly in youth. This is based on a natural and practical approach to running, not theories or philosophies. There are many scatterbrained theories on training, but serious runners don't need theories; they need what has been proven in the real world.

 Here's the truth: It is not possible to reach ultimate potential without first establishing enough of a lifetime base to make your training count when you become physically mature. 

Most of today’s runners do not understand this; they try to get a quick fix in this sport, and it simply doesn't work. A runner absolutely must obtain the ability to train in winter at 100mph (or more) by the peak of their career, in order to reach fruition. 

There are no real exceptions to this. 

1.) Long-term development.  It takes years for runners to attain their full capacities.

Most runners employ a "fast food" training scheme, particularly as young athletes or when at University. They run hard intervals on the track, which gives them an alluring quick fix, yet the long-term results are without exception mediocre at best.  

Every time you race, you're drawing not only off of training you did a few weeks ago or even months ago, but also off of running or other activity that you did many years ago! 

The nature of that activity must be predominantly aerobic for best future results in running.

2.) High mileage.   

This is the missing ingredient for most distance running today. 

Too much emphasis by many on low to moderate mileage during the 1980s and most of the 1990s and into the new millennium and now, is the sole reason for our failure to produce the large numbers of elite runners that we had during the 1970s and early 1980s. 

Those guys back then ran high mileage, and - surprise of surprises - the only UK, European or U.S. runners who have been among the world's elite during the last decade are also high mileage runners ! 

My programmes mean to develop runners from youth to the point where they can train effectively and consistently at 100  miles per week or more by the time they reach their own physical maturity, mainly across Autumn, Winter and into Spring for most, but obviously the season and event goals apply, but principles are the same. 

Any lesser objective is a choice of compromising and opting out to choose a certain level of attainment and is inferior to the training used by elites around the world. 

Again, this is a long-term approach. 

There are no quick fixes to doing this correctly. It may take many years to reach the point of being able to run three weeks out of every four at 100 to 120 miles per week and also be able to add an ample amount of faster-paced running in there.

N.B. Wherever possible get onto softer surfaces, trails, grass, soft tarmac etc and get onto harder roads when doing event specific training leading to your goal race.

 It will pay off enormously if done correctly, but several years of only moderately good performances might have to be faithfully endured in order to get to the highest possible level. Probably 99 out of 100 runners lack this kind of patience and perseverance, and those runners will most likely never fully fulfil their promise. 

But this is not to say that speed does not play a big part in a training approach.

3.) Less hard track training.  

Far less of the stressful anaerobic interval training on a track, should be done in terms of the hours that you train each week and miles covered.

The bulk of harder training should consist of what's commonly called tempo running,  "threshold" or "high steady state" running. 

The idea in this is to work with your body rather than against it, watching for the yellow warning light that says you're about to go too hard, as opposed to sailing through a red light, struggling and fighting yourself, and undermining the effectiveness of the session. 

Obviously when sharpening for key goal races, you will run more anaerobic reps, intervals. Fartlek  and sub tempo running.

But you should also do what is called "alactic" speed work; i.e., short buildups, strides or speedy running of less than 35 seconds at a time. And also develop and maintain joint integrity and muscular strength through occasional sprint drills along with hill sessions and sprints.

N.B. under 20 secs has negligible lactate build up, if allowing one or more minutes recovery.

4.) Periodization.  

This refers to shifting training emphasis at times, between each off-season and competitive season peak. Quarterly, 6 monthly or whatever.

And also over the course of an entire running career. 

There are times to run slow, times to run long, times to run a fast relaxed pace, times to guts it out and push a hard continuous pace, times to do tough anaerobic training, speedwork, etc. 

This varies and applies very much on an individual basis with a training plan to suit each individual's strengths, but the principles themselves pretty much apply to everybody.

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For Most Club Runners of all standards. 

A proper training approach also relies on those four Basic Principles, to generalise a little. 

Starting with the basics and differing from the super serious full time athletes in training approach which is a bit unrealistic for most runners, so that the pace of runs and an overall lower mileage usually apply.

That is not to say that it can't be done by running to and from work / college, or going out very early morning or after you mums or dads have done the morning school run, making use of grandparents, relatives and friends, for child care, generous flexible employers or be self employed etc

1). Long-Term Development – 

It is essential to get as much of a good training base as possible. 

These endurance miles and minutes go into your bank and can be drawn on to support your faster quality training and take you through that whole season.

Just how much of a base, whether it's 30, 50, 70 or 100 miles a week, depends on a variety of factors, such as how long you've been running, how injury prone you are or have been, how your physiology is suited to your chosen events, how strong and conditioned you have prepared yourself for and obviously how much time you have, etc.

Just remember, you will not reach your ultimate potential as a runner in your first few months or even years of running. There's definitely a cumulative effect. 

And many times you may surprise yourself as to how far you have come in one year or even three years etc    . 

The key is to think long-term and TAKE IT SLOWLY when initially building.

Don't rush to build up your mileage or get into shape for a race a few weeks away. This will most likely just cause you to get hurt and end up slower and less fit.

No one can become a  world-beater in three months. Only when you give yourself a year to gradually get in shape or even back in shape after a long break, can you get to a point where you can train consistently and run good races. 

And it will take a few years after starting running, before you run upto 100 miles a week and your body can handle it without breaking down.

2) High Mileage 

Yes, building to your optimum mileage definitely is very important - especially if you want to be one the best amongst your peers in the area or Nationally.

However this is all relative, so not everyone has time to run 15 miles or more every day whilst balancing your studying, a career, a family and a social life, 

There simply wouldn't be enough time without making sacrifices.

However, it still is important to get your mileage up if you want to do well in any races - whether it's 800 metres to  marathon, cross country or fell / mountain racing.

The key is remaining injury free. More is better but only if you don't get hurt. 

Also don't obsess about your weekly mileage totals, they always balance out in a training block, I prefer to each day run so many minutes @ a set pace objective.

No need to run up and down the road or around the car park to round the numbers. Nothing is gained there.

Just focus more on getting at least in one long run each week and at least three a month, more if able. And a midweek medium long steady run.

Plus 3 - 4 good days of reasonable miles close together, whether @ temp, intervals or steady running, any others are easy, recovery, shakeout, early am easy on double days etc

Be patient and take a long term approach.

N.B. Wherever possible get onto softer surfaces, trails, grass, soft tarmac etc and get onto harder roads when doing event specific training leading to your goal race.

3) Less hard track training –. 

Yes that's right, you shouldn’t come away from sessions completely drained.

And don’t over do the number of hard sessions and you'll probably end up doing better in the long term.

On average percentages of 80% aerobic endurance, 10% tempo ranges, 10% speed endurance and sprints, are the weekly averages for easy / steady aerobic runs, higher end aerobic 10k to marathon and steady state tempos,and faster anaerobic running intervals, reps, fartlek, parlaufs, hill sessions, sprints, strides etc, up to 10k pace.

I can get into mitochondria, economy and efficiency, and fuel distribution, when I write a section on holistics.

It sounds counterintuitive but it's true. You don't need to be running killer workouts all the time in order to get fast. In fact, if you'd back off a bit and just make sure that you regularly have sessions moderately with occasionally really hard ones, you'll end up faster in the long run. 

Why does this happen? 

Because your body needs time to become fully recovered. If you're tired, the adaptation process is key, t's hard on your body to run fast or stay injury free.

4) Periodization – 

This sounds complex but all it refers to is trying to focus on a few peak races a year. 

Perhaps one in the spring, one in summer, one in autumn and one in the winter, and then train event specifically at various times of the year, making sure you peak for your big goal races. And not sharpen to your peak too early and risk going over the top and running stale.

I've found that beginning a period, one should probably spend most time just running easy and steady state or tempo,  then 2 - 4 times a week, run  four 100-metre strides near the end of your runs with like 1 minute rest in between.

Because by just running farther and not as hard you make your body stronger and stay injury free so when it's really time to get race sharp you are able to push it. Where as If you try to stay in race shape all year long or most of it, it's very hard on you both physically and mentally. One of these things will likely happen - you'll get injured, sick / Ill or you'll lose your motivation.

80/20/20 or not far either way of each percentage.

David Rodgers 01/11/2007

David Rodgers 2023