Part 1 : Young Runners

Part 1 : Age groups

Young Athlete Adaptation for Running and Development 

This applies to the various YA age groups, and Juniors (U20), young Seniors.

But also as a touch base reminder for all runners and racers. 

and also newer runners to developmental training, of any age.

No apologies here, but this is mainly about process, my beliefs and ethos.

Later I will do an article that's a little more nuanced on specifics for YA’s, Juniors (U20’s) and Under 23’s. With generalized training details, but will need to apply them individually day to day as development and lifestyle needs will differ for all of you.

1. My starting out history and first years

I run because I love to, I always have, I always will. 

As a young boy of under 8, as soon as I was allowed out into the park and fields across the road from my house, I just ran and ran on my own, or played group games with running.

No one asked me to and no one made me run, 

I just had an inner desire to do it

So some of my earliest memories are of summer times as far back as when I was 6 years old, waking before everyone else to go out of the door and just run.

By the time I moved on to big school, despite a fractured ankle in November, doing long jump comps across a stream, I was soon back running, but now with others

So at 12 years I was 2nd best in my whole school, poor Tactics let a 16year old out sprint me. I won the Sale schools xc league and MCR xc leagues as well as the Cheshire AA xc barefoot after losing new shoes in mud racing in Woodbank Park, but only 2nd in the Cheshire Schools. 

No other Champs at Under 13 (Colts), I think I was 2nd at the East Lancs Champs at Bolton to Steve Kenyon (future GNR HM winner in 62mins and World XC racer). 

Northerns only started at Under 15 and Nationals at Under 17 (Youths),  No English Schools races at U13 age groups

Summer Track went ok at 12 too with 4.49 mile, 2.05 800m on a grass track plus 1500m StCh, I won many races, but I had the so essential  good winters training, 

Even a Boxing day 53:16 10 mile road race @ 14yrs old.

Later with one of the country's best coaches, a great training group and social mates, I learned to progress my training to work for me and my style of running.

So I was well into a good training age by then.

2, My Ethos and Beliefs 

Running is one of the most natural things to do, with it being what our bodies were designed for and almost everybody has the potential to run, although there are factors which affect the way we run and the genetic or environmental induced talent we have for it.

Keep it simple and enjoyable

Genetics and the science behind the way our bodies work and respond to various exercise stimuli can show us what is needed to get the right training effect for various event distances and surfaces.

But we are all individuals and it's important to know that science doesn't really teach us how to train, it can explain why things happen, but you need more than that to come up with an effective training programme that suits you and your circumstance.

That is why we don't see a lot of Scientists as highly successful coaches. In General, running knowledge comes before scientific knowledge. Good coaching is an art not a science.

My beliefs have been formed on sixty years experience of training, competing and coaching, while working alongside some of the finest and successful endurance coaches in the UK and some of the best athletes across a number of eras.

But running is not rocket science, although basic rules and principles have to be followed to carry it out safely and avoid or minimize injuries, the application, fine tuning and adaptation to circumstances and goals, are completely individual.

II believe that it is still very possible to take a bunch of local kids and show them the joys of running and socializing with their mates, in a safe, friendly, enjoyable environment, gradually train and develop them to maturity and onto competing on a National or even World stage, with only a relatively small outlay, just good training, hard work and consistency.

It is also my belief that anyone can discover the best, most enjoyable and effective way for them to train, to achieve their realistic goals, whatever they may be, and reach their full running potential.

Patience and not to expect a quick fix, whilst an endurance and conditioning base is built, is of paramount importance, before you can get strong enough to be able to handle a move on to higher and more permanent levels of training and facing performance.

Training application is dependant on your age, training age (years running or in sport), event distances and racing surface needs, and the season etc

3. Best practices & making your running work for you

Young Athletes Development. And new or novice runners

This equally applies to club runners and advanced runners, as a check and reminder against basic principles and objectives. So a few very basic, but obvious, tips below.

A sensible and healthy diet is so essential, with the right food to fuel your training needs and replenish what you have burned up. 

Likewise plenty of water is needed to keep hydrated all year around and your body just needs it to function well anyway.

1. Be Active
The more active you are during youth, the naturally higher your threshold will be. 

Most of the top distance athletes in the world come from rural areas where they lead a more active lifestyle than children in the UK.  Aerobic running, along with more activity in general, will help prepare kids for long-term success in running.

2. Learn To Move
Watch the best athletes in the world and they will share a common trait in economical movement across the ground.   If you can't move well, you can't move fast. 

Teach your nervous system to move quickly, opening neural pathways that recall this and instal muscle memory too.

Sometimes an early  background in other sports can provide a good base for your nervous system development. 

Many of the best Senior distance runners have come out of soccer, ballet, gymnastics and basketball. Henry Rono (3k / 5k & XC) and Said Aouita (800m - 5000m)were soccer players first and Joaquim Cruz (1:41 800) mplayed basketball when young

An additional way to learn to move with better economy is to practice regularly, light proprioceptive drills, Dynamic mobility exercises, short sprint strides, short hill sprints etc.

3. Strengthen
There are many ways to strengthen the body including light weights, plyometrics, isometrics, conditioning circuits, core exercises, asana yoga or natural resistance such as hill running, sand dunes, parkland, off road running, trails etc. 

By being stronger, not only will you prevent injuries but you will recover better from hard runs and sessions. I don't mean bulking up muscles or lifting heavy weights etc

But doing low level strength work, that compliments your running action, and doing regularly, So resistance running is best for that, running uphill, sand dunes, grass,mud etc

It is very necessary to run off road and softer trails, paths, grass etc as much as possible. When you are growing your physiology is still developing, so impact of too hard a surfaces too often, can have a cumulative stress effect on bones, tendons and muscles.

This equally applies to newer, novice and even marathon runners.

4. Train Extremes
Train the opposite ends of the spectrum and save more event specific work for later. 

Train the aerobic system to be better developed in the future but also train muscles for speed in an a-lactic way. 

Use easy aerobic running with many 60-80 minute easy / steady runs. 

Instead of too much hard specific work, concentrate on raising your threshold with 15 - 30 minute tempo or fast runs or longer reps

Use hard intervals very sparingly initially until you have progressed, are stronger and are used to them. Save the specific work until you are older and both systems in the body are more developed to handle higher quality training to take you to full potential.

You should apply interval sessions feeling comfortable and in control, so as to feel that you could have done more if asked to. The training effect is not just in the individual sessions, but more of a build up and consistency over the training block leading to your quarterly or seasonal goal or a Championship.

So as said above, develop bases in both speed and endurance. 

Wait until more fully mature training wise to develop event specific endurance through specific interval training. It’s better to develop speed or capacity for speed through short hills and aerobic endurance through long runs and continuous intense runs than to overdo the anaerobic work.

 Essentially, with novices and younger athletes, you are building the infrastructure to become a better endurance athlete in the future through very general aerobic training for your organic system and the alactic system for your muscles.

5. Train Your Mind  This is so important and crucial

As you get stronger and used to training, train your mind to be fearless.

Learn from failure but don't dwell on it. 

Get back up from defeat quickly and confidently. 

In development when ability is improving, It is important to take some educated risks in racing and training. 

Getting out of your comfort zone and taking risks in your environment and in racing tactics can help change your mind frame to become a better athlete.
Train your mind to endure. 

A large part of distance running is having mental strength when the body is fatigued. Physiologically, by always adding a little bit more volume and a little bit more intensity ( not necessarily at the same time, as your body does not like too much change imposed), the body will gradually become more fatigue resistant and subsequently the mind will follow. 

Explore your comfort zones so as to know how far you need to go out and back into the zone, so in other words, find your sweet spot, where you are fast but in control of your effort, but step up for a short while if needed to.

When you have a grasp on your pace control and judgment, learning to read your body signals. Use your watch less. OK use it as a guide and for stats after. But it is more important to let your body and mind reach it’s potential without arbitrary restrictions.

Learn to race people, mot times, (ok leave your ego out at training, it’s not helpful), but in racing, race people and peer groups, at some stage big improvements come when least expected, because you have put in the training block or whole year development.

Who knows what your full potential could be ?

6. Keep it simple 

I would say that the best advice is what some people find hardest to take. 

Keep it simple and run a lot, but not too much, without recovery and the adaptation process to take place. so as to let your body progress and the training effect to take place.

Avoid getting injured and place consistency well above going too hard and therefore patience is paramount so as to let the training effects take place, taking to your peaks and goals.

I like a 28 day cycle with a build up over 3 weeks of mileage or time training, and a 4th week of lower volume, culminating in a key race. Over the months the monthly totals will rise 5 - 10 miles generally, more if experienced, until you reach the main competition phase.

E.g. November wk 1. 30k, wk2. 35k wk3. 40k. Wk 4 25-30k + a race.  

Beyond that, be incredibly determined and really enjoy challenging yourself and your  opposition once you are in your races.

Race your peers well, be it in your age group or similar standard of ability and development, because It does not matter if you are currently front pack, mid-pack or striving to get to that level, the very same principles apply.

Part1.young.runners

And as I always say. Enjoy your journey and encourage your training & training mates.