A Foundation of Aerobic Strength

For events from 1500m up to the marathon, the aerobic system is your primary engine. In my experience, the most effective way to build this engine is through a "less is more" approach to speedwork, prioritising MAF-style training (Maximum Aerobic Function).

The Base Period

Every athlete I coach begins with a dedicated base period. Typically, this lasts for two to four fortnight-long cycles. This allows me to gauge your current fitness floor and ensures your body is robust enough to handle higher intensities later on.

Balancing Discipline with Enjoyment

I believe the best training plan is the one you actually enjoy and will consistently follow. While I recommend a "health-first" approach that builds time on feet before introducing high-intensity sessions, I understand that runners want to have fun. If you want to keep a weekly tempo run or a Saturday parkrun in your schedule, we will integrate those into your plan.

Speedwork and Conditioning

While I advocate for sub-threshold sessions as a primary tool, we can "mix it up" with specific speed sessions tailored to your goals. My preferred sessions include:

• Short Hill Repeats: High-intensity efforts (90%+) of 8–10 seconds on a significant gradient. We start with 5 repetitions and build to 10. The focus here is power and technique, which is why we take a full 5 minutes of recovery between each rep.

• 400m Repeats: For those targeting fast 5k or 10k times, I find that 400m repeats are often all that is required. These are typically performed at Half Marathon to Marathon pace with 600m of recovery. We begin with a low volume and gradually increase the repetitions as your efficiency improves.

• Tempo Sessions: These are often best utilised during a Parkrun (5k effort). For those targeting longer distances like a Half Marathon, we would look to extend the duration of these sessions accordingly.