1. Periodisation

Understanding the balance between training hard and recovering.

2. Training Load

Measuring training hard and recovering!

3. Training by Pace

If you want to run fast at some point you have to have periods when you train fast. You train ‘fast’ most effectively by pace. Anything up to an hour I train by pace. You need a device which can tell you how fast you are running.

4. Training by Heart Rate

Sometimes you have to hold yourself back. It’s not perfect but training by heart rate is great for anything over 40 minutes. You need a device which can tell you your heart rate.

5. Bodily Systems

The body does not have a ‘speed system’ which you can train. There are LOTS of processes which you have to train to get faster. These processes all respond to differing stimuli. Ie training at differing levels of intensity for differing periods of time.

6. Training Effectiveness / Tapering

Building up an endurance base takes time and stays a long time. Speed takes relatively ‘little’ time to acquire (assuming you have the capacity to do so) and is more quickly lost. Knowing the most effective training day is about 10 days before your race. Understanding that tapering allows your body to recover and respond properly to all that hard work you have been doing – whilst maintaining its race readiness/freshness.

7. Intervals

If you want to do 5k faster you could just practice doing 5k lots and lots. It would eventually work but intervals would get you faster, sooner. You need to practice getting faster and faster over ever increasing time periods…starting from one minute. Personally I incorporate intervals into ALL workouts with the exception of extensive endurance runs in the winter.

(8. Must do better) – gym work, hill work, stretch, plyometrics, diet, hydration.

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