Finding the training that’s optimal for YOU: It’s different for each individual…
Believe it or not, there is no one-size-fits-all training approach! We're all built differently... Any coach who says otherwise is WRONG!!! :)
WEEKLY WISDOM: WE ARE ALL BUILT DIFFERENT
There’s MANY different ways to train, each of which has its own pros and cons. To name a few, we’ve got…
Norwegian-style double threshold training - going ALL in on work at/around lactate threshold, often hitting two threshold sessions in the same day (one in the AM and one in the PM).
Igloi-style interval-based training1 - characterized by the elongation of “time under tension,” or time at specific paces, through the use of clearance or “flush” sets (e.g. 4x150 at 10k pace w/ 50 walk recovery), alternated with harder sets where the repetitions range from 200-400 meters in length (e.g. 4x400 at 3k pace for reps 1 and 3 and mile pace for reps 2 and 4 w/ 200 jog).
Lydiard-style training - a huge emphasis on aerobic development with race specificity/sharpening occurring in the latter stages of the block (e.g. the last four to six weeks before a peak race).
Block periodization - emphasizing one system for X amount of time (e.g. one to four weeks) before emphasizing a different system for Y amount of time, and so on…
There’s a reason so many different approaches exist: There is not one best approach for all runners. I know, crazy right!? Turns out, we shouldn’t just all copy Jakob Ingebrigtsen and smash double threshold sessions, expecting it to be the best stimuli for us in our development. The reason for this is that every runner is built slightly different from the next.2
Thus, coaches must think about their athletes as individuals rather than putting them all under the same umbrella. Coaches must ask themselves: How can I make this athlete the best that they can be with their specific strengths and weaknesses? And yes, it’s harder to execute on this than just prescribing practically-identical workouts and training weeks to all of your athletes, but if you can successfully tailor training to each individual, it’ll go a long way in the development of the athletes but also yourself as a coach. This is something that I’m actively working on, despite my innate desire to stick with what I’m comfortable with and avoid that vulnerable mental space where I don’t have all the answers. I don’t think that’s just me, though. Kind of a human thing…
The one caveat to this notion, though, is you can’t learn everything there is to know about an athlete before you start coaching them, nor will you know everything about them after a month. It takes time to truly understand how a given athlete will respond to various training stimuli (e.g. thresholds, faster intervals, flux workouts, etc.), and as such, it’s important to be studious and take note (mentally and/or physically) of observations made along the way. Because of this fact, the beginning stages of coaching often entail a LOT of learning and realizations.
For example, when I started coaching Patrick Lister last year, I learned a whole lot about his specific strengths and weaknesses. More specifically, after two or three months of workouts, it became clear to me—after some threshold sessions and long runs—that his aerobic endurance was fairly strong. On top of that, it was rare that he’d perform poorly in those longer, aerobic-heavy workouts.3 On the other hand, any time I threw him work under 10k pace involving mile repeats down to 200-meter repeats, I saw significant room for improvement. These faster workouts didn’t come as naturally to him, and certainly brought on more discomfort/angst as opposed to the longer work he almost always crushed.
After making this realization, it became apparent to me that we needed to dedicate more time to bringing some speed into his legs. To me, despite the fact that he was training for a marathon, it made sense to focus on developing his speed to address that chink in the armor and make goal marathon pace feel that much smoother. Largely, this entailed work at 5k to 10k pace, given I don’t see a ton of merit in going much faster during a marathon build, personally (especially for an ex-bodybuilder who had no prior workout experience). This did not mean that speed became the one and only thing on our minds; it’s important to complement an athlete’s strengths, so there was still a heavy focus on the aerobic work. I’m sure as time goes on, I will learn more and more about Patrick and how to further tailor his training. But, having coached him for two marathon blocks now, I’m beginning to feel fairly confident in the prescribed workouts.
Mind you, if you have a new athlete, it can’t hurt to ask them where they think their strengths and weaknesses lie, but keep an open mind and don’t go into tunnel vision, only looking for confirmation. Ultimately, you’ll have to have some patience in order to develop a good idea of your athlete(s). But, that’s the fun of it. Coaching wouldn’t be nearly as gratifying if every runner operated best under the same training, would it!?
If you have further questions, please ask me of course! See my contact information at the bottom of this post; I would love to help.
Next up on All Things Running… TBD.4
ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT
My athlete Patrick ran a HUGE 7-minute personal best on Sunday, April 30, at the Gettysburg North-South Marathon, running 3:11:42 for sixth place overall and third place in the men’s 30-39 age group. What makes this even MORE impressive was there being medium to heavy rain the entire race and it being a hilly course with over 1300 feet of elevation gain… Oh, and it was a “no-spectator” course, meaning you were not permitted to go anywhere but the start/finish (I did not abide, lol). Let’s just say we’re going to set our eyes on some faster and more lively races (*cough* maybe the Philadelphia Marathon *cough*).
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If you want personalized coaching and/or training advice, I’d be happy to help. You can email me at jacobreesmontgomery@gmail.com or send me a direct message on Instagram.
You’ve GOT to read up on Igloi. His training approach is FASCINATING!!!
I wish I could speak to this on a more scientific level, but my scientific knowledge is kind of trash. But hey, I’m working on it…
One interesting point I heard recently from Steve Magness (on his Instagram, I believe) was that you should focus more on how many “bad” workouts an athlete had as opposed to the ones that went well or great. In a study he held on his athletes, he found that the best performances came during blocks with relatively minimal bad workouts. Ultimately, the word here is “consistency.” Consistency is KEY!
Not sure what next week is going to be. Running low on content; got to think up some new ideas! May be doing a recap of Patrick’s marathon (Q&A or audio-style).