Training Programmes

What Does a Typical Training Schedule Look Like?

The schedule is secondary. The real job of a coach is to inspire the athlete to believe that they can achieve their goals.

Sorry there are no off-the-shelf training schedules. Each event from 800m to the marathon has different training requirements and each person brings to the event individual qualities in terms of age, experience, speed, endurance and the amount of time that they can train. Be wary of coaches that hand you the same exact schedule as their other athletes. Training is not just what you do in each daily workout but also includes how you work, eat and rest. Top athletes are very talented but usually their sole focus is on the training and what they can do to improve. Some runners might be surprised when their training programme is actually reduced from previous. They are further surprised when they start improving. While teenage runners have a lot of time and energy they are still growing and this has to be taken into account in any weekly schedule. Likewise an amateur runner with a job and family commitments can actually expend more energy during the day than a professional athlete. All these factors will be taken into account with any schedule given. However what will be common in all programmes is that on one of the days you will be running at your race pace or faster for extended periods of time. After a recovery time you will repeat the process. The distance run, the recovery and the number of repeats will depend on the athlete, the event they are training for and what they bring to the session. The overall goal is to improve speed endurance and being able to run faster, further. You cannot improve your speed if you don't use speed and you don't improve your endurance if you don't use endurance. There is a big difference between going for a run and actually training for an event. Graeme Holden can help you build your body and your mind so that you can reach your true potential.