COACHING
EVERY athlete wants to compete well all of the time and whether that is possible is debatable. However, the top runners in the world are remembered mostly for one particularly outstanding race or perhaps a series of top-notch performances spanning years and not necessarily for just one marvellous season.
The ability of the coach and athlete to pick out a race, or series of races, to run at their absolute best may seem an impossible task. However, if certain procedures are met, it can be a fairly methodical process, although there are many imponderables that need to be addressed and overcome to hit those elevated levels.
Training smart
Those who follow a periodised plan need to make sure that the appropriate training loads are done at the times that will have the most effect. It’s all a matter of increasing or decreasing volume or speed so that the body responds appropriately and positively. This can prove problematic if, for example, training isn’t going well in the preparatory phase or even if it’s going too well! Those who encounter training setbacks or a poor racing performance usually make the cardinal error of training even harder and quite often their form deteriorates even further. On the other hand, early season excellence can make the athlete push even harder in their thirst for success and, although hitting their target times, staleness can set in mid to late-season.