The 10 Key Elements of a Successful Training Block
There are no fewer than 10 key elements to a successful training block for an endurance athlete. That is, if the goal is to improve in the sport. These 10 key elements are the same no matter what distance you are targeting, from 5k up to the marathon. I cover these, and much more, in my new book, Marathon Training Strategies. Although the book focuses the plans on the marathon distance, the training concepts are similar for all distances. These 10 key elements for a successful training block include:
- Speed work of some flavour
- Endurance workouts
- Speed endurance workouts
- Strength training
- Rest & recovery
- Yoga and/or some kind of regular stretching
- Deliberate eating habits
- Deliberate hydration habits
- Positive mental exercises
- Focus on excellent sleeping habits
Speed Work
As long as the goal for a race is to improve, then speed work is one of the main key elements for a successful training block. The ultimate goal of training is to force your body to adapt to the training you give it. That means you run hard, break down muscle fibres, and grow back stronger. Although there are other training goals, these sessions can be some of the most productive. Some examples of speed work include interval training, tempo runs, progression runs, fartlek runs, even hill repeats. There are an endless number of ways to incorporate speed work, and they don’t have to be monotonous laps of the local track. You can incorporate intervals on a measured stretch of road or even barefoot on grass. One to two speed sessions per week, most weeks, will be enough to initiate adaptation in an athlete.
Endurance Workouts
Endurance workouts are another of the 10 key elements for a successful training block. These are more often than not, your long slow distance runs. If you click on the link provided, I have an entire blog post dedicated to the LSD. These are a staple for every athlete, not just the marathoners. If you’re a 5k runner, your LSD might be 6-8 miles, and it should be at least that. For a marathoner, it might be as much as 24 miles or more.
Speed Endurance Workouts
Another of the 10 key elements of a successful training block are the speed endurance workouts. These can include tempo runs, threshold runs, or runs that include a section of your target race pace as part of it. The goal of these workouts is to train to hold race pace for the duration of your race. As the training block goes on, these types of workouts may feel harder. However, come taper time, or as I call it the race phase, your body will benefit from these workouts tremendously.
Strength Training
This is often one of the 10 key elements of a successful training block that gets overlooked. Or at least the one that is easiest to bypass if something else comes up. However, strength work is vitally important for many reasons. Not only does it allow you to perform better and run faster, but injury prevention is also key. This doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym and lift heavy weights until you can’t move. Even a good bodyweight program will do the job as long as it’s done consistently and purposefully.
Rest and Recovery
The fifth element is rest and recovery. All of these 10 key elements of a successful training block are important, but this is especially vital. You are putting in all the hard work to work through the adaptation process. Without rest and recovery days, you will never get the benefit, nor make the improvements from all your training. So don’t neglect your rest days or your recovery runs.
Yoga and/or Some Kind of Regular Stretching
Yoga and/or a stretching routine for runners can be the difference between making it to the start line or not. Naturally, when you are working your muscles they will tend to shorten and tighten up. This can quickly lead to muscle pulls and tears. By making a stretching routine a habit, you will be re-lengthening these tight muscles and keeping them supple. Look after these muscles and they will look after you.
The 10 Key Elements for a Successful Training Block – Deliberate Eating Habits
In my Marathon Training Habits book I talk quite a bit about determining your ideal racing weight. This is important as we all know. Normally, the more lean we are, the faster we will run. But this isn’t always the case. There is a fine line between being strong and lean and being lean and not having enough muscle to run effectively. A good healthy protein intake for runners is important and it is often neglected. The general guideline I use is to consume 1g of protein daily per 1 pound of body weight. That might sound like a lot, but it has many added benefits, especially for a runner looking to get faster.
Deliberate Hydration Habits
Once again, this one of the 10 key elements for a successful training block is often forgotten about. Keeping your body well hydrated can help maintain healthy eating habits. It will also ensure your training goes smooth without finding yourself dehydrated where damage can be done to the gains you’ve made. As a rule, I consume between three and four litres of water every day. Again, that sounds like a lot, but by making it a habit, I have no problems taking it all in. My body has also adjusted to holding more. That means I’m not running to the bathroom every 5 minutes.
The 10 Key Elements to a Successful Training Block – Positive Mental Habits
This key element is so often not considered and it baffles me. We have all seen professional athletes in nearly every sport, pausing over their shot or their free kick. They are visualising success. They are practising positive self-talk. When they can see success in their mind, it is far more likely they will see success on the pitch. This is one of the key elements of my “Race” phase of a training block. Visualise success, tell yourself you are capable and strong. You do these things and your one step closer to your goals.
Focus on Excellent Sleeping Habits
This is the last of the 10 key elements for a successful training block that I’ve included here. There are more, but these are the top 10. As for sleep, this is when the magic happens. It is when you are sleeping and at rest that your body rebuilds the muscles you’ve been training. As long as you are feeding your body nutritious food and drinking enough water, sleep is the final piece of the trilogy. Whether your training block is 8 weeks or 20, getting into a good sleep routine is hugely beneficial. Sleep will not only improve you physically, but is an integral part of a healthy mind. An early morning routine has proven to be successful for me. Ever since I’ve got my sleep routine in order, my running has improved greatly.
Conclusion
As I’ve mentioned, there are more than these 10 key elements for a successful training block. But follow these 10 keys and you will be well on your way to big gains. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below and by all means, if I’ve left anything out, drop me a message and let me know your thoughts.
