National Running Show Awards 2024 Coach of the Year Finalist Arj Thiruchelvam, who’ll be speaking at next year’s event, shares his tips for gold standard training:
The teachable elite athlete
There are several facets of training that we can teach, as nearly every aspect of physiology is trainable, although genetics has a massive impact on becoming the best in the world. However, the Olympic, elite mindset is simply impossible to entirely form: the underwriting desire, the obsession to not just compete but to win, is something which is limited to so few. Many people quite rightly argue that you can create a growth mindset. You can develop coping strategies, methods and practices, and you can even develop motivation by consistency and commitment.
It’s incredibly difficult to get in touch with this aspect of the Olympic spirit, however there are things that we can do to drive harder and further than ever before. With all things in life, it begins with structure and commitment.
Starting point
The Olympics takes place every four years (excluding Tokyo 2021) and, as a result, athletes and their coaches build a four year plan. This is the Olympic cycle and forms the fundamentals of periodisation.
If you want to train like an Olympian, the first thing you need to do is set out your training phases. You might feel planning for four years is a bit much, so 6-12 months working towards your goal is perfect.
Having understood what your event requires (we call this a needs analysis to break down the sport), we build the training plan to form each phase. There are lots of different theories on how these phases could be built and there’s even new research which states that entire phases can be jumped, but we know if we’re hunting for real progress then any of these will lead to improvement.
What is periodisation?
In its most traditional sense, periodisation is formed of the following training programme of three main ‘concepts’:
- prepare the body
- develop
- perfect
Preparation starts with being very general (GPE), building a foundation of base training. Then move to specific preparation (SPE) which looks a little more at training the same physiological systems used in the event.
Development (SDE) is training the moves that replicate those of the specific event you’re competing in.
Development progresses to perfection (CE) where the emphasis is on perfect execution in the competition and how to maintain this peak.
A sprinter may progress by:
GPE – Building force via compound lifts in the gym
SPE – Developing explosiveness through plyometrics
SDE – Developing speed through bounds and resisted running
CE – Focusing on block starts and specific parts of the race
The key here is that every discipline and event has a slight variation. In running we have some distinct training zones that are implemented slightly differently:
Easy pace
The majority of your miles/kms should be in this zone. This increases bone density, cardiac health and muscular adaptation and decreases the chance of injury.
Marathon pace
VERY similar to Easy but a bit faster. Improves psychological, confidence, nutrition & hydration strategy.
Threshold pace
Uncomfortably comfortable! Maintain this pace for 20-30 mins, truly improving your endurance performance, progressing your speed and distance at that pace.
Interval & repetition pace
Speeds near & above your VO2Max to maximise aerobic power, develop speed and mechanics.
When training any running distance, we will still employ each of these paces. The biggest change is ratios, and how far into the programme we will continue using them. For instance, a marathon training programme will cover all of these phases but, as the programme continues, the interval and repetition pace work drops distinctly.
We know to strength train
Everyone is starting to get the idea that we need to perform resistance work as a runner, namely strength training. That doesn’t mean we all do, and it certainly doesn’t mean we are doing it correctly either.
Stop thinking of strength training as training like a bodybuilder. Once you’ve built your base in the GPE and understood what it feels like to strength train, you should start progressing.
This means lifting weights and performing plyometrics with an intent: to be athletic, a good mover. Don’t perform high volumes of moderate intensity, you’re looking for lower volumes of higher intensity with sufficient rest to allow you to perform the exercise repeatedly.
We’ll use this to develop power, alongside plyometrics, for a more reactive footstep.
Think a marathon runner doesn’t need this? I disagree! How many steps does a marathoner take? Now, imagine if each step was slightly more powerful = faster times, plus we know strength dramatically reduces the chance of injury.
Knowing nutrition’s place
We often think our nutrition is good enough and, on the other side of the argument, people often think their nutrition is going to change them as an athlete.
The truth is, nutrition offers a very small contribution to your performance but it is likely the aspect that will allow you to reach your goals: completing training sessions, fighting injury by maintaining and perhaps developing muscle mass and, importantly for our endurance athletes, allowing them to race to the finish line.
Unless you have a medical reason to do so, nutrition must be flexible, not dogmatic or prescriptive. Doing anything else runs the risk of an eating disorder. A simple principle is just ensuring 80% of your diet is leading towards a healthy lifestyle, whilst that remaining 20% gives you freedom, reduces stress and allows you to socialise. Food should be enjoyable, just ensure every meal has a source of protein, that you get plenty of vegetables and never neglect your fats or carbohydrates as they are integral to hormone functioning and performing at a high level.
Athletes notoriously have a difficult time managing their eating habits and live in extremes, partly down to problematic positioning of how nutrition affects us. Keep things simple and this will help you achieve your goals.
Remember, very few supplements actually work. Ensure you only buy your supplements from reputable sources and, if you’re drug tested, get Informed Sport products.
What else are Olympians doing?
Olympians are always looking for something extra – that might be a new training philosophy, sports psychology or some way of improving recovery.
This mindset led to the advent of altitude training to improve red blood cells and thus oxygen delivery around the body. Some research now suggests that heat training possesses the same qualities and may even be more beneficial, without having to train at 5000 feet!
I see so many people investing in new equipment and fads who simply don’t sleep enough, stick to their training programmes or eat to the 80% rule.
You must get the basics right because the difference between the average person and the Olympian comes down to consistency.
Olympic athletes are unbelievably consistent. They do all the boring stuff that we don’t want to and have to learn to be very patient. Imagine training for 4 years and it doesn’t go the right way, so you continue until the next Olympic Games: that’s resilience, determination, consistency and patience.
Can you train those aspects of your personality and your week?