in Training structure and planning
If you want to prevent staleness and overtraining, keep a record of your quality of sleep and levels of fatigue To perform at a higher level, most dedicated athletes increase their volume and intensity of training during a training season. However, when these increases occur before the athletes’ bodies are ready to handle them, or... MORE
in Training structure and planning
Athletes are gradually getting the idea that reducing their training (‘tapering’) prior to major competitions is a good idea, but major disagreements about exactly how to taper remain. There’s considerable debate about whether one should reduce training volume (mileage or time) while preserving training intensity (speed) during a tapering period, trim intensity while maintaining volume,... MORE
in Training structure and planning
Athletes spend a great deal more time on training than ,they do on competition, and – with the exception of the ‘weekend warriors’ who jump into local competitive events at the last minute – most athletes follow an organized plan in their quest for better performances. This plan may include long stretches of time without... MORE
in Training structure and planning
In order to be the best in whatever swimming discipline, competitive athletes and their coaches are constantly seeking new and effective methods to improve performance. Swim suit design, goggle design, shaving down and warming-up techniques are all currently used, but the most important element is the training itself and the factors affecting it, particularly in... MORE
in Training structure and planning
It’s strange, but true: if you gave a tired, achy athlete the option of either conducting a very intense workout or taking a nice, relaxing day off, most would choose the rugged training session over recovery. Even though most of us pay lip service to the principle of balancing work and rest during training, we... MORE
in Training structure and planning
Moderate starts, consistent pacing, and negative splits can carry you to new PBs On August 22, Daniel Komen set a new world record for the 5K with an incredible time of 12:39.74 (that’s a dizzying pace of 60.76 seconds per 400 metres – and 4:05 per mile). On the same day, Paul Tergat put up... MORE
in Training structure and planning
A question of distance, and how to work out your lactate threshold heart rate Continuing our occasional series, we answer questions from two PP subscribers. The first is Timothy Kirk of Worcester, who writes: ‘At the 400-metre track where I work out, we are not allowed to use the first lane – to prevent overuse... MORE
in Training structure and planning
Our veteran rower moves into the third stage of his record-breaking programme April 1996 saw a change in routine to a more Anaerobic Threshold (AT) set-up to let my body deal with Lactate Transportation (LT) more effectively. LT and L conversion to energy (glycogen) via the liver may be the most important thing for the... MORE
in Training structure and planning
Here’s the start of a month-by-month rowing programme which led to two world records In the August issue of PP we featured the remarkable story of Noel Frost, who starting from scratch at the age of 56 won a gold medal at the UK 2000m indoor rowing championships in November 1995. At the time he... MORE
in Training structure and planning
How to use biofeedback to improve your heart rate recovery times – and, ultimately, your performance. For all endurance athletes operating near or at their peak, the difference between the winners and the also-rans is in the mind. This article will discuss mental techniques that anyone can use to ensure they are more often in... MORE