Category: Training Methodology

The Art of Running Faster

The Art of Periodisation with Julian Goater

Julian Goater was a top British athlete winning a gold medal with the rest of the British team at the World Cross Country Championships in 1979. He has a 5,000m PB of 13:15.59 and a 10,000m PB of 27:34.58 (which to this day is a still in the Top 10 fastest UK times ever).
In more modern times Julian is now running a coaching company in the UK called Feel Good Factors for runners and cyclists. In his book he wrote with Don Melvin The Art of Running Faster Julian talks about his methodology of periodisation.

View More The Art of Periodisation with Julian Goater
Power to Perform

The Power of Periodisation With Jon Ackland

Jon Ackland was an early inspiration of mine. It was possibly him who first introduced me to the term Periodisation through articles in NZ Triathlon magazines in the early to mid 90’s. Then in the early 2000’s I attended a number of seminars he held about Ironman preparation and took on a lot of his philosophies from these seminars.

View More The Power of Periodisation With Jon Ackland

Dave Salo’s Complete Periodisation for Swimmers

Traditional periodisation has four phases (preparation, precompetition, competition and active rest phases). Swimming is different to other sports because it is held in a water environment which is governed by a different set of physical rules than land based sports. For this reason Dave Salo modifies how he periodises a season for his swimmers.

View More Dave Salo’s Complete Periodisation for Swimmers
80/20 Triathlon

Periodisation in an 80/20 Triathlon or Running World

Arguably Matt Fitzgerald’s most famous books about training derive their methodology from Dr Stephen Seiler’s research. 80/20 Running and 80/20 Triathlon are immensely popular books. This is a summary of the periodisation concepts from them.

View More Periodisation in an 80/20 Triathlon or Running World
The Runner's Edge

Matt Fitzgerald’s High Tech Periodisation for a Runner’s Edge

Matt Fitzgerald has written numerous books around enhancing performance for both runners and triathletes. In his The Runner’s Edge book that he wrote with Stephen McGregor he describes using TrainingPeak’s Performance Management Chart (PMC) to manage periodisation and also optimise performance.

View More Matt Fitzgerald’s High Tech Periodisation for a Runner’s Edge
Periodisation for Swimmers

Jill Sterkel’s Periodisation for Swimmers

This weeks instalment in my series of articles about periodisation looks at how swim coaches apply methodologies around periodisation principles. Jill Sterkel was the Woman’s Head Swimming and Diving Coach for the Texas Longhorn’s at the University of Texas at Austin for 16 years in the 90’s and 2000’s. She was also a gold medal winning Olympian in 1976 in Montreal and also achieved two bronze medals in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Jill Sterkel wrote the chapter on Long- and Short- Range Planning in The Swim Coaching Bible that is endorsed by the World Swimming Coaches Association.

View More Jill Sterkel’s Periodisation for Swimmers
Peter Coe

Martin & Coe’s Better Periodisation for Distance Runners

Peter Coe started out dissatisfied with the coaching advice Sebastian was receiving from his local club (this was based around the methodologies for Arthur Lydiard). Fluent in German, Coe senior translated the books of prominent German coach Woldemar Gerschler. Gerschler was a pioneer and proponent for Interval Training back in the 1930’s. His methodologies called on a pace “so fast that the pace required in competition would seem moderate and achievable”, and this is a key principle that Coe senior used to build the fitness of Sebastian Coe to win Olympic gold medals in the 1,500m in both Moscow and Los Angeles, combining that with silver medals in the 800m in the same Olympics.

View More Martin & Coe’s Better Periodisation for Distance Runners

Giving the Coach the Finger

I want my athletes to give me the finger, and often. Actually I look for it in about 80% of their workouts. And I encourage it. I’ve been describing it like this to myself for a few years. The idea of this article has also been floating around my head for just as long. I just haven’t verbalised it to anyone….so excuse me if this seems a bit of a weird context 😃

View More Giving the Coach the Finger
Periodisation

Joe Friel’s Bible for Periodisation

Joe Friel’s Bible for Periodisation
Joe Friel is an elite level triathlon and cycling coach who has literally written the bible on training for both sports. He has a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science and has coached Olympian’s and Ironman champions.

View More Joe Friel’s Bible for Periodisation
Daniels' Running Formula

Jack Daniels’ PhD, Formulaic Approach To Periodisation

Jack Daniels PhD, is an iconic American Running coach, whose successful series of books Daniels’ Running Formula now in its Fourth edition has become my bible when planning or periodising an athletes season. Jack Daniels competed and medalled at both the Melbourne and Rome Olympic Games in 1956 and 1960 respectively, as well as being named the World’s Best Coach by Runner’s World. The overriding philosophy of the Daniels’ Running Formula is establishing intensities using the V-Dot system, this article will brush over that with the focus being on how he periodises or structures a season plan into different phases.

View More Jack Daniels’ PhD, Formulaic Approach To Periodisation