Welcome to the Coach Corner!
We wanted to offer some expert advice to inspire, support and give you confidence that your workouts are going in the right direction. The focus for this hypothetical client is one that is probably very common to many of you. We start with setting the goal and background of the client.
Female, 45 years old, Group Exercise enthusiast. She has done the Couch to 5km during one of the last lockdowns but wanted to return to do more training so she could enter running a 5km race event.
We asked Matt Gleed an award-winning coach with over 20 years’ experience to share his thoughts on how to bring our client to the ‘Racing Start Line’ with thoughts on the running sessions, scheduling, intensity and some supporting exercises.
The focus of the program that Matt has put together comes from using past experience of the previous App based work to rest style workouts that have been successful in the past but with an increasing program of hills to increase the athletic potential of the client. Matt is a Master Trainer with Myzone so you will be able to monitor the Heart Rate of the client through the App and also TRX Training so look out for the Exercises he has chosen to support some conditioning work. Thinking of recovery for runners can be important and using aids like Massage devices for percussion therapy from Power Plate and Compression leg devices like the Normatec offering air pressure to help circulation are both methods that Matt uses himself while he trains for his marathons.
Week |
Focus |
Tuesday Session |
Thursday Session |
Weekend Session |
1 |
Speed |
Warm up 5mins3 x4min Run, 90sec Rest,2min Recovery,then Repeat againCool Down 5minsWork up to 89% MHR |
Warm up 5mins3 x4min Run, 90sec Rest,2min Recovery,then Repeat againCool Down 5minsWork up to 89% MHR |
30-40min Walkapprox 55-65% MHR |
2 |
Hills |
Warm up 5mins3 x Hill repeatsapprox 3mins up90sec RestCool Down 5mins Workup to 89% MHR |
Warm up 5mins3 x Hill repeatsapprox 3mins up90sec RestCool Down 5mins Workup to 89% MHR |
30-40min Walkapprox 55-65% MHR |
3 |
Speed |
Warm up 5mins4 x5min Run, 90sec Rest,2min Recovery,then Repeat againCool Down 5minsWork up to 89% MHR |
Warm up 5mins4 x5min Run, 90sec Rest,2min Recovery,then Repeat againCool Down 5minsWork up to 89% MHR |
Warm up 5mins15mins Steady Paced Slow Run 60-70% MHR |
4 |
HillsEasy Week |
Warm up 5mins3 x Hill repeatsapprox 3mins up90sec RestCool Down 5mins Workup to 89% MHR |
Warm up 5mins3 x Hill repeatsapprox 3mins up90sec RestCool Down 5mins Workup to 89% MHR |
Warm up 5mins15mins Steady Paced Slow Run 60-70% MHR |
5 |
Speed |
Warm up 5mins5 x5min Run, 90sec Rest,Cool Down 5minsWork up to 89% MHR |
Warm up 5mins5 x5min Run, 90sec Rest,Cool Down 5minsWork up to 89% MHR |
Warm up 5mins15mins Steady Paced Slow Run 60-70% MHR |
6 |
Hills |
Warm up 5mins5 x Hill repeatsapprox 3mins up90sec RestCool Down 5mins Workup to 89% MHR |
Warm up 5mins5 x Hill repeatsapprox 3mins up90sec RestCool Down 5mins Workup to 89% MHR |
Warm up 5mins15mins Steady Paced Slow Run 60-70% MHR |
7 |
Speed |
Warm up 5mins6 x5min Run, 90sec Rest,Cool Down 5minsWork up to 89% MHR |
Warm up 5mins6 x5min Run, 90sec Rest,Cool Down 5minsWork up to 89% MHR |
Warm up 5mins20mins Steady Paced Slow Run 60-70% MHR |
8 |
HillsEasy Week |
Warm up 5mins4 x Hill repeatsapprox 3mins up90sec RestCool Down 5mins Workup to 89% MHR |
Warm up 5mins4 x Hill repeatsapprox 3mins up90sec RestCool Down 5mins Workup to 89% MHR |
Warm up 5mins20mins Steady Paced Slow Run 60-70% MHR |
9 |
Speed |
Warm up 5mins5 x6min Run, 90sec Rest,Cool Down 5minsWork up to 89% MHR |
Warm up 5mins5 x6min Run, 90sec Rest,Cool Down 5minsWork up to 89% MHR |
Warm up 5mins25mins Steady Paced Slow Run 60-70% MHR |
10 |
Hills |
Warm up 5mins6 x Hill repeatsapprox 3mins up90sec RestCool Down 5mins Workup to 89% MHR |
Warm up 5mins6 x Hill repeatsapprox 3mins up90sec RestCool Down 5mins Workup to 89% MHR |
Warm up 5mins25mins Steady Paced Slow Run 60-70% MHR |
11 |
Speed |
Warm up 5mins4 x7min Run, 90sec Rest,Cool Down 5minsWork up to 89% MHR |
Warm up 5mins4 x7min Run, 90sec Rest,Cool Down 5minsWork up to 89% MHR |
Warm up 5mins30mins Steady Paced Slow Run 60-70% MHR |
12 |
Hills |
Warm up 5mins6 x Hill repeatsapprox 3mins up90sec RestCool Down 5mins Workup to 89% MHR |
Warm up 5mins30mins Steady Paced Slow Run 60-70% MHR |
Race Day |
Matt Gleed is a fitness professional representing several leading brands in the commercial fitness industry. With 20 years’ experience working directly with clients and 10 of those years teaching Personal Trainers, he has established himself as an experienced fitness professional who regularly contributes expert comment to newspapers, magazines and writes monthly columns in industry publications, with occasional national TV appearances. Winner of the UK Fitness Awards, Fitness Contributor of the Year in 2019.
Matt’s work in professional sports has led him to work within 4 Premier League Football Clubs, International athletes, Professional Triathletes, Tennis Players and a Formula One Motor Racing team.
How about signing up for our bi-weekly newsletter to see more of this kind of thing? Sign up here: https://fitprouk.lpages.co/newsletter-sign-up/
