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National and International Organisations Local Athletics Clubs Other Links University of Leeds Sports Links Australian Track and Field Coaches Faccioni Speed and Conditioning
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Training of the Mens
1500m World Record Holder
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Day |
Morning |
Afternoon |
18 |
Aerobic endurance |
strength work |
19 |
Aerobic endurance |
Physical preparation |
20 |
Aerobic endurance |
Aerobic endurance |
21 |
rest |
strength work |
22 |
Power |
Aerobic endurance |
23 |
Aerobic endurance |
Physical preparation |
24 |
Aerobic endurance |
strength work |
25 |
Rest |
Aerobic endurance |
26 |
Aerobic endurance |
Power |
27 |
Aerobic endurance |
Aerobic endurance |
28 |
Aerobic endurance |
strength work |
29 |
Rest |
Rest |
30 |
Aerobic endurance |
Aerobic endurance |
31 |
Aerobic endurance |
Power |
1 |
Aerobic endurance |
strength work |
2 |
Rest |
Aerobic endurance |
3 |
Aerobic endurance |
Aerobic endurance |
4 |
Aerobic endurance |
strength work |
5 |
Aerobic endurance |
Aerobic endurance |
6 |
Rest |
Rest |
7 |
Aerobic endurance |
strength work |
He does four types of work:
30-45 min of continuous running
50-60 min of continuous running.
For this type of work there are not precise conditions, he is not asked any specific pace, however. he is demanded that he runs at his maximum at that moment, this varies from one day to another and has nothing to do with the season. So, this means that El Guerrouj can run one day between 3:00-3:10/km pace and sometimes at 2:50/km.
4 x 2000 m in 5:10 with 2 min recovery
6 x 1000 m in 2:30 with 2 min recovery
The distances of the repetitions have been standardized because his coach considers important to set a "work rhythm" with high intensity (around 70% for him). For this reason, when El Guerrouj can not finish a certain training session, he repeats the workout the following day, instead of seeking a different solution.
He works on the main muscle groups, but the coach believes in work the small ones as well, those that have major influence in the posture, in a varied way, through the utilization of free weights and special gym apparatus. During this stage he has done the following exercises:
Half-squat 6 x 20 reps with 25 kg bar
Half-squat 4 x 16 reps with 30 kg bar
Squat 4 x 16 reps with 20 kg bar
In machines/apparatus:
Hamstrings 4 x 16 reps
Quadriceps 4 x 16 reps
Abductors 4 x 16 reps
Adductors 4 x 16 reps
Lunges 4 x 20 reps with 25 kg bar
Step-up 1 x 20 reps with 30 kg bar with each leg
Abdominal 300-400 reps
Back 300-400 reps
He does once a week up-hills 10 x 300 m
besides horizontal jumps and vertical jumps over hurdles.
This type of work includes general exercises, drills, stretching and back and abdominal exercises. The stretching exercises are always present in all training sessions during the warm-up and the end of session.
After this first cycle he competed in some indoor races, which resulted in 2 world records:
1500 m 3:31.18 WR indoor Stuttgart, Germany, February 2, 1997.
1Mile 3:48.45 WR indoor Gent, Belgium, February 12, 1997.
1500m..1st_3:35.31 World Indoor Champs, Paris, March 8, 1997.
This cycle started after the World Indoor Champs. During this stage high intensity parameters are added.
Day |
Morning |
Afternoon |
March 30, 1997 |
Aerobic endurance |
Strength work |
31 |
Rest |
Race Pace |
April 1st, 1997 |
Aerobic endurance |
Aerobic endurance |
2 |
Aerobic endurance |
Power |
3 |
Aerobic endurance |
Race Pace |
4 |
Aerobic endurance |
Rest |
5 |
Aerobic endurance |
Power |
6 |
Aerobic endurance |
Race pace |
7 |
Aerobic endurance |
Aerobic endurance |
8 |
Aerobic endurance |
Power |
9 |
Aerobic endurance |
Aerobic endurance |
10 |
Rest |
Aerobic endurance |
11 |
Aerobic endurance |
Race pace |
12 |
Aerobic endurance |
Rest |
13 |
Aerobic endurance |
Strength work |
14 |
Aerobic endurance |
Aerobic endurance |
15 |
Aerobic endurance |
Aerobic endurance |
16 |
Aerobic endurance |
Power |
17 |
Aerobic endurance |
Rest |
18 |
Aerobic endurance |
Aerobic endurance |
19 |
Aerobic endurance |
Race pace |
30-45 min of continuous running at 2:50-3:00 or 3:10/km
30 min of continuous running as recovery.
Fartlek: 6-5-4-3-2-min fast running.
Track session: 1 x 1600 - 1200 - 800 - 600 - 400 m with short recovery starting with 1 min going down to 30 seconds!
200-300 Multi-jumps.
Up-hill reps: 10 x 300m with jog back recovery.
Up-hill reps: 5 x 150 m
(Extra comment: He works with plyometric training doing jumps over low hurdles and several types of multijumps over grass, "about 300" but that is not an exact figure, but the main work is done the gym for leg development, with half squats, quadriceps, isquios with machines, the abdominal and back exercises they do them almost everyday several reps with medicine balls.)
The work is very similar to the previous cycle. The only difference is that the coach sets the total duration of the session:1h 30 min, but El Guerrouj chooses the exercises, using free weights and machines.
Day |
Morning |
Afternoon |
11 |
Aerobic endurance |
Aerobic endurance |
12 |
"warming-up" |
speed work |
13 |
Aerobic endurance |
Aerobic endurance |
14 |
"warming-up" |
Race pace |
15 |
Aerobic endurance |
Aerobic endurance |
16 |
"warming-up" |
speed work |
17 |
"warming-up" |
Rest |
18 |
"warming-up" |
Race pace |
19 |
Aerobic endurance |
Aerobic endurance |
20 |
"warming-up" |
speed work |
21 |
Aerobic endurance |
Aerobic endurance |
22 |
"warming-up" |
Race pace |
23 |
Aerobic endurance |
Aerobic endurance |
24 |
Rest |
Rest |
25 |
"warming-up" |
speed work |
26 |
Aerobic endurance |
Aerobic endurance |
27 |
"warming-up" |
Aerobic endurance |
28 |
Aerobic endurance |
Race pace |
29 |
Aerobic endurance |
Aerobic endurance |
30 |
"warming-up" |
"warming-up" |
31 |
Rest |
Adrian Paulen M. 1st_ 1500m 3:29.51 |
30 min of continuous running at 3:00-3:10/km
40 min of continuous running as recovery.
Consists of 30 min easy running and 30 min of several general exercises. The aim is to get an active rest.
10 x 400m between 53-54 seconds with only 30 seconds recovery. He gets help from a "rabbit" the last 200 m in each repetition.
10 x 300 m in 35-36 seconds with surges and help from a "rabbit".
6 x 500 m with surges and help from a "rabbit" the first 300 m in each repetition.
From this moment the help from the "rabbit" becomes very important, because he is approaching to the competitive period. He likes this type of sessions, they make him feel like in a race: with unexpected changes of pace, he improves his reaction every time that the "rabbit" accelerates.
He had an almost unbeaten season with the Athens World title in 1500 m_3:35.83. Among his best results were the 3:28.91 in Zürich (August 13, 1997) and Brussels (August 22, 1997) 3:28.92.
1994 3:33.61
1995 3:31.16
1996 3:29.05
1997 3:28.91
1998 3:26.00
800m 1:47.18 (95) ; 1000m 2 :16.85 (95)
He trains several times a year at Ifrane,1650m altitude, at least 3 weeks in each period, although his coach does not consider an indispensable way of training, he always seeks for quality no matter the altitude. They don't believe in going to higher altitudes like Font Romeu (1800m) and Mexico City (2240m) although have been in these places in the past.
According to British distance athlete Jon Wild who spent 3 weeks training in 1998 "Ifrane is a holiday town for Moroccans. It is quite lively in the summer with festivals and fairs. A very small place of 1500 (without tourists) and seems to attract people from all over. Gabriella Zabo was there in 1998, Julius Achon (Uganda) and the Qatar national team have been training there as well. There are several training places like
by
Marco Veledíaz
Mexico City,Mexico
Contact author
References:
Aouita, Said.(Morocco) Personal conversations (1994)
Daouda, Aziz. (Morocco).Lectures at National Coaching School, Caceres, Spain. October 31st, November 1,2, 1997.
Wild, Jon., (UK). Letter via e-mail (April 29, 1999)
Thursday July 17, 2003 07:06 PM -0400