Do you ever have a run looming on your training plan that causes a ton stress?
Worried about…
hitting hard efforts
what route to choose
how to fit it in with life
I see this a lot with newer endurance athletes around their interval workouts…
And what happens next?
training feels chaotic
excuses start mounting
consistency and execution tanks
I had an athlete in this exact spot recently.
And it made me realize that I overlooked sharing some secret aspects of interval run execution in how I was coaching this athlete.
I needed to level up as a coach by getting super specific…
Here are the quick ideas:
Athletes who stay consistent on intervals all do 2 things in common:
pick a run route that is long and open
do their intervals as one continuous set
Athletes who struggle with consistency also have 2 things in common:
picking run routes with lots of intersections, turnarounds, cul-de-sacs, etc.
stop their watch repeatedly for breaks during the interval set
This is all about mental management of training. It’s kind of like being in Fight or Flight mode.
The consistent athletes set up training so they can go run free [Flight]
The inconsistent athletes set up training so they’re living on High Alert [Fight]
To be consistent, make it easier on the mind.
Bonus: this athlete had an A+ Before & After in his run execution with these exact themes playing out.
Check out my full data review with him here:
