Training with McLatchie: 6

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Justin Chaston: Steeplechaser

The range of athletes that Jim McLatchie has worked with or brought all the way through to international honours is very wide – we have already seen some of his work with mile and marathon runners as well as with cross-country champions.   This section is on his work with steeplechasers.   By far the best man he worked with in this event was Justin Chaston (pb 8:23.90).   Chaston ran in three Olympic Games (1996, 2000 and 2004), World Championships (2004), Commonwealth Games (2004), Universiade (1995) and the World Cross in 1987.   A remarkable record by any standards.   The workoits that he did before the Olympics in 2004  are detailed  here   for you to see.   When I contacted him he reckoned that Jim had kept more detail on him than he had recorded himself!

This is what Jim has to say about training good class steeplechasers.

STEEPLECHASE PROGRAM 

Workouts described below are for steeplechasers with examples using 3K and 5K as the base for establishing workout times. 

8 Weeks Build-Up (September – October)

  1. 1 Hour easy run
  2. Hill work –     short hills plenty of reps with short rest

10 x short loop (150M with 2 hills) 30 sec rest/ jog 5 min/ repeat

Build up to 8 x 450M with 90 sec rest

  1. 1 hour easy
  2. Tempo Runs   e.g.: 2 mile easy/ 1 – 5k pace/ 1 – 10k + 20 sec/mile/ 1 – 10k pace/ 1 – 5k/

Cool down. Note any combination to equal 8 miles of continuous running.

  1. 1 Hour easy
  2. 45 min easy
  3. Long run start at 1 ¼ hours add 15 min every 2 weeks until 2 hours is reached

November – December

  1. 2 hours easy
  2. Track work – Long repeats: 2 x mile 30 sec rest between/ jog 5 min/ 4 x 800 30 sec rest

4 (mile 1 MR 200 quick) 3 min between sets

2 x 3000M 4MR          Try and do

3 x 2000M 3MR           at today’s

4 x 1500M 3 MR          5K pace

6 x 1000M 2 MR

  1. 1 hour easy with 2 x 5 min pick-ups during the run
  2. 10 mile Tempo run. Any combination of pace per mile to equal 10 miles

warm up/ 2 mile – 10k pace/ 1 mile 10k pace + 20 sec/ 1 mile – 5k pace

1 mile 10k pace + 20 sec/ 1 – 5k pace/ cool down

  1. 1 hour easy run
  2. 30 min easy if racing tomorrow else 45 min easy
  3. Race or Hill/grass work – long reps e.g. 3 x mile 3 min rest/ or 6 x 800 3 min rest/

or mile: 2 x 800: mile 3 min rest between

January – February

  1. 2 hours easy
  1. Track work – Variable repeats: 16 x 200 30 SR between/ Jog 5 min/ 800

                                                or            10 x 300  30 SR between/ jog 5 min/ 800

or              6 x 400 30 SR between/ jog 5 min/ 800

or              2 ml/ 2 MR/ 2 x mile 1MR/ 4 x 800 30 SR

or               3 x 1000 30SR/J 400/ 2 x 1000 30SR/ j 400/ 1000

  1. 1 hour easy with 3 x 4 min pick ups during the run
  2. 10 mile Tempo run. Any combination of pace per mile to equal 10 miles

warm up/ 2 mile – 10k pace/ 1 mile 10k pace + 20 sec/ 1 mile – 5k pace

1 mile 10k pace + 20 sec/ 1 – 5k pace/ cool down

  1. 1 hour easy run
  2. 30 min easy if racing tomorrow else 45 min easy
  3. Race or Hill/grass work over hurdles.     E.g.     1000M 3MR/ 2 x 500 90SR/ 1000M

Or 3 x 1000M 3 MR

Or 500M 90SR/1000M 3MR/1000 3MR/500

March – April

  1.  Two hours easy.
  2.  Track work – Long repeats: 4 x mile 2MR

                                                or        

          3000M/2 x 1000/ 2 x 600/ 3 MR between

or         2000/ 5MR/ 1000/ 3MR/ 500

or         4 x 800 2MR/ jog 5 min/ 4 x 800 1M

  1. 1 Hour easy with 4 x 3 min pick-ups during run
  2. Track work- short reps 200:400:600:400:200 3MR between

Or        10 x 200 200 jog between

Or        2x(4 x 400 2 MR) 5 min between sets

Or        4 x 400 rest = 3M/2M/1M/ jog 5 min/repeat

  1.  1 hour easy run
  2. 30 min easy if racing tomorrow else 45 min easy
  3.  Race or Hurdle work on track.  E.g.   Water jump drills

Hurdle drills

Flexibility

May – June

  1. 1 hours easy
  2. Track work – emphasis on pace:  2 x mile 8 MR over hurdles

or         1600/1200/800/400 3MR over water

or         6x 800 3MR change up: 2 @ 2.12:2.04/2.10 no hurdles

  1. 1 hour easy.
  2. Track work- variable reps 400:1200:400 4MR over hurdles no water

Or        1600:800:1600 4MR over hurdles every 2nd lap

Or        400/ 60SR/800/2MR/400? Jog 10M/ 400 fast. No hurdles

Or        1000/ 1MR/500 3MR/ 500/ 1MR/1000 over hurdles

  1. 1 hour easy run
  2. 30 min easy if racing tomorrow else 45 min easy
  3. Race or Hurdle work on track. E.g.   Water jump drills

Hurdle drills

Flexibility

10 Day – Pre Big Race

  1. 1 hour easy
  2. 1500M race
  3. 10 miles easy
  4. 1600:1200:800:400 3MR over water only (4.28/3.18/2.10/58)
  5. 1 hour easy run with a 5 min pick up in middle
  6. 400:1200:400 4MR over hurdles no water at race pace
  7. 1 hour easy
  8. 30 – 40 min easy with a few strides
  9. Heats – 3000M S/C
  10. Final – 3000M S/C