Middle Distance

This is part one of a two-part lecture by the Canadian endurance expert on planning and periodization for the endurance events. Drawing from examples from his own training group, coach Gmitroski outlines his unique and holistic perspective on preparing training programs for endurance athletes.

This is the second part of a two-part series in planning and periodization. This edition focuses on general training factors important to success at the highest levels with a special focus on final phase preparation considerations for endurance athletes.

This presentation examines endurance physiology for middle distance athletes and the requisite strategies for training. It looks at all of the training elements required to produce a successful middle distance runner.

Part II of this presentation looks specifically at recovery and overtraining issues and their significance in a middle distance program.

In this practical weight room session Coach Gmitroski presents his ideas on strength training for the endurance athlete, giving many examples of exercises and periodization schemes for implementation.

In this lecture Coach Gmitroski provides his unique viewpoints on biomechanics and the importance of skill development for the endurance athlete, beginning with the premise that an athlete must be healthy in order to adapt.

In this on-track practical session Coach Gmitroski discusses the importance warm-up procedures for endurance athletes.

In this presentation from the 2011 Canadian National Endurance Conference, Margo Jennings discusses how she integrates both phyical and emotional training elements into the planning of her training programs.

In this fascinating interview, where Jennings outlines the “Maria Mutola Story” and how she became one of the greatest middle-distance runners of all time, she also goes into great detail regarding her long-term planning philosophy and how she breaks-up an athlete’s year into key phases and transitions including the specifics of how to bring an athlete to his or her peak. Also discussed is Jenning’s coaching style that involves a strong individual approach to athlete development. For any middle-distance coach looking to learn from one of our sport’s most successful coaches this is a must-listen-to interview from a coach who has certainly done it all.

The CACC’s Planning Project aims to provide coaches with a series of audio interviews and accompanying articles that describe the various elements of a proven training system for a particular event. This article accompanies the interview featuring coach Terrence Mahon.