Also, while I’ve got a bit of a discussion going…
How would you guys advise my time was best spent during my warm weather training trip?
Last year we spent very little time actually on the track which worried me a bit, and I did notice a drop in my speed between leaving and coming back, but then I did go on to make the biggest improvements in a single season since I start running. So I can’t dismiss it completely, but just so you know what I was up to, here’s my training diary from last years trip…
Portugal 2012 Training Diary (3rd-17th April)
Wednesday 4th
08:00
· 5km in 31mins (2.5km over undulating clifftops, 2.5km on beach)
13:00
· 1km jog
Warm up drills:
· High knees, heel flicks, lunges etc.
· Squats with partner on back (5 squats, 5 steps, 5 squats etc. for 25m)
· Laying on back, holding feet 6" off ground, raising to 90*, repeat.
· 10 press ups, hold at top, 10 press ups, hold at top, 10 press ups
· 5 Sets: 150m @ 80%, 1 min rest, 150m @80%, 3 min rest
· 1km jog
Thursday 5th
07:30
· 1.5km jog along clifftops
Stair exercises:
· Run whole set (92 steps), 1 foot each step
· 2 footed jump, 2 feet each step
· 1 footed hop, 1 step - 6 flights on each foot (alternating)
· Timed stair run, 1 foot 1 step (19.6)
· Med ball exercises: Overhear throws, side throws, chest passes etc.
· 1.5km job back along beach
14:00
· 5 minute jog to cross country track
· 11min run on cross country track (lap = 2km)
Warm up drills:
· High knees, crossovers, high skips, low skips etc.
· 30m strides to 60%
· 60m strides to 75%
· 7 Sets Interval runs: 30s @ 80%, 1 min jog etc.
· 5 minute jog back from cross country track
Friday 6th
08:00
· 2km jog along clifftops
Stair exercises:
· Run whole set (92 steps), 1 foot each step
· 2 footed jump, 2 feet each step
· 1 footed hop, 1 step - 6 flights on each foot (alternating)
· Timed stair run (1 foot, 1 step)
12:00
· Light warm up with sprint drills: High knees, lunges, dynamic stretching etc.
· Timed Runs @ 100%: 150, 120, 100, 80, 60, 30
Saturday 7th
15:00
Med ball session: (3 sets with core* between)
· 20 Seated overhead throws
· 20 Seated overhead throws (lay back version)
· 20 Seated side throws left (legs off ground)
· 20 Seated side throws right (legs off ground)
· 20 Chest passes (laying on front)
*Core:
· 30s Plank, front (with alternate leg raises for 10s each)
· 30s Plank, left
· 30s Plank, back
· 30s Plank, right
· Hold press up position 10s
· 10 press ups
· Hold half way position 10s
· 5 press ups
· Hold at bottom 10s, while moving torso front, back, left right
16:30
· 1 hour volleyball
Sunday 8th
08:00
Stair exercises:
· 2 footed slalom jump, 2 feet each step
· 1 footed hop, 1 step - 6 flights on each foot (alternating)
· Timed stair run (1 foot, 1 step)
Stability Drills:
· Front plank with alternate leg lifts
· Press ups, holding between sets etc.
14:00
Track Session:
· Light warm up with sprint drills: High knees, lunges, dynamic stretching etc.
· 3 x 50m strides @ 80%
· 3 x 100m @ 80%
Gym Session: (3 x 10 reps, increasing weight each set)
· Overhead
· Weighted squats
· Leg curl
· Overhead pull (to shoulders)
· Overhead pull (to chest)
· Tricep/forearm curls
· Bench press
Leg press:
· Both legs
· Single leg
· Single leg, on toes
15:00
· Light warm up with sprint drills: High knees, lunges, dynamic stretching etc.
· Timed runs @ 100%: 300 (37.15) & 150 (16.16)
Monday 9th
08:00
· 3km jog along beach then clifftops
Drills:
· High knee slalom
· Leg kick slalom
· Bounding over cones (increasing distance)
· High knees over cones
· 70% run up hill, then down
· High knee slalom with and without arms (alternating)
Static drills: (on stomach)
· Breast stroke
· Chopping
· Shoulder crunches
· Alternate leg v-sits (single leg)
· Ankle rotations while holding feet at 6"
16:00
Track Session:
· 1 lap warm up jog, light warm up with sprint drills: High knees, lunges, dynamic stretching etc.
· Press ups with forward/backward motion at bottom
· Reverse plank 1m
· 2 sets: sprint, jog, sprint etc. (125m total, 25m intervals)
· 2 laps: Jog 150m, sprint 50m, jog 150m etc.
100% Sprints:
· 80m x 3 (1st start laying on front)
· 60m x 3 (1st start looking back)
· 40m x 3 (1st run holding breath)
Gym Session: (2 x 10 reps, increasing weight each set)
· Leg press - both legs (then reduce to 5 reps, increase in weight - further 2 sets)
· Leg press - single leg
· Leg curl
· Overhead pull (to chest)
· Overhead pull (to shoulders)
· Incline situps (with 10kg weight on chest)
[b][u]
Tuesday 10th[/u][/b]
08:00
· 1.5km jog over clifftops
· Core/Stability exercises on beach
· Slow run up stairs, 1 foot 1 step
· Fast run up stairs, 1 foot 1 step
· 2 arm fence hops for 5m
· 1.5km job back on beach
· Interval Runs: (5 intervals of 25m, 125m total)
40% / 60%
50% / 70%
60% / 80%
40% / 90%
· 10 mins football
14:00
Gym Session:
· Step ups w/knee lift - 40kg x 10, 50kg x 10
· Squats - 50kg x 10, 70kg x 10
· Calf raises (fast) - 40kg for 20 seconds, 40kg for 20 seconds
· Front squat - 30kg x 10, 40kg x 10
· Deadlift - 70kg x 10, 90kg x 10
· Power Cleans - 50kg x 10, 60kg x 10
· Clean & Jerk - 50kg x 10, 60kg x 10
· Bench press - 40kg x 10, 50kg x 10
· Squats - 50kg x 10, 70kg x 10
· Bent over rows - 50kg x 10, 70kg x 10
· Deadlift - 50kg x 10, 70kg x 10
· 2 hours volleyball
Wednesday 11th - Rest Day
Thursday 12th
08:00
· Light stretches
· 3km jog over clufftops
· Light stretches
Stability/Core:
· Plank: Front, left, back right - 1 min each
· Plank with diagonal arm/leg raises - 30s each side
· Side plank with leg raises - 30s each side
Med ball:
· Kneeling overhead throws x 10 (on each knee)
· Seated side throws x 10 (each side)
· Chest passes x 30
· 1 min skipping
· 5 min resistance exercises with strap
· Small lap of clifftop - switching between 40% / 60%
· Bigger lap of clifftop - switching between 40% / 60%
12:00
Gym Session:
· Weighted lunges - 60kg x 10, 60kg x 10
· Step ups w/knee lift - 60kg x 10, 60kg x 10
· Calf raises (fast) - 40kg for 25s, 40kg for 25s
· Bent over rows - 60kg x 10, 60kg x 10
· Squats - 60kg x 10, 100kg x 10
· Deadlift - 100kg x 10, 120kg x 5
· Incline Bench press - 50kg x 10, 60kg x 5
Friday 13th
08:00
· 1.5km jog along clifftops
· Core/stability exercises on beach: Press ups, sit ups, alternate leg v-sits etc.
· 2 footed jumps up beach
· Alternate leg hopping up stairs - 6 flights each leg, changing each flight
· Timed run up stairs, 1 foot 1 step - 18.3
· 1.5km jog back on clifftops
14:30
Gym Session: 3 sets of 10 reps increasing weight each set
· Tricep curls
· Bicep curls
· Shoulder raises
· Butterfly pulls
· Tricep curls (free weights)
· Curling combo: (1/2 tricep curl, 1/2 bicep curl, full bicep curl) - 10 of each
1 set 25kg, 2 sets 30kg
· Front and back chest presses (10 each, alternating) - 30kg
Saturday 14th
14:30
Cross country track:
· 1 lap warm up (2km)
· Sprint drill: High knees, lunges, fast feet etc.
· 2 x 60m acceleration runs @ 60%
· Interval runs: 7 sets - 30s run, 80s rest (rest decreases 10s each set)
· 2 x 200m hill sprints
· 2 x 100m flat sprints
Sunday 15th
08:00
· 1km run on beach - continuous relay
· Run up stairs (3 steps)
· Timed run up strairs (3 steps)
· 1km jog back on beach
Drills on wooden walkway:
· Alternate foot hopping
· 2 footed hop
· High knees
· Bounding
Exercises on field:
· Russion step (long jump, high jump, long jump etc.)
· 25m sprints (start on hill)
· 5 x diagonal sprints* on football pitch
*Jog the short sides, sprints diagonally across pitch, jog the short side etc.
Monday 16th
11:00
Track Session:
· Light warm up with stretches
· Sprint drills: High knees, alternate leg hurdles etc.
· 5 x 30m starts
· 2 x 50m sprints
· 2 x 100m sprints
Gym Session:
· Seated rows - 35kg x 10, 45kg x 10, 55kg x 10
· Lat pulldowns/bicep pulldowns: 3 sets, 10 reps - 50kg, 55kg, 55kg
· Tricep dips/curls - 10 each (on machine): 30kg, 40kg, 50kg
· Crossovers - 20kg x 10, 25kg x 10
Monday 16th - Rest Day/Packing
