1 Mile, 1200m, 800m, 400m, 200m, 100m

1 Mile, 1200m, 800m, 400m, 200m, 100m

Designed for XC runners

Intensity

  • XC Race Pace for 1 Mile, 1200m, 800m

  • Fast, Faster, Fastest for 400m, 200m, 100m, respectively

Recovery

  • 2 minutes walk after 1 Mile, 1200m, 800m

  • 3 minutes walk/jog after 400m, 200m, 100m

Exertion

  • 7/10

Periodization

  • Performance Period


Context & Details

In the Performance Period, from a physical preparation perspective, the “hay is in the barn.” Meaning, the tough workouts and heavy training loads are done. What matters in this period is getting ready for race day.

Today’s cutdown workout of 1 Mile, 1200m, 800m, 400m, 200m, 100m is a classic XC training session. I blinded copied this workout for years and applied it to my xc runners with little success because I didn’t understand what this workout was really trying to achieve.

Then I after talking to a couple of mentors, I finally figured it out.

When that happened, my runners got a lot more out of this session and better results on race day.

If you want better results by learning more Performance Period workouts for XC runners, Join the Running Scholar Program for only $29 to get unlimited access to courses on this topic plus real-world examples from 100+ training logs of elite runners.

This workout, when done in the Performance Period, is a Race Pieces Rehearsal session. It’s run to practice your team’s signature “racing style.”

A major mistake some XC coaches make is to train physiology only and not a racing strategy.

Better teams use practice to rehearse how they will race, along with energy system development. Frequent race rehearsal empowers XC runners with confidence and determination on race day. They have clarity on how to execute the task, what it will feel like, and have a process to focus on when things get difficult.

This is what good coaches mean when they say, “run your race.”

The 1 Mile rep of this session is run like the first mile of the big race. Most likely the first 400m - 600m will be a mad dash off the line, followed by “settling into” race pace rhythm.

After the 1M rep should be a walking 2’ recovery interval where athletes (and/or coaches) discuss and encourage fellow runners about nailing the “opening mile.” This positive talk builds confidence, reinforcement, interdependence, and buy-in.

The 1200m and 800m reps are run in the competitive style the team and coach have designed for the middle of the race. This could be surging, steady, gradual acceleration, or a mixture.

What’s important is athletes have a script and follow it. The coach needs to be very clear, “in the middle of the race, when it gets tough for everyone, we have a game plan to focus on executing. Other runners won’t last long because their thinking will be off-task, getting distracted by negative thoughts. We’ll stay on-task, accomplishing our race plan objectives.”

A word of caution: don’t tell runners to run a certain split as your race plan. That’s out of their control due to the externals like weather and course conditions. And usually leads to discouragement, and poor performance, once the pace starts to slip.

Instead, given them process-driven objectives, like run hard for 30”, charge the downhill, or imagine you are passing a runner with authority. This approach will more likely result in desired outcomes.

Perhaps the biggest mistake novice coaches make is to present a “master” race plan the night before a meet without any training background or rehearsal for runners to contextualize the plan. It may look amazing on paper, but in the fog of chaos that is race day, it will be quickly forgotten since it was never rehearsed in practice.

The best race plans are simple but rehearsed often.

Better XC teams are the ones who know their plan and execute it because they’ve practiced the pieces of it often.

Finally, the 400m, 200m, 100m, reps are practicing the long drive and final burst to the finish. In good XC racing, a runner starts to surge about 800m - 700m from the finish to “drive home” with a final burst 100m to 200m from the tape.

The 400m rehearses the long drive and the 200m and 100m the final burst.

Workouts in the Performance Period are meant to retain, not train or strain. Meaning, there should be little to no fatigue residuals which accompany training sessions. All the needed physical qualities should have been built and stabilized in prior periods. A workout like today’s design ensures the practice and retention of physical abilities needs to race well but without exhaustion of any kind.

When run with the intention discussed, this workout is fun and an X-factor in getting xc runners ready to ace their race.

Any questions?  Direct Message me on twitter.
Thx. | jm

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3 Good Books on XC / Race Readiness training

  1. Will it Make the Boat Go Faster? by Ben Hunt-Davis & Harriet Beveridge

  2. Run with the Best by Tony Benson & Irv Ray

  3. Marty Liquori's Guide for the Elite Runner by Marty Liquor & John L. Parker


Neurological Workouts, XC, Specific PeriodJonathan J. Marcus