A Years Journey in Coaching Running

Here at the Barefoot Performance Academy we provide a journey in coaching.  Our Running Club came to real life with the new system we have devised.  This is the journey and story of the first year team, who we saw excel in a year through what we believe to be a very unique coaching system.

We provide a learning period for both the body to adapt and learn our techniques in 6 week courses.  These are spaced around the year to give the athlete time to evolve.  

The journey begins with the 1 day Running Technique workshop where we assess and coach you what running technique is.  The following Monday the 6 week Running technique foundation course kicks into play, delving first into injury, alignment changes and software (neural) changes. The course quickly intensifies and all abilities will benefit from the fine-tuning the course provides.

On completion of the 6 weeks then the coaching drops to one session a week and what you have learnt in the 6 weeks becomes your own homework that we periodise for each individual.   

None of the information you learn becomes obsolete.  

In the first 6-week course you come away with the best knowledge in the industry in: -

Sports Rehabilitation techniques and recovery session

Corrective and integrated injury prevention strength training session

Dynamic warm up and Specific running strength exercises

Running technique drills

In a performing athlete's fortnightly diary they all have to visit these sessions to keep on top of good running form.  

We keep it friendly and to the individual's needs.

The Running club is designed in mind with implementing the right volume and intensity that is backed by top rate running technique coaching. 

The new group started a little late in the season to apply our full program. 

Come the Spring series not all the runners reached marathon volume, which for the newcomers we are not to concerned about.  We are more concerned about skill and strength so no injury over shadows their performance and sheer enjoyment of running with good running form.  This gives them the hunger for more.  Training is an individual adaptation skill you have to learn, we keep a keen eye on this.

For accomplished athletes we would be expecting immediate results in hitting personal best.  For the enthusiast it is really out of the second year of training that times will be smashed if the athlete has kept good form, adaptation in tune (not over training) and therefore injury at bay. 

On completing their Marathons it was time to open them up to shorter faster challenges.  This exposed the group to the first phase 6 weeks Running Performance Course.  One of the joys of our job is to see our athletes just radiating all the input we as coaches put in.  However it gets better when they are amazed that what seemed to be huge gains made in the beginning they have felt again in the performance course.

Here is one of the guys on the second to last week in the 6 week Running Performance Course

 (Dragging tires isn't all what it seems to be.  We will be writing a blog soon about it)

Everyone is on it to get 1hr 30mins in the half marathon having never run a half marathon before.

I think the Olympic fever has caught us all; they have even got me geared up to run the Royal Parks half marathon.  I cannot wait!

A perfect run to the spring series would look like this.

Sept - 1 day Running Technique workshop

Sept – 6 week Running Technique Foundation Course (2 sessions a week)

Entry to the Barefoot Performance Academy Running Club (1 session a week)

Jan - 6 week Running Performance Course (Phase 1) (2 sessions a week + running club)

June - 6 week Running Performance Course (Phase 2) (2 sessions a week + running club)

To place your self in the best condition on the starting line of any race book your slot and join our journey in training this autumn.