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Welcome to the Coach Corner!

We wanted to offer some expert advice to inspire, support and give you confidence that your workouts are going in the right direction. The focus for this hypothetical client is one that is probably very common to many of you. We start with setting the goal and background of the client.

Female, 45 years old, Group Exercise enthusiast. She has done the Couch to 5km during one of the last lockdowns but wanted to return to do more training so she could enter running a 5km race event.

We asked Matt Gleed an award-winning coach with over 20 years’ experience to share his thoughts on how to bring our client to the ‘Racing Start Line’ with thoughts on the running sessions, scheduling, intensity and some supporting exercises.

The focus of the program that Matt has put together comes from using past experience of the previous App based work to rest style workouts that have been successful in the past but with an increasing program of hills to increase the athletic potential of the client. Matt is a Master Trainer with Myzone so you will be able to monitor the Heart Rate of the client through the App and also TRX Training so look out for the Exercises he has chosen to support some conditioning work. Thinking of recovery for runners can be important and using aids like Massage devices for percussion therapy from Power Plate and Compression leg devices like the Normatec offering air pressure to help circulation are both methods that Matt uses himself while he trains for his marathons.

Week
Focus
Tuesday Session
Thursday Session
Weekend Session
1
Speed
Warm up 5mins
3 x4min Run, 90sec Rest,
2min Recovery,
then Repeat again
Cool Down 5mins
Work up to 89% MHR
Warm up 5mins
3 x4min Run, 90sec Rest,
2min Recovery,
then Repeat again
Cool Down 5mins
Work up to 89% MHR
30-40min Walk
approx 55-65% MHR
2
Hills
Warm up 5mins
3 x Hill repeats
approx 3mins up
90sec Rest
Cool Down 5mins Work
up to 89% MHR
Warm up 5mins
3 x Hill repeats
approx 3mins up
90sec Rest
Cool Down 5mins Work
up to 89% MHR
30-40min Walk
approx 55-65% MHR
3
Speed
Warm up 5mins
4 x5min Run, 90sec Rest,
2min Recovery,
then Repeat again
Cool Down 5mins
Work up to 89% MHR
Warm up 5mins
4 x5min Run, 90sec Rest,
2min Recovery,
then Repeat again
Cool Down 5mins
Work up to 89% MHR
Warm up 5mins
15mins Steady Paced Slow Run 60-70% MHR
4
Hills
Easy Week
Warm up 5mins
3 x Hill repeats
approx 3mins up
90sec Rest
Cool Down 5mins Work
up to 89% MHR
Warm up 5mins
3 x Hill repeats
approx 3mins up
90sec Rest
Cool Down 5mins Work
up to 89% MHR
Warm up 5mins
15mins Steady Paced Slow Run 60-70% MHR
5
Speed
Warm up 5mins
5 x5min Run, 90sec Rest,
Cool Down 5mins
Work up to 89% MHR
Warm up 5mins
5 x5min Run, 90sec Rest,
Cool Down 5mins
Work up to 89% MHR
Warm up 5mins
15mins Steady Paced Slow Run 60-70% MHR
6
Hills
Warm up 5mins
5 x Hill repeats
approx 3mins up
90sec Rest
Cool Down 5mins Work
up to 89% MHR
Warm up 5mins
5 x Hill repeats
approx 3mins up
90sec Rest
Cool Down 5mins Work
up to 89% MHR
Warm up 5mins
15mins Steady Paced Slow Run 60-70% MHR
7
Speed
Warm up 5mins
6 x5min Run, 90sec Rest,
Cool Down 5mins
Work up to 89% MHR
Warm up 5mins
6 x5min Run, 90sec Rest,
Cool Down 5mins
Work up to 89% MHR
Warm up 5mins
20mins Steady Paced Slow Run 60-70% MHR
8
Hills
Easy Week
Warm up 5mins
4 x Hill repeats
approx 3mins up
90sec Rest
Cool Down 5mins Work
up to 89% MHR
Warm up 5mins
4 x Hill repeats
approx 3mins up
90sec Rest
Cool Down 5mins Work
up to 89% MHR
Warm up 5mins
20mins Steady Paced Slow Run 60-70% MHR
9
Speed
Warm up 5mins
5 x6min Run, 90sec Rest,
Cool Down 5mins
Work up to 89% MHR
Warm up 5mins
5 x6min Run, 90sec Rest,
Cool Down 5mins
Work up to 89% MHR
Warm up 5mins
25mins Steady Paced Slow Run 60-70% MHR
10
Hills
Warm up 5mins
6 x Hill repeats
approx 3mins up
90sec Rest
Cool Down 5mins Work
up to 89% MHR
Warm up 5mins
6 x Hill repeats
approx 3mins up
90sec Rest
Cool Down 5mins Work
up to 89% MHR
Warm up 5mins
25mins Steady Paced Slow Run 60-70% MHR
11
Speed
Warm up 5mins
4 x7min Run, 90sec Rest,
Cool Down 5mins
Work up to 89% MHR
Warm up 5mins
4 x7min Run, 90sec Rest,
Cool Down 5mins
Work up to 89% MHR
Warm up 5mins
30mins Steady Paced Slow Run 60-70% MHR
12
Hills
Warm up 5mins
6 x Hill repeats
approx 3mins up
90sec Rest
Cool Down 5mins Work
up to 89% MHR
Warm up 5mins
30mins Steady Paced Slow Run 60-70% MHR
Race Day

 

Matt Gleed Headshot

Matt Gleed is a fitness professional representing several leading brands in the commercial fitness industry. With 20 years’ experience working directly with clients and 10 of those years teaching Personal Trainers, he has established himself as an experienced fitness professional who regularly contributes expert comment to newspapers, magazines and writes monthly columns in industry publications, with occasional national TV appearances. Winner of the UK Fitness Awards, Fitness Contributor of the Year in 2019.

Matt’s work in professional sports has led him to work within 4 Premier League Football Clubs, International athletes, Professional Triathletes, Tennis Players and a Formula One Motor Racing team.

 

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