Webinar: Run training for a monumental fall racing season with the Flanagan Sisters

Mar 28, 2020 • 3 min read

If you click the following link, you will be able to access the live chat as well: https://youtu.be/nDYt_4-vRuA

Why: Kaylee & Lindsay Flanagan will discuss how they are planning their training for a monumental fall racing season.

4:00: How Lindsay updated her racing plan post-Olympic Trials

Lindsay is cutting her training volume by 20 to 40% and is decreasing her long run frequency
She is focusing on more effort-based workouts like strides, hill runs, fartleks and less on runs driven by pace zones
A strong focus is being placed on completing a wide variety of workouts to keep training interesting
Kaylee is shoring up weak areas in her skillset and building up her fitness again after being injured over the Fall
Trail running is acting as a fun escape from the seriousness and stress of constantly gearing up for big races

15:10: How Kaylee is leveraging this time to achieve more complete physical recovery

The pressure of constant racing made it difficult for Kaylee to make a complete mental and physical recovery. This extended layoff is allowing her to recover quicker as she rediscovers the passion and joy of running.
Lindsay is recommending her athletes do fewer harder workouts to ensure her athletes are really healthy before they gear up for the Fall racing season

18:10: The importance of continuing base phase training with added strength work

Lindsay is using this time to continue to build and strengthen her body but she will wait to complete race specific workouts closer to the Fall

20:15: What does base building mean to Kaylee & Lindsay?

Base building is about building the strength and foundation that will sustain high end performance in the Fall
Strength comes from tempo, fartleks, and runs over hilly terrain
Consistency is also key to establishing a sufficient base

24:30: Their thoughts on pool training

Aqua jogging can be useful when coming back from an injury and still gives you the opportunity to complete a hard workout
Lindsay is in the pool once a week, even when she is healthy

26:15: How to incorporate and balance hill & strength training

The easiest way to incorporate hills is to complete 8-10x 15 second hill sprints to build power and speed
Quick and explosive hills are a good addition to training right now
Another option is to incorporate hills into long run training

29:15: A practical way to extended your normal training block until the Fall

For March, Lindsay and her athletes immediately began a two week mini-recovery break with a lower volume of training
For April & May, they will focus on consistently maintaining volume and continuing to do strength workouts
For June, the marathon build up can start again. Long runs can start again and the volume can ramp up again.
This strategy can apply to both Half Marathon and Marathon training

32:30: How Kaylee & Lindsay are setting goals during this time period

We will see that a lot of runners will blow their expectations away during the Fall due to extended base building and pent-up excitement to race
Runners will be racing multiple marathons in a condensed period of time and some runners may discover that they are more capable than they thought

43:40: At-home strength training advice

All you need for at-home training is a yoga ball, resistance bands, and a heavy object
It is important to be creative when designing your at-home training
There are plenty of videos online, especially from running pros, that you can watch and learn from
The lack of access to a gym does not need to be a limiting factor
Three days of solid core work per week is a great schedule to aim for

54:20: The long term effect on the running world

Lots of people are outside and becoming active
We will see a surge of new runners as they have picked up the sport during this time period
Races will be sold out in the Fall because there will be a huge running boom

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