Coaching is not just about isolated training blocks; we must consider both an athlete’s background and where they are heading (in the long-term). These considerations may look very different if working with a young athlete with ambitions of professional running in adulthood, versus a middle-aged runner simply looking to get the most out of their training time who simply wants to enjoy their running. However, the general principles remain the same. We still need to consider their strengths and areas for improvement based on their background (the past), the most efficient way to use the time they have available for training (the present), and how to best set them up for their long-term goals (the future).
One of the first important considerations is an athlete’s chronological age versus their sporting age. Chronological age is what we’re all familiar with – it’s how long someone has been alive for. On the other hand, sporting age has a little more nuance – it’s how long an individual has been actively involved in a particular sport, and will reflect their level of experience, training, and skill development. Two runners may have the same chronological age, but if one started training and competing at a much younger age, then they will have a greater sporting age. This could mean they have had more time to develop their fitness, gain experience, and understand the nuances of training and racing compared to someone who started later in life. Of course, running is fundamental to most land-based sports, and endurance can be built in many other ways (swimming, cycling, cross-country skiing, etc), so we must also consider their sporting background outside of running. For example, someone who has only been running for a few years, but was cycling competitively for many years before that, may have a well developed cardiovascular system, and strong legs for running uphill. However, they may lack the coordination for fast downhill running, and be more susceptible to injury due to underdeveloped connective tissues and a lack of exposure to eccentric loading. Similarly, someone with a background in football may excel at short sprints and transfer their change-of-direction skills well to technical trails, but lack stamina when running for more than 90min.
These previous examples touch on the concept of ‘talent transfer’, where we consider how similar one sport is to another and how well a person from one sport will transfer over to the new one. This doesn’t just cover the physical aspects previously mentioned, but also, the mental side. Runners who have trained at a high level in another sport before may be very familiar with ‘how to train’ (i.e., the level of effort required, body-awareness, how to optimise recovery, etc) and ‘how to compete’ (i.e., tactics, focus, deal with the ups and downs, etc). If someone doesn’t have this background, then as their coach you may need to spend more time developing routines and mindset around both training and races.
Currently, most countries don’t have a clearly defined development pathway for junior athletes to become trail/ultramarathon runners. This may change if/when trail/ultramarathon running becomes an Olympic sport (and hence, national funding may increase). So, adults entering into the sport will come from diverse backgrounds, and when working with kids, we need to help them forge their own path.
Particularly when dealing with young runners, we must weigh up the pros and cons of sampling (i.e., playing a variety of sports), versus specialisation (i.e., focusing on just one sport). You may be familiar with the famous ‘10 000 hour rule’ or the concept of ‘deliberate practice’ introduced by Anders Ericsson in the 1990s. This theory emphasises that it is not just that quantity of practice that matters in developing expertise, but also the quality of practice. In a running context, this boils down to how we manipulate training volume, intensity, and specificity to develop an athlete.
Naively, early specialisation can seem like the obvious choice to develop the best runner. We’ve all heard the stories of athletes like the Ingebrigtsen brothers starting focused running training from an early age that ultimately led to world-class performances. However, specialising in running early can increase the risk of overuse injuries and psychological burnout, as the repetitive nature and high training volumes can lead to both physical and mental fatigue. It may also limit the development of diverse motor skills and physical capacities that can be gained from participating in various sports. This limitation can ultimately hinder an athlete’s overall potential and performance as a runner. The pressure to excel in running can also lead to increased stress, decreased enjoyment of running, and a higher likelihood of dropping out. Athletes who specialise early may also miss out on the social and psychological benefits of participating in multiple sports and activities (e.g., the social aspects and teamwork skills associated with team sports). Very few young runners will end up being professional runners, so consider them holistically and set them up for a life! As previously discussed, there are plenty of other sports that can develop a future runner’s cardiovascular system, musculoskeletal system, and coordination.
Once someone is committed fully to running, we still need to consider whether it is appropriate to focus solely on one type of event or a variety of running events (i.e., different surfaces, distances, and race formats). Because of the variety of trail and ultramarathon races on offer, very few runners will focus solely on a single race format. Mixing up race distances and terrain can be an effective way to motivate different training focuses – e.g., someone who typically races mountain ultras but finds they struggle to keep up on flatter sections of a course, could potentially benefit from a stint of training focused on a flat 10km several months before a big event.
While there may be runners with a singular big goal they are focused on (and they are ready to put other aspirations aside to make it happen), most will be interested in long-term growth and enjoyment. We should have those conversations with athletes about their long-term goals (i.e., several years or more away) to help decide what short-to-medium term goals (i.e., a few months to a few years), are appropriate. Typically, runners will start with shorter distances and gradually work their way up in distance as they get fitter, stronger, and more experienced (although some will jump straight to longer distances). For ultramarathon runners, there will usually be some rapid jumps up in distance (e.g., it’s quite common for runners to go from 50km straight to 100km, or from 100miles to 200miles), and as coaches we need to figure out where their skill gaps may be when making these jumps (e.g., handling sleep deprivation). There will always be some element of the unknown when an athlete goes up in distance, but we can still draw upon our experience to help address any common potential issues.
Key take-aways
- Don’t just consider the athletes current training block – think about their past and their future
- An athlete’s training and racing background will largely impact the training they need to do now and the types of races they will be suited to
- Young athletes can benefit from participating in a variety of sports
- Consider how a runner’s goals will progress over time