Author Archives: Alex Masidlover

Group Fartlek

Almost every post I read on Fartlek running starts with “Fartlek is Swedish for Speed Play”, so that’s where we’ll start. Fartlek is, normally, a set of variable length self-paced intervals with variable length self-paced rest, i.e., depending on how you feel you run quick for a bit, then slow for a bit and repeatContinue reading “Group Fartlek”

800’s With a Hard Start

It is well established that psychology plays a significant role in running performance[1] and this workout, whilst having VO2 Max enhancement benefits, is mainly aimed at making an athlete comfortable with being uncomfortable. In order to do that we place high demands on the bodies’ aerobic and lactic systems at the beginning of the intervalContinue reading “800’s With a Hard Start”

Group Variation on Paarlauf

Paarlauf is usually done in pairs where one runner runs ‘easy’ and the other runs ‘hard’ and when they meet they swap paces, it requires quite a specific shaped layout. This variation can be done on pretty much any course and with mixed size groups. The aim of this workout is to get some runningContinue reading “Group Variation on Paarlauf”

How to Run a sub-20 Minute 5 km

I have a theory that any man (for women the equivalent is probably 23 minutes) between 20 and 40 with no underlying health conditions can be trained to run a sub-20 minute 5 km, obviously if you have a lot of weight to lose or have never run before it will take a while, butContinue reading “How to Run a sub-20 Minute 5 km”

Jo Murray

Jo was part of a group of ten Gatley Runners who decide to run a marathon after the Covid lockdowns, they approached me the previous summer to work with them to get them through the marathon and took me on an incredible journey. It was only fairly late in the process that I decide IContinue reading “Jo Murray”

Four By 1200

The literature suggests that interval running has a small but measurable benefit over and above continuous intensity running when it comes to eliciting improvements in VO2 Max – not only that but continuous intensity running around a track would be utterly tedious. In order to build VO2 Max it seems there is little evidence thatContinue reading “Four By 1200”

Tabata-Style Workouts

In the late 1990’s Izumi Tabata et al. ran a series of experiments to see the effect of short duration high intensity intervals with very short rest periods; the results were dramatic and showed an extremely time efficient way to increase VO2 Max. The original protocol from the experiment was for athletes to do 7-8Continue reading “Tabata-Style Workouts”

It’s The Final Countdown…

To coin a phrase used by a number of my first time marathon athletes when this landed on their doormats a couple of days before their last long run; “Shit just got real”. In the last few weeks before your first marathon the reality of the situation can suddenly hit you; so I have aContinue reading “It’s The Final Countdown…”