Welcome to the Bannister Training System
Now you have access to a cutting-edge training system that will help you achieve your running goals.
We are so happy to have you and are looking forward to seeing achieve your running goals, we are here to help you.
In this training manual, you will learn more about your training and some useful tips to help you make the most out of your training sessions. you can come back to this manual anytime you need a refreshment on the tips and advice you will find here.
And if you have any questions remember that we are only one email away. Write to us at diego@bannister.coach and a team member will be ready to help you.
CONSISTENCY, CONSISTENCY, CONSISTENCY
If there is one thing that I can stress above all else is the need to have consistency in the build up to your particular goal. Not to say that you cannot miss days or workouts or that you may get sick or otherwise, that will be covered below, but rather the hope that you develop a consistent approach in your mindset and commitment to the program.
It is all too easy to get excited the first few weeks or months and then begin to lose focus. The key is to find a sustainable balance, where the training fits into your overall work/life/family balance in a way that you can maintain the same level of consistency throughout the plan. There is no substitute for consistent training, the ability to continually build on the work done previously is vital to your overall success.
Large swings in motivation, missed weeks, etc. will perpetuate a cycle in which you are never really developing. Make the training a part of your routine don’t over commit and try and make it more than it needs to be. Simply come up with a game plan, a routine, a means by which you can sustain the necessary time and energy commitment needed to see real results.
Yes, this will require some sacrifices, but if done properly those should be manageable. Really what are you giving up or missing out on? Maybe a few nights of passing on that extra glass of wine or staying out a bit later than you probably should or dragging yourself out of bed to get that workout in before work or the kids get up?
Have you ever heard anyone say, “All the sacrifices weren’t worth it, I really wish I would haven’t have been so dedicated to this goal”? No, it will be worth the sacrifices regardless of the outcome. That being said, if done correctly you can find a nice balance and will develop a routine that suits your schedule, your temperament, and your unique emotional nuances. If you prefer to train in the morning and know that it won’t get done later in the day, train early. If you need training partners to get through those long runs or tough workouts, then make the call to a friend.
If a certain trail or loop mentally feels better for a particular easy day then do that run, don’t force yourself to do things that make it tougher on you. The training will be tough enough, the hope is to get through the workload with as little mental exertion as possible so come race day you still feel excited and ready to reach your goal.
MOBILITY ROUTINE
If there is one thing we strongly recommend to add to your daily routine is this 10 minutes mobility routine.
It will not only help you to become a better runner increasing your range of motion, which reduce the amount of work your muscles need to perform while running.
It will also help you in your every day life. Try it for 15 days and see the benefits for yourself.
WHY IS HEART RATE IMPORTANT
Monitoring your heart rate is the best way to truly discern how hard you are working at a particular effort level.
Whether for an easy day, speed workout or long run, your heart rate is the best indication of which system you are functioning within.
It’s also a great way to assess your fitness. As your fitness improves and your body is more efficient at delivering blood/oxygen to your muscles your heart rate will be lower and you will be able to run faster for a certain hear rate.
There are times when heart rate will show underlying issues such as chronic fatigue, illness or even pregnancy.
EVERYDAY HAS A PURPOSE
Recognize that each day in your training has a specific purpose. You may have the urge to run harder on particular days to try and sneak in a bit more hard work and gain fitness. Resist this urge, each day is part of the plan. There is a reason for easy days and the associated effort for those days, long run efforts, tempo run efforts etc.
Often runners will run too hard on certain days and in contrast not hard enough on others accordingly.
The premise and physiological components of a workout can be ruined by running it too hard. I know this sounds counter intuitive. The mindset that “if it hurts it help” doesn’t always apply. Running an easy day 20sec a mile faster than prescribed or 10beats per minute higher heart rate will have a trickledown effect.
Not that we are not going to train hard or that I am an advocate of running as easy as you can stand on easy days, but rather that each day is part of the plan.
WHAT IF I MISS A DAY OR GET SICK
Don’t treat the program as all or nothing. It is important to go into the training knowing that you will most likely have a hiccup or two. You very will might get sick or have to miss a workout for some reason or another. This is OK and part of any training program.
We created Bannister with the goal of adapting to this situations so you can continue to improve at the same time that it minimizes the risks of injuries.
The key is to not throw in the towel or fall victim to the all or nothing mentality. As mention above, everyday has a purpose and that consistency is the key. Recognize going in that you will have some issue arise and then when it comes you aren’t caught off guard.
Generally you should only have to miss 2-4 days with any illness or slight injury. Bannister will have you covered. If you miss more than a week the best approach is to start over with a new program.
If Injured seek advice from an athletic professional and build back up accordingly using the Build-Up program. There is nothing worst that trying to compensate the time missed and increasing your chances of injuries even worst.
HOW EASY SHOULD MY EASY DAYS BE
There are two common mindsets associated with easy day’s effort:
1) Running as slow as you want, thinking that it is just an easy day so does it really matter how slow you run.
2) Running too hard on easy days in hopes of getting another up tempo run in and advancing your fitness just a little bit more.
Both are incorrect.
Easy days are recovery days and need to be performed in zone 2. Some days will be faster than others, and that’s ok. As long as you respect your zones you are on the right track.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE LONG RUN
Primarily it builds more aerobic enzymes due to running longer periods of time and also there is the neuromuscular benefit of running for a long time.
This is not a full time profession for most runners so therefore there is a need to get as much out of each and every workout.
The long run is not intended to be a race specific training. The idea that “I am going to run 26 miles are a certain pace so I should at least be running that pace for 16,18, 20 miles in training” is false and not based on the science of training. If the long run is run at or close to marathon race effort then it becomes just that, a race effort. A gradual depletion takes place over the course of a training plan due to over exertion in the long run. Come race day, you simply will not have the glycogen reserves and muscular freshness necessary to reach your goal.
Training adaptation is gained throughout a plan and is a function of multiple months of various workouts, long runs and easy days all in concert with each other. The long run is only one piece of the program.
SHOULD I DRINK ON LONG RUNS
Yes, any run over 90 minutes requires fluid replacement during the run. In the summer months, even a one hour run may require some fluid intake. Science recommends to drink some kind of sports drink over water,
Drinking on long runs helps maintain a proper mineral/electrolyte balance in your system, aids in recovery, prevents glycogen depletion from lack of fuel, prevents perpetual dehydration, prevents cramping issues and other muscle related problems due to sustained dehydration.
It is very common to gradually get into a state of continual dehydration and not even know it. This comes from the lack of proper hydration throughout the day and pre exercise as well as during longer runs.
Along with the above it also helps to teach the body how to absorb and process fluids with limited blood flow to the stomach. This takes adaptation over time and the body gets more efficient and tolerating fluids and actually processing the fluid. Come race day this is vital.
STRIDES
From time to time Bannister will ask you to perform Strides.
A stride, also known as a pick-up or a strider, is an easy-to-perform running drill that improves your form and mechanics. Think of them as short accelerations during which you over-exaggerate your running form. They are quite flexible and can be plugged into your regimen after easy runs to work on form, used to warm up before speed workouts or races, or used as a speed workout for new runners.
Start the stride by running easy, focusing on a short, quick stride, and then gradually increase your speed by lengthening your stride. Keep your torso tall and relaxed. It should feel like a controlled fast pace rather than a sprint. When you reach three quarters into the runway distance, gradually decelerate by shortening your stride until you come to a walk. If you’re running by time, the total stride should be around 30 seconds (i.e. run easy for 10 seconds, increase stride length for 15 seconds, and decelerate for 5 seconds). Walk back to the starting point to recover and catch your breath and repeat the stride again.
