Race prep
Twelve weeks to your first race: the plan we give every new member
By Lena Vos, head coach
Twelve weeks is enough to take someone from their first session to a finish line they are happy with. It is not enough to do everything, so the plan is mostly about what we leave out.
Weeks one to four: base
Three sessions a week, all at Foundation weights. The aim is not fitness, it is technique that holds up when you are tired. Nobody times anything.
Weeks five to eight: build
Loads go up, runs get longer, and we introduce the first compromised running blocks. This is where most people find out that their sled push is fine and their lunges are not.
Week nine: the one that matters
A full simulation at race weights. It is always humbling and it is always the session that changes how the last three weeks are written.
Weeks ten to twelve: sharpen
Volume comes down, intensity stays. We rehearse transitions, fix the two stations the simulation exposed, and taper into the week of the race.
Keep reading
More from the floor
Technique
Sled push: the three mistakes costing you a minute
Hip height, hand position and the first two metres. Fix these and the sled stops being your worst station.
Running
Compromised running, explained
Why you can run 5 km at 4:30 and still fall apart after the rower, and the sessions that fix it.
Technique
Row 1,000 m without wrecking your legs
Damper, stroke rate and the pacing we teach for a row that leaves something for the farmers carry.