Pivotal Info

Physiological Principles of Training

Overload: To apply stress, one must expose the biological system to a physical or energy demand beyond normal.

Progression: Advancement of skill level or the training load.

Variation: The use of a variety of techniques in teaching a skill or exposing an athlete to an overload.

Specificity: The tasks and skills practiced have a direct impact on the variable being taught and trained. Athletes must engage in the exact activity that they are going to compete in. Teaching and training must specifically match the desired outcome.

Recovery: The most often overlooked and least understood aspect of any teaching and training program. Recovery can be either active or passive.

a)    Active: Planning active recovery sessions allows the continuation of teaching and training process. Recovery can be accomplished by rotating high volume training with low volume training. For example, athletes may swim, bike or box instead of run, or use body weight instead of lifting weights.

b)    Passive: Passive recovery is simply the complete cessation of all activity to ensure the realization of complete recovery and adaptive changes.

Pivotal Running Racing Concepts

Decisive Point: a geographic place, specific key event, critical factor, or function that when acted upon, allows runners to gain a marked advantage over an opponent or contribute materially to achieving success.  Decisive points help runners select clear, conclusive, attainable objectives that directly contribute to achieving the end state.

Culmination Point: The point in time and space at which a runner no longer possesses the capability to continue the current form of running. Culmination represents a crucial shift in relative power output.

Simplicity: Increase the probability that plans and preparations will be executed with clear and concise actions.