This training tool is free. If you value it and would like to help keep it alive and free, please buy me a beer:
Buy me a beer.
Free OCR Training from Dr Thomas Solomon.
Once you have completed the fitness tests, you are ready to rock!
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The training plan above is structured around two macrocycles each with three mesocycles:
Macrocycle 1: Base-phase (Dec to Feb), Transition-phase (Mar and Apr), Race-phase (May and Jun).
Macrocycle 2: Base-phase (Jul), Transition-phase (Aug), Race-phase (Sept and Oct). November is a "rest phase".
Every training block within a mesocycle runs in 4-week cycles: "stress", "stress", "taper", "recovery".
This training tool is free. If you value it and would like to help keep it alive and free, please buy me a beer:
Buy me a beer.
Click to jump-down to:
A free, weekly-updated, structured, periodized, scientific, and educational exercise training plan to help obstacle course race (OCR) or Spartan race newbies or fun-runners improve their fitness and learn how to train smart.
Run. Hang. Carry. Repeat.
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 IMPORTANT: If you have never exercised before, this training may not appropriate for you. By voluntarily opting to complete the fitness tests and use the free sessions, you do so at your own risk and you are confirming that for the last 3-months you have engaged in at least 30-minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on at least 3-days per week, and that you are medically-cleared to participate in structured exercise. If there are any reasons that increasing your activity levels may impose a health risk (existing injury, illness, or cardiovascular, metabolic, or renal disease), you should consult your GP before joining this training. If you incur any illness or injury you must stop exercising and consult your GP immediately.
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FITNESS TESTS:
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Before joining the free weekly training for the first time, you must complete these fitness tests to ensure you are working at the correct intensities in order to maximise your fitness gains.
"Fitness test" weeks will recur during the training cycle for you to check whether you are improving and to re-calibrate your training intensities. If you are rejoining the training after a break (due to illness, injury, or apathy), please repeat the tests. Start with Run Warm-up (scroll to bottom of page), then: Race 3 km as fast as you can. Compare your finish time against the pacing table at the bottom of this page to see what your training paces should be. Finish with 5-mins of EASY running followed by Cool-down exercises (see bottom of page). Start with Grip Warm-up (scroll to bottom of page), then: Dead-hang on a pull-up bar with a closed-grip (thumbs wrapped), record time to failure. This time will be used in the grip training sessions. Finish with Cool-down exercises (scroll down). Start with Circuit Warm-up (scroll to bottom of page), then: Wide-arm pull-ups to failure, palms facing forwards, closed-grip (thumbs wrapped), chin-over-bar, no kipping. Study this video for correct pull-up form. Record the total number of unbroken reps you can complete. Finish with Cool-down exercise (see bottom of page). NOTE: if you cannot do a pull-up, start with these: Scapular pull-ups. Progressing to Self-assisted pull-ups. Progressing to Band-assisted pull-ups. Progressing to Machine-assisted pull-ups. It will take time but doing this, combined with the exercises prescribed in the circuit sessions will help build the strength you need to nail your pull-up. STICK AT IT!
NOTE: all Warm-up and Cool-down exercises are described in a section further down this page.
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Once you have completed the fitness tests, you are ready to rock!
Scroll down...
The training plan above is structured around two macrocycles each with three mesocycles:
Macrocycle 1: Base-phase (Dec to Feb), Transition-phase (Mar and Apr), Race-phase (May and Jun).
Macrocycle 2: Base-phase (Jul), Transition-phase (Aug), Race-phase (Sept and Oct). November is a "rest phase".
Every training block within a mesocycle runs in 4-week cycles: "stress", "stress", "taper", "recovery".
This training tool is free. If you value it and would like to help keep it alive and free, please buy me a beer:
Buy me a beer.
Click to jump-down to:
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RPE:
Rating of Perceived Exertion.
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Learn to set your training intensities according to your Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) out of 10, where 1 out of 10 is being sat down doing nothing and 10 out of 10 is maximal. Study the RPE scale below to learn what level of effort to give for the various training intensities.
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To maximise your long-term gains for endurance racing,
80% to 90% of your weekly running time should be spent in the "Easy" domain at RPE 2-4/10.
Increasing your weekly volume by increasing the number of Easy runs, will condition you to move faster during your harder runs.
Just 10% to 20% of your weekly running time should be spent in the "Hard" domain at or above RPE 6/10.
Any running or hiking that you add on top of the prescribed training MUST be in the "Easy domain" at RPE 2-4/10.
80% to 90% of your weekly running time should be spent in the "Easy" domain at RPE 2-4/10.
Increasing your weekly volume by increasing the number of Easy runs, will condition you to move faster during your harder runs.
Just 10% to 20% of your weekly running time should be spent in the "Hard" domain at or above RPE 6/10.
Any running or hiking that you add on top of the prescribed training MUST be in the "Easy domain" at RPE 2-4/10.
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RUNNING PACE CHART:
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When you have completed the 3 km Time Trial, find your finishing time in the first column of the chart, then read across the row to find out what your estimated running paces should be for your "Easy" and "Threshold" runs, when running on Flat terrain.
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Important: When running on hilly/mountainous terrain or doing uphill efforts, the estimated paces are useless and should not be used as targets. In such circumstances, ignore pace and use the RPE scale along with the Breathing and Talk test descriptions (see section above) to exert the correct level of effort.
⛰️ When going up steep inclines on an "Easy" run, it is very likely that you will have to lower your pace to a hike in order to keep the intensity low.
That is totally fine! Even Jon Albon and Lindsay Webster hike when the grade gets steep.⛰️
⛰️ When going up steep inclines on an "Easy" run, it is very likely that you will have to lower your pace to a hike in order to keep the intensity low.
That is totally fine! Even Jon Albon and Lindsay Webster hike when the grade gets steep.⛰️
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EASY runs build your "endurance" and should be run at RPE 2 to 4 / 10.
= totally comfortable, really slow jogging (or hiking on challenging terrain) that slightly increases your heart rate (HR) and breathing rate (BR). You could sustain this level of effort for several hours, without fatigue.
THRESHOLD sessions build your "Fatigue resistance" and should be run at RPE 6 to 8 / 10.
= a comfortably-hard effort that induces a highly-noticeable increase in HR and BR after a few minutes of running, where you are right on the edge of fatigue. This is the kind of pace you could sustain for 30-45-minutes but if you went any quicker, you would fatigue quickly.
S.H.I.T. sessions build your "Speed and power" and should be run at RPE 8 to 10 / 10.
= an uncomfortably hard effort that induces high HR and BR and possibly makes you hyperventilate towards the end of the interval.
There is no pace assigned to S.H.I.T. but it is the kind of effort you could only sustain for a few seconds to less than a minute. |
CIRCUIT EXERCISES
(clickable links to instructional videos)
Important: If you are new to using this training plan, spend the first couple of weeks simply studying the exercises below and practising proper technique (click links for videos). This will enable you to get stronger in a safe and healthy manner. Always "train smart to get fast and strong".
WARM-UPS and COOL-DOWNS
(clickable links to instructional videos)
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Runs
WARM-UP
-Activation exercises:
Complete 5-reps of each exercise at a low-intensity (RPE 2/10) using a full range of motion, and move on to the next exercise. Rocking frog. ¦ Alternating cossack squats. ¦ Walking knee hugs.. ¦ Walking ankle grabs. ¦ Walking squats. ¦ Walking lunges. ¦ Walking leg-swings. ¦ Lateral leg swings. -Progressive effort walk-jog-run on flat terrain: Start with 2-minutes Brisk walking with purpose, no harder than RPE 2/10. Then 2-minutes of Easy paced jogging, no harder than RPE 4/10. Then 2-minutes of running, progressing up to Threshold, no harder than RPE 8/10. -Dynamic drills: Complete 2 x (5-secs, 15-sec rest) of each exercise at a moderate- to vigorous-intensity (RPE 6-8/10). Butt-kicks. ¦ High-knees. ¦ High-knee bounds. -Strides: Run 8 x 15-second accelerations, with ~1-min rest between each. Accelerate to ~95% of maximal speed (not an all-out sprint). Focus on running tall, looking forwards, and being light on your feet with a fast foot turnover. Warm-up complete. You are ready to rock!
COOL-DOWN:
-Super Easy jogging or brisk walking.
-Static stretching, holding each position for 20-30-seconds and relaxing for 5-seconds. Seated lower-back stretch. ¦ Hip flexor stretch. ¦ Hamstring stretch. ¦ Quad stretch. ¦ Side-lunge adductor stretch. ¦ Calf stretch. Carry sessions
WARM-UP
-Activation exercises:
Complete 5-reps of each exercise at a low-intensity (RPE 2/10) using a full range of motion, and move on to the next exercise. Rocking frog. ¦ Alternating cossack squats. ¦ Walking knee hugs.. ¦ Walking ankle grabs. ¦ Walking squats. ¦ Walking lunges. ¦ Walking leg-swings. ¦ Lateral leg swings. ¦ Ball squeezes in hand (tennis ball / rubber ball). ¦ Finger extensions (in a rubber band or compression sock). ¦ Resistance band shoulder rotations. ¦ Resistance band pull-aparts. ¦ Windmill arm swings (both directions). ¦ Lateral cross-body arm swings. -Progressive effort walk-jog-run on flat terrain: Start with 2-minutes Brisk walking with purpose, no harder than RPE 2/10. Then 2-minutes of Easy paced jogging, no harder than RPE 4/10. Then 2-minutes of running, progressing up to Threshold, no harder than RPE 8/10. -Dynamic drills: Complete 2 x (5-secs, 15-sec rest) of each exercise at a moderate- to vigorous-intensity (RPE 6-8/10). Butt-kicks. High-knees. High-knee bounds. Push-ups or Incline Push-ups if cannot do push-up. Pull-ups or Self-assisted pull-ups if cannot do pull-ups. Mountain climbers. -Strides: Run 8 x 15-second accelerations, with ~1-min rest between each. Accelerate to ~95% of maximal speed (not an all-out sprint). Focus on running tall, looking forwards, and being light on your feet with a fast foot turnover, but not sprinting. Warm-up complete. You are ready to rock!
COOL-DOWN:
-Super Easy jogging or brisk walking.
-Static stretching, holding each position for 20-30-seconds and relaxing for 5-seconds. Seated lower-back stretch. ¦ Front deltoid stretch. ¦ Rear deltoid stretch. ¦ Brachioradialis stretch. ¦ Hip flexor stretch. ¦ Hamstring stretch. ¦ Quad stretch. ¦ Side-lunge adductor stretch. ¦ Calf stretch. |
Circuit sessions
WARM-UP
-Activation exercises:
Complete 10-reps of each exercise at a low-intensity (RPE 2/10), and move on to the next exercise. Rocking frog. ¦ Lying hip abduction. ¦ Lying hip adduction ¦ Lying hip internal rotation ¦ Lying hip external rotation ¦ Walking knee hugs.. ¦ Walking ankle grabs. ¦ Walking squats. ¦ Resistance band shoulder rotations. ¦ Resistance band pull-aparts. ¦ Scapular pull-ups. -Progressive effort walk-jog-run, or treadmill / x-trainer / elliptical / row-ergo: 2-mins Super Easy (RPE 2/10) 2-mins Easy (RPE 4/10) 2-min progression up to Threshold (RPE 8/10). NOTE: If you plan to do an Easy run on a Circuit day, integrate it into your Circuit session warm-up and cool-down. Warm-up complete. You are ready to rock!
COOL-DOWN:
-Super Easy jogging or brisk walking, outside or treadmill / x-trainer / elliptical / row-ergo. Whatever you choose, keep the intensity easy (RPE 2 to 4 / 10).
-Static stretching, holding each position for 20-30-seconds and relaxing for 5-seconds. Abdominal stretch. ¦ Chest stretch. ¦ Biceps stretch. ¦ Triceps stretch. ¦ Hamstring stretch. ¦ Quad stretch. ¦ Back stretch. ¦ Seated lower-back stretch. ¦ Lat stretch. ¦ Thoracic spine stretches. ¦ Front deltoid stretch. ¦ Side deltoid stretch. ¦ Rear deltoid stretch. Grip sessions
WARM-UP
-Activation exercises:
Complete 5-reps of each exercise at a low-intensity (RPE 2/10) using a full range of motion, and move on to the next exercise. Ball squeezes in hand (tennis ball / rubber ball). ¦ Finger extensions (in a rubber band or compression sock). ¦ Resistance band shoulder rotations. ¦ Resistance band pull-aparts. ¦ Windmill arm swings (both directions). -Dynamic drills: Complete up to 10-reps of each exercise at a moderate-intensity (RPE 4 to 6/10), have ~10-seconds rest, move on to next exercise. The number of reps you choose, should be easy and not take you anywhere near failure (i.e. at least 5-reps left in reserve). Scapular pull-ups. Push-ups or Incline Push-ups if cannot do push-up. Pull-ups or Self-assisted pull-ups if cannot do pull-ups. Warm-up complete. Your hulk-hands are ready! NOTE: look at these videos to see example of a Deadhang and a Towel deadhang.
COOL-DOWN:
-Static stretching, holding each position for 20-30-seconds and relaxing for 5-seconds.
Abdominal stretch. ¦ Seated lower-back stretch. ¦ Lat stretch. ¦ Front deltoid stretch. ¦ Side deltoid stretch. ¦ Rear deltoid stretch. ¦ Brachioradialis stretch. ¦ Wrist extensor stretch. ¦ Wrist flexor stretch. |