A Scientific Approach to Training

Two of the topics I promised for this blog are running and science.  Today, you get a twofer as I will be talking about the overlap between them.  If you are a serious competition runner or coach, and you haven't heard of GO Athletics or their "System Based Training" method, please take a look at their webpages and see what you think:

https://goathleticsblog.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/goathleticssbt/info?tab=page_info

The idea here is that not all athletes are the same.  There is no one training schedule or workout program that will bring all athletes to their maximum abilities.  If you want to get the best races out of yourself or the athletes you coach, you have to find out what your (or their) body responds best to.  The best way to find this out is through physiological testing during a workout.  When an expert physiologist administers and analyzes the results of this test, she can find the strengths and weaknesses of each energy system for a particular athlete, and then tailor a workout, condition and nutrition program for that athlete, allowing him or her to reach their maximum potential as a runner and racer.

I wish this had been around in my competitive racing days.  Professor Alkahest is an old man in the running world at this point, but I am definitely recommending this for my younger and more active in the sport counterparts and am very tempted to give it a shot myself even at my advanced stage of decrepitness.

At this point, I think GO Athletics is only available to do testing in the Philadelphia area.  I am not sure if there are similar companies in other areas or if they plan to expand to other areas.  If you have worked with a program like this before or have any input or opinions, please feel free to express them in the comments section.