SitAndKickAficionado wrote:
Kerr has talked quite a bit about his training on his podcast/others:
- 6 days a week with a rest day, always
- Never doubles (at least as of a few years ago)
- 2 hard workouts a week + a moderate long run
- 2 gym sessions a week (on workout days)
- Drills/strides once per week
- 60-70 mpw, winter closer to 70, race season closer to 60Training week:
M: Easy + drills/strides
T: Workout - tempo/intervals/fartlek/hills + gym
W: Off
R: Easy
F: Workout - track specific + gym
S: Easy
Su: Long run (15-16 mi)Few other important details I have picked up:
- Has started a 'strict' diet plan with a nutritionist (this is less common in running but normal in other pro sports)
- Sees a sports psychologist regularly, my impression is that he has nailed the inner confidence aspect of pro sports
- Afternoon naps are a regular part of his daily routineSome thoughts:
- From what I have read, his training is very similar to Bernard Lagat's back in the day when he was training for 1500/5k (aside from the gym work).
- Hats off to Coach Mackey: he has clearly come up with a system that works for Kerr. Many pro teams are hopping on the double T band wagon (off the top of my head: On Europe, Very Nice Track Club, Tinman, etc. have all incorporated double T). Mackey on the other hand has 'stuck to his guns,' with great success. Just goes to show that double T can work, but it is not the end all be all.
- People overestimate the amount of mileage required to succeed at distances from 800 to half-marathon. Of course, the adaptive response to mileage varies from person to person, but pros like Kerr, Lagat, Brazier, Knight, etc. demonstrate that high mileage is not necessary to run at a high level. Even Bowerman have drastically lowered their mileage since the Solinsky days of 120+ Jerry miles in the early 2010s.Finally, for training specifics: Henry Wynne, Kerr's training partner, posted all Brooks Beast workouts up until 2021-ish on Strava. Currently, Waleed Suliman is on Strava posting his training with the Beasts. Go take a look if you want workouts details.
That's about all I've got!
i really like this schedule. ive always thought we over obsess on doing drills and strides every day, which feels completely unnecessary to me.
its nice to just run out the door on an easy day, and you're done when you get back. though I definitely see a reason for more than 1 day of drills when you haven't mastered those skills and transferred them to your running.
And gym on workout days is smart. there are so many people who don't understand the logic of this.
