The Goal- Pro™ Running Training System

The Goal-Pro™ Running Training System is a goal-based progressive running training system developed by running coach and author, Rick Morris. This system is a highly efficient running training system based upon the fact that most runners today have limited time available for training.

Many runners of the past and still today train using a periodized schedule of high weekly training mileage with a lot of long slow distance running to build endurance. Later in their schedule these runners will add some moderate paced “cruise intervals” or medium distance runs to build stamina or speed endurance. This is followed by shorter, high intensity interval training to build up speed and sharpen for an upcoming race. This system has been very successful and still is.

There are several problems with this type of training system for most of today’s runners.

• The very high weekly mileage required by that system takes a lot of time. Most of today’s athletes have work and social responsibilities that cannot be ignored. There is simply not enough time for most runners to put in that much training time.
• Contrary to popular belief, most running injuries are repetitive motions injuries caused by high mileage, not by high intensity running as some believe. It is the constant stress of high mileage running and repetitive impacts that cause most injuries. Attempting to make large increases in training miles in a short amount of time compounds that problem.  While very high mileage can slightly improve running performance, the returns from high mileage become very small after about 60 to 75 miles per week. There are many top level athletes that benefit from higher mileage, but it important to realize that those types of athletes spent many years building up to that kind of mileage. Even then, these highly conditioned athletes must closely monitor their bodies for signs of over training or potential injuries. Most of them have full time coaches that help them maintain their health. For most runners, the high risks of injury, over training and burnout outweigh the small potential benefits of very high mileage training.
• The common training pyramid of starting with several weeks of a lot of long, slow running, followed by the inclusion of moderate paced cruise intervals and finally sharpening with speed work is a system that works well with seasonal runners. Examples of seasonal athletes are cross country runners who train to peak for a short running season and then stop running. They may participate in other sports for the remainder of the year. Then they begin their training cycle over again for the next cross country season. The standard training pyramid is a good one for that type of athlete because they lose much of their running fitness during the off season and the period of base building will help them regain their endurance. Here is the problem. Most runners today are year round runners. They run and/or race in every month of the year. A year round runner does not need to rebuild a base. A year round competitive runner is never far from their base. A year round runner only needs to tweak their training to meet their current running goals.

This is where the Goal-Pro™ Running Training System comes into play. This running training system does not reinvent the wheel. The workouts and ideas used in this system have been used by professional coaches for many years. What this system does in create new way to look and training. It provides a way to tailor these training methods, workouts and ideas to help you meet your specific running goal.

Your running goal is the backbone of this training system. Using this system you must always be training towards a goal. You goal can be very simple, such as maintaining your current fitness level, recovering from a hard period of training, losing weight, recovering from over-training problems, or learning to run. It can also be very specific and complex, such as running a marathon in 2 Hour and 40 Minutes or completing a 10K in 40 minutes. The training program evolves along with your goals. A very simple goal uses a very simple program. As you goal becomes more specific and difficult, your training program becomes more specific and intense. The program grows with you and changes to meet your needs.

The Goal-Pro Running Training System is progressive in nature. This system uses training programs that start out broad based and moderate in intensity, distance and recovery time. As you progress through a training program the workouts become more goal focused, with higher intensity, longer distances and reduced recovery time. At the end of your training program you will be in peak condition to run your goal race at your goal pace. After completing the program you would set a new goal and begin a new training program specifically for that goal. Instead of the typical training pyramid, the Goal-Pro Running Training System looks more like a training cone that starts with broad based workouts and gradually becomes more and more focused at the end point.

The overall training philosophy behind the Goal-Pro™ Running Training System is moderate mileage, goal specific workouts with a lot of goal pace running, the use of highly efficient compound running workouts, consistent hill training to build and maintain running strength, multi-pace year round training (easy runs, lactate threshold training, hill running, over speed VO2 max workouts, long runs), running specific strength training, plyometrics and planned periods of rest and recovery.