Athlete Progression
Highly personalised, holistic coaching for the high performing athlete wishing to take their running to the next level.
Have you been self-coached and are now looking for a fresh, experienced perspective on training and racing? For those who feel that they may have plateaued, or are perhaps not making full use of their talent or time, and now wish to do so.
Work with Sarah to set medium and long term goals and create a structured plan on how to best get there. Cover all aspects of performance, including nutrition, gait analysis, Runscribe, injury prevention, drills, running form and technique, personalised muscle strengthening and flexibility programme, mental aspects, recovery etc.
Prescription, monitoring and fine tuning of running programme via Training Peaks. No limit on contact and questions.
Sarah’s coaching influences
I’ve been coaching since the 1990’s, and as an athlete represented New Zealand in cross country, road, track and mountain running.
Running and coaching has been a lifelong process of learning, both from experience and making my own sense of various influences and advice from quality mentors. Experience training and racing in Europe, Asia, Kenya and the US contributes to my knowledge base. Twenty years of clinical experience as a physiotherapist also influences the reasoning behind your training, healthy progression and ongoing support.
Fartlek is Swedish for “speed play”
“A system of training for distance runners in which the terrain and pace are continually varied” In the 1930s Gösta Holmér, coach of the Swedish cross-country team, grew tired of his athletes being thrashed by Paavo Nurmi and the other Flying Finns. He devised a new training technique – “fartlek”. Fartlek through the forest or over farmland was one of my favourite sessions as an athlete. Hence the name – Speedplay Coaching.
Japanese Influence
In Japan, the marathon is like rugby in New Zealand. I raced four times in Japan, and absorbed as much as I could. Crazy, crazy work ethic.
Kenyan influence
I had read and read, everything I could over the years about the Kenyan runners, but in 2013 I went there. Living and training, carting my water, sucking up the red dust, and hanging on by my finger nails as the only “mzungo” in a pack of two hundred athletes in a group fartlek session, trying to learn as much as I possibly could. There is a Kenyan influence to Speedplay Coaching that you probably won’t find in a running magazine.
Physiotherapy Expertise
What is the key to getting fitter and faster? Consistent training. What is the biggest enemy to consistent training? Injuries. Speedplay athletes don’t just have running to do, they have injury prevention exercises also, and a physio to help make a plan at the first sign of a niggle.
Lydiardism
In the 1950’s an overweight milkman called Arthur Lydiard hammered himself around the Waitakeres and devised “Lydiardism”. In the ’90’s I was given the book “Running with Lydiard”. I used it to coach myself to my first NZ title- the NZ Junior Cross Country Champs. I was converted. All my schedules are based upon Lydiard principles – no matter what level you are at. That stuff works!
Racing experience
Variety. Experience racing overseas and what that entails, including the challenges of racing at altitude, racing in a World Championships, or how it feels to toe the start line with 40,000 other marathoners fidgeting behind you.
