Training

By Marco Veledíaz, Mexico City, Mexico

Hicham El Guerrouj training for the 1997 season.

On April 1994 I was in charge of the Mexican women's team that participated in the 2^nd IAAF/ World Road Relay Championships held at the beautiful town of Litochoro, Greece. Upon arrival at Tessaloniki airport we got on the same bus with the Morocco mens team, the team manager then was Said Aouita, among other things he told me was that they were going to win the race and talked a lot about a young skinny and shy athlete named Hicham El Guerrouj. He said that this young man was going to become the best 1500 runner in history. I thought he was exaggerating a little. Two days later the Moroccan team beat Ethiopia (W. Bikila, F. Bayesa and H. Gebresilasie included) and Kenya. El Guerrouj covered the 3^rd stage (5000m) in 13:43. Later, during the track season he appeared at world scene with a 1500 mark of 3:33.61 at 19 years of age.

Hicham el Guerrouj was born on September 14, 1974 (1.78m/58 kg) in Berkane, a city located at sea level. He began to practice athletics in 1990 and in 1991 was chosen to train at the National Institute of Athletics in Rabat, joining from the beginning to coach Abdelkader Kada group. He made his debut at international level as member of the Moroccan Junior team for the 1992 World Cross Country Champs finishing 14^th, in Junior race and later he got 3^rd in 5000m (13:46.79) at the IV World Junior Champs in Seoul 1992.Taking part in cross country races is normal within the Moroccan training system, Said Aouita followed that path during his early days. Hicham El Guerrouj s later successes are well documented and known.

Training.

His characteristics are of a very disciplined and dedicated athlete, not in the sense of going early to bed or "don't do this", he is very professional in his job and always is focused in his training. When it is time to compete he respects and takes into account the tactical instructions in which he gives his opinion also. He's strong-willed, ambitious, and believes he can run the 1500 m under 3:24 [Note: when this was said in 1997 N. Morceli still had the 1500m WR].

Concrete examples are presented next of El Guerrouj's different training cycles. It can be observed that he does NOT work large volumes, but there is a predominant high level of quality. Besides he does not work too much on the track during the year.

He started to train in middle October 1996, the training means are shown in the next table and the details are explained below:

First preparation cycle (from October 18 to November 7, 1996)

Day	Morning	Afternoon
18	Aerobic endurance	strength work
19	Aerobic endurance	Physical preparation
20	Aerobic endurance	Aerobic endurance
21	rest	strength work
22	Power	Aerobic endurance
23	Aerobic endurance	Physical preparation
24	Aerobic endurance	strength work
25	Rest	Aerobic endurance
26	Aerobic endurance	Power
27	Aerobic endurance	Aerobic endurance
28	Aerobic endurance	strength work
29	Rest	Rest
30	Aerobic endurance	Aerobic endurance
31	Aerobic endurance	Power
1	Aerobic endurance	strength work
2	Rest	Aerobic endurance
3	Aerobic endurance	Aerobic endurance
4	Aerobic endurance	strength work
5	Aerobic endurance	Aerobic endurance
6	Rest	Rest
7	Aerobic endurance	strength work

Aerobic endurance.

He does four types of work:

30-45 min of continuous running

50-60 min of continuous running.

For this type of work there are not precise conditions, he is not asked any specific pace, however. he is demanded that he runs at his maximum at that moment, this varies from one day to another and has nothing to do with the season. So, this means that El Guerrouj can run one day between 3:00-3:10/km pace and sometimes at 2:50/km.

4 x 2000 m in 5:10 with 2 min recovery

6 x 1000 m in 2:30 with 2 min recovery

The distances of the repetitions have been standardized because his coach considers important to set a "work rhythm" with high intensity (around 70% for him). For this reason, when El Guerrouj can not finish a certain training session, he repeats the workout the following day, instead of seeking a different solution.

Strength work.

He works on the main muscle groups, but the coach believes in work the small ones as well, those that have major influence in the posture, in a varied way, through the utilization of free weights and special gym apparatus. During this stage he has done the following exercises:

Half-squat 6 x 20 reps with 25 kg bar

Half-squat 4 x 16 reps with 30 kg bar

Squat 4 x 16 reps with 20 kg bar

In machines/apparatus:

Hamstrings 4 x 16 reps

Quadriceps 4 x 16 reps

Abductors 4 x 16 reps

Adductors 4 x 16 reps

Lunges 4 x 20 reps with 25 kg bar

Step-up 1 x 20 reps with 30 kg bar with each leg

Abdominal 300-400 reps

Back 300-400 reps

Power.

He does once a week up-hills 10 x 300 m

besides horizontal jumps and vertical jumps over hurdles.

Physical preparation.

This type of work includes general exercises, drills, stretching and back and abdominal exercises. The stretching exercises are always present in all training sessions during the warm-up and the end of session.

After this first cycle he competed in some indoor races, which resulted in 2 world records:

1500 m 3:31.18 WR indoor Stuttgart, Germany, February 2, 1997.

1Mile 3:48.45 WR indoor Gent, Belgium, February 12, 1997.

1500m..1^st_3:35.31 World Indoor Champs, Paris, March 8, 1997.

Second preparation cycle (March 30 to April 19, 1997)

This cycle started after the World Indoor Champs. During this stage high intensity parameters are added.

Day	Morning	Afternoon
March 30, 1997	Aerobic endurance	Strength work
31	Rest	Race Pace
April 1^st, 1997	Aerobic endurance	Aerobic endurance
2	Aerobic endurance	Power
3	Aerobic endurance	Race Pace
4	Aerobic endurance	Rest
5	Aerobic endurance	Power
6	Aerobic endurance	Race pace
7	Aerobic endurance	Aerobic endurance
8	Aerobic endurance	Power
9	Aerobic endurance	Aerobic endurance
10	Rest	Aerobic endurance
11	Aerobic endurance	Race pace
12	Aerobic endurance	Rest
13	Aerobic endurance	Strength work
14	Aerobic endurance	Aerobic endurance
15	Aerobic endurance	Aerobic endurance
16	Aerobic endurance	Power
17	Aerobic endurance	Rest
18	Aerobic endurance	Aerobic endurance
19	Aerobic endurance	Race pace

Aerobic endurance.

30-45 min of continuous running at 2:50-3:00 or 3:10/km

30 min of continuous running as recovery.

Race Pace

Fartlek: 6-5-4-3-2-min fast running.

Track session: 1 x 1600 - 1200 - 800 - 600 - 400 m with short recovery starting with 1 min going down to 30 seconds!

Power

200-300 Multi-jumps.

Up-hill reps: 10 x 300m with jog back recovery.

Up-hill reps: 5 x 150 m

(Extra comment: He works with plyometric training doing jumps over low hurdles and several types of multijumps over grass, "about 300" but that is not an exact figure, but the main work is done the gym for leg development, with half squats, quadriceps, isquios with machines, the abdominal and back exercises they do them almost everyday several reps with medicine balls.)

Strength work

The work is very similar to the previous cycle. The only difference is that the coach sets the total duration of the session:1h 30 min, but El Guerrouj chooses the exercises, using free weights and machines.

Third preparation cycle, May 11 - 31, 1997

Day	Morning	Afternoon
11	Aerobic endurance	Aerobic endurance
12	"warming-up"	speed work
13	Aerobic endurance	Aerobic endurance
14	"warming-up"	Race pace
15	Aerobic endurance	Aerobic endurance
16	"warming-up"	speed work
17	"warming-up"	Rest
18	"warming-up"	Race pace
19	Aerobic endurance	Aerobic endurance
20	"warming-up"	speed work
21	Aerobic endurance	Aerobic endurance
22	"warming-up"	Race pace
23	Aerobic endurance	Aerobic endurance
24	Rest	Rest
25	"warming-up"	speed work
26	Aerobic endurance	Aerobic endurance
27	"warming-up"	Aerobic endurance
28	Aerobic endurance	Race pace
29	Aerobic endurance	Aerobic endurance
30	"warming-up"	"warming-up"
31	Rest	Adrian Paulen M. 1^st_ 1500m 3:29.51

Aerobic endurance.

30 min of continuous running at 3:00-3:10/km

40 min of continuous running as recovery.

"Warming-up" (the original word is "échauffement").

Consists of 30 min easy running and 30 min of several general exercises. The aim is to get an active rest.

Race Pace

10 x 400m between 53-54 seconds with only 30 seconds recovery. He gets help from a "rabbit" the last 200 m in each repetition.

Speed work

10 x 300 m in 35-36 seconds with surges and help from a "rabbit".

6 x 500 m with surges and help from a "rabbit" the first 300 m in each repetition.

From this moment the help from the "rabbit" becomes very important, because he is approaching to the competitive period. He likes this type of sessions, they make him feel like in a race: with unexpected changes of pace, he improves his reaction every time that the "rabbit" accelerates.

Results 1997 season.

He had an almost unbeaten season with the Athens World title in 1500 m_3:35.83. Among his best results were the 3:28.91 in Zürich (August 13, 1997) and Brussels (August 22, 1997) 3:28.92.

Progression at 1500 m

1994 3:33.61

1995 3:31.16

1996 3:29.05

1997 3:28.91

1998 3:26.00

Another PR

800m 1:47.18 (95) ; 1000m 2 :16.85 (95)

Some notes about:

Altitude training.

He trains several times a year at Ifrane,1650m altitude, at least 3 weeks in each period, although his coach does not consider an indispensable way of training, he always seeks for quality no matter the altitude. They don't believe in going to higher altitudes like Font Romeu (1800m) and Mexico City (2240m) although have been in these places in the past.

Ifrane.

According to British distance athlete Jon Wild who spent 3 weeks training in 1998 "Ifrane is a holiday town for Moroccans. It is quite lively in the summer with festivals and fairs. A very small place of 1500 (without tourists) and seems to attract people from all over. Gabriella Zabo was there in 1998, Julius Achon (Uganda) and the Qatar national team have been training there as well. There are several training places like

The Forest. This is a huge area 5 min jog from the downtown through the streets and up a very steep hill into the trees. The paths are of light fine sand and not too soft or too hard but rocky in places. There are many loops to run one called the "Skah loop".

The "Lake". It is in fact an old dry lake bed it seems, across a larger grassy area one can find this flat bed with a path beaten around it a stones to mark the way, it's completely clear of trees and 2 km around it has stones to measure the distances, so repetitions can be run here.

The Park. This is an area near the downtown which has some dirt paths, they run a loop through the park up the road and into the park again.

The track is a little exposed out on a plain and caught the wind. They had to pay off the army guards to let them run there with no hassle. "They did not like us to be there when it was the Moroccans sessions, but sometimes it just happened that we were there at the same time, most we had just finished.......

by
Marco Veledíaz
Mexico City,Mexico
Contact author
Alternate Email

References:

Aouita, Said.(Morocco) Personal conversations (1994)

Daouda, Aziz. (Morocco).Lectures at National Coaching School, Caceres, Spain. October 31^st, November 1,2, 1997.

Wild, Jon., (UK). Letter via e-mail (April 29, 1999)

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Original article - Also includes Moroccan training
More information - Scroll down to "Comment by Marius" torwards the end
Another training article focusing on Moroccan training

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