Story By Bjorn Jansen
At SpeedPro, we build performance through more than just hard work; it's built through the right work and done at the right time. Whether you're a sprinter gunning for a sharp 200m finish or a middle-distance athlete preparing to attack the final 150m of the 800m, the key to peaking when it matters lies in precise, progressive, and purposeful training.
1. Variation Matters For Performance: Not All Training Is Equal
Training variation is essential to long-term progress. Sticking to the same session types week in and week out may create short-term consistency, but it eventually leads to plateaus or injury. At SpeedPro, we believe in sequencing training with care, combining speed, endurance, power, recovery, and lactic work in the proper proportions, ensuring athletes don't just stay fit; they evolve, adapt, and sharpen over time.
Variation also helps develop versatility. A middle-distance runner who can produce explosive acceleration at a slow pace or a sprinter who can hold form through fatigue has a tactical edge. These qualities don't come from doing more but from training smarter.
2. One Size Doesn't Fit All: Tailored Training for Individuals
Every athlete is unique. Some need more lactic tolerance, others need to refine mechanics, and others need to build confidence through race-specific efforts. That's why we tailor training to the individual, ensuring sessions are appropriate not only for the event but also for each athlete's stage of development.
Whether refining pacing skills for the 800m or building top-end speed for the 100m, we focus the programming to suit the athlete's needs, not just the stopwatch.
3. Goal-Focused and Intentional
At SpeedPro, we work backwards from the athlete's goal. Championship season is the target; everything before that is preparation. By being deliberate in our build-up, we ensure athletes arrive at key races sharp, not shattered. We avoid distractions and resist the urge to chase short-term results at the expense of long-term outcomes.
Our training blocks build towards peak performance, so each phase has a clear focus, from strength development and speed exposure to competition readiness and tapering.
4. Cut the Junk Mileage: Why Less Can Be More
There's a common trap in athletics: chasing weekly mileage for the sake of numbers. But junk mileage, running without purpose or intensity, does little to improve performance and can increase fatigue and injury risk.
Instead, we value high-quality sessions that meet specific outcomes. Whether that's race-pace efforts, speed endurance, or acceleration work, every rep has a reason. We don't believe in grinding for the sake of it; we believe in getting better.
5. Speed and Lactic Training: The Engine Room of Performance
Speed is a skill that needs to be part of your training plan. Regardless of the event, sprint mechanics, ground contact, and stride efficiency play a role. But beyond speed, lactic tolerance training is crucial, especially for the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m, where athletes must sustain high output under fatigue.
At SpeedPro, we integrate both regularly. Sessions like flying sprints, split runs, and broken race efforts simulate being under pressure. They're tough, but they're where breakthroughs happen.
6. The Power of the Taper
Timing is everything. You can't be at your best all year and shouldn't try. That's why we taper before championship races, pulling back volume while keeping intensity high. The taper allows the athlete to absorb the work, sharpen up, and arrive at the start line feeling fresh, fast, and ready.
A well-timed taper is often the difference between a good performance and a breakthrough.
7. 50/50: The Athlete-Coach Partnership
Finally, at SpeedPro, we believe in shared ownership. Peak performance doesn't happen in isolationit's a 50/50 commitment between coach and athlete. We bring the structure, detail, and insight, while the athlete brings the effort, consistency, and trust in the process.
When that partnership works, the results speak for themselves.
Final Word
Peaking for championship races isn't about doing more; it's about doing what matters when it matters most. With purposeful, personal, and precisely timed training, athletes give themselves the best chance of turning potential into performance. We do that at SpeedPro, and we're just getting started.
