Participants from 16 different countries gathered at the Pajulahti Olympic Training Centre in Finland for the Endurance Conference on 27-29 November.
The conference consisted of eight lectures, four practical demonstrations and a panel discussion throughout the three days.
The focus of the conference was endurance training and training methods in general ─ but from many different angles. One of these angles and conference’s main topics was endurance athlete’s strength training and different ways to do that in practise. Most of the speakers spoke about the importance of strength training but there was not just one simple way to do it.
Kaisa Lehtonen, the best Finnish triathlete, opened the conference on Friday afternoon. Lehtonen spoke about her training sessions alongside her coach Paul Sjöholm. Lehtonen succeeded in transmitting the joy she feels for triathlon to a public that most certainly understood with a hint of jealousy how she is living her own dream.
The duo Veikko Sinisalo and Veli-Pekka Valkonen discussed the value of having an effective coach and the importance of proper nutrition for athletes.
Sinisalo explained her role as a coach, and that further to being in charge of the athletes’ training programme, should be managing every single factor affecting performances. This would create an optimal training environment leading to maximised performances, partly inspired by the Marginal Gains philosophy of British cycling.
Saturday started with Lehtonen’s practical demonstration. She took participants through her daily routine of dynamic stretching, coordination activities and core strength work.
Jussi Lotvonen explained his switch from ice-hockey to triathlon. He also compared the training culture differences between team sports and individual endurance sports.
Iñigo Mujika was the first international lecturer to make an appearance. His sports science knowledge added to his coaching experience was a combination that the participants definitely valued. He summarised the scientific evidence on the referred topics and showed great examples of how he uses this knowledge to take triathletes and swimmers to the next level.
Young Finnish athletics star, Camilla Richardsson, who finished fourth in the 3000m steeplechase at the European Athletics U23 Championships last summer, and her coach Guy Storbacka gave lectures about Richardsson’s training routine. Their philosophy is that “to become a good runner you have to run a lot”. Storbacka uses stopwatches consistently and all their training sessions are time based.
Johan Voodg who coaches Jip Vastenburg, the current European under-23 champion over 10,000m gave presentation of Vastenburg’s training.
Voogd thinks that the biggest gains are to be found from training the aerobic system rather than the anaerobic one. Having a high weekly mileage is very important to him and he limits the trainings generating high lactate values due to the potential damages that may cost to the aerobic system.
Later on that day Voogd led participants through a series of running drills that are designed to practice excellent running technique, develop proprioception and develop an ability to change gear within a run or a race. Johan said: “every runner should always know the purpose of a session or activity and should not just follow the coach or leader aimlessly.”
On Sunday morning, the lead was taken by Jeronimo Bravo Rodriguez, who believes passionately that strength training should be specific to the event. He gave a presentation of the methods and philosophy that he applies to his sub 60-minute half marathon runners.
On the subject of strength work, he said that it is better to do resistance work that simulates situations requiring muscle endurance specific to half marathon running such as uphill work and proprioception exercises.
Overall feedback from participants was very positive and there will be more endurance and speed endurance conferences organised in Pajulahti.