Hicham El Guerrouj's training for the 1997 season, by Marco Veledíaz


In April, 1994, I was in charge of the Mexican women's team that participated in the 2nd 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 Moroccan men's team. The team manager then was Said Aouita; among other things he told me was that they were going to win the race and he 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 1500m runner in history. I thought he was exaggerating a little. Two days later the Moroccan team beat Ethiopia (W. Bikila, F. Bayesa and H. Gebrsellasie included) and Kenya. El Guerrouj covered the 3rd stage (5000m) in 13:43. Later, during the track season he appeared on the world scene with a1500m mark of 3:33.6, 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 the international level as member of the Moroccan Junior team for the 1992 World Cross Country Champs finishing 14th, in Junior race and later he got 3rd 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 1500m 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 2000m in 5:10 with 2 min recovery

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

The distances of the repetitions have been standardized because his coach considers it 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 working the small ones as well, those that have major influence in the posture, in varied ways, 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

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.

Once a week he does up-hills 10 x 300m

Also, 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:

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

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

1500m -- 1st, 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
30 Aerobic endurance Strength work
31 Rest Race Pace
1 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 1600m - 1200m- 800m - 600m - 400m 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

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.
1st - 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 300m in 35-36 seconds with surges and help from a "rabbit."

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

From this moment the help from the "rabbit" becomes very important, because he is approaching to the competitive period. He likes these 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 1500m 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 1500m

1994 3:33.61

1995 3:31.16

1996 3:29.05

1997 3:28.91

1998 3:26.00

Other PR's

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 it 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 they have been in these places in the past.

Ifrane.

According to British distance athlete Jon Wild, who spent 3 weeks training there 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 is 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 Moroccan's sessions, but sometimes it just happened that we were there at the same time, mostly we had just finished......."

Marco Veledíaz, Mexico City, Mexico

References:

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

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

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


Marco Veledíaz, Mexico City, Mexico
Alternate E-mail


Marco is a national level middle and distance coach in Mexico. He has a B.S. in Physical Education (1984) and has attended coaching courses and seminars in Mexico, USA, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Spain (Level I and Level II from the USATF coaching certification system).

He is currently Technical Coordinator and distance coach of "Club Estrellas Colgate" which has over 90 young athletes between 12-20 years old. He has attended several international major meets in the USA, Canada, Japan, Bulgaria, and Greece with his athletes each season since 1984.

Marco gives coaching clinics at Mexican Universities and the Mexican Olympic Training Center.
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