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

there is a predominant high level of quality

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

El Guerrouj can run one day between 3:00-3:10/km pace and sometimes at 2:50/km

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

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

the Forest

The "Lake."

The Park

The track

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 coachgroup. 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.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 3:24Concrete examples are presented next of El Guerrouj's different training cycles. It can be observed that he does NOT work large volumes, but. 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:He does four types of work:30-45 min of continuous running50-60 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 that4 x 2000m in 5:10 with 2 min recovery6 x 1000m in 2:30 with 2 min recoveryThe 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.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 barHalf-squat 4 x 16 reps with 30 kg barSquat 4 x 16 reps with 20 kg barHamstrings 4 x 16 repsQuadriceps 4 x 16 repsAbductors 4 x 16 repsLunges 4 x 20 reps with 25 kg barStep-up 1 x 20 reps with 30 kg bar with each legAbdominal 300-400 repsBack 300-400 repsOnce a week he does up-hills 10 x 300mAlso, horizontal jumps and vertical jumps over hurdles.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.This cycle started after the World Indoor Champs. During this stage high intensity parameters are added.30-45 min of continuous running at 2:50-3:00 or 3:10/km30 min of continuous running as recovery.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!200-300 Multi-jumps.Up-hill reps: 10 x 300m with jog back recovery.Up-hill reps: 5 x 150 mThe 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.30 min of continuous running at 3:00-3:10/km40 min of continuous running as recovery.Consists of 30 min easy running and 30 min of several general exercises. The aim is to get an active rest.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.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.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 1500m1994 3:33.611995 3:31.161996 3:29.051997 3:28.911998 3:26.00Other PR's800m 1:47.18 ('95) ; 1000m 2:16.85 ('95)Some notes about: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.According to British distance athlete, 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. 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."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.. 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.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, MexicoReferences: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, MexicoMarco 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.