Renato Canova update on Caleb Nduki

It's great that you share your training plans with ordinary members of the running community Renato as it gives us an idea of what it takes for the elites to compete at the highest level.

I watched with great pleasure Zane Robertson getting the bronze medal in the 5k and wondered what your thoughts were about his race and progress. I imagine you see him and his brother training on a regular basis- have they ever come to you for training advice or are they totally self coached?

Renato, can you explain why caleb is more talented than Thomas Longosiwa? Thomas ran 12.49 and 7:30, so, do you think Caleb could do better un both 3000 and 5000?

I appreciate hearing about this kind of information. I wish there was more first-hand knowledge from elite coaches/athletes about the challenges and ups/downs of being a professional athlete besides just killer workouts and the coverage of the races that went well. I think knowing these things makes the sport so much more interesting for fans. It also helps coaches of younger athletes with all sorts of other things going on in their lives to see how the people at the highest level navigate the sport. I have certainly become more of a fan of Caleb now that I know some background about his training but also his situation as a professional.

Thank you Mr. Canova. You are this messageboard's greatest asset.

Thank you Coach Canova, I really appreciate that you took time to share all of this information with us. Not only the training info for Nduki, but also some perspective.

Thank you Mr. Canova. I really enjoy reading this stuff, even though I'm a sub-elite and will never be training as fast as your guys. It's very interesting!

prof...absolutely amazing and fantastic reading your posts!!...we learn something more everytime u speak...thanks again!!

Thanks again for posting, Renato.

Here is a brief question: When you prepare Caleb's training for the 3000m (WC indoors this year for example, or perhaps Continental Cup), do you still use the same preparation you would use for a 5000m since he will focus on that event in 2015/2016, or do you change training speeds to specifically prepare for 3000m? Because of course 90% of 5km pace is different than 90% of 3km pace, so are workouts different?

Coach, thanks so much for sharing this information. It's very helpful to see this kind of stuff.

My question is about the long run. I guess it's not surprising that Caleb's longest run in this heavy racing/training phase is 90 minutes, but I'm curious about the duration of his long runs during a base training phase. How long are his long runs during such a phase?

For Northern Star : I don't use microcycles in the classic way. I prepare training plans lasting 2 weeks, and update the next looking at the REAL effects of the present period. Using this system, I don't go to calculate the percentage of the speed basing everything on physiological tests, but I use a mathematic approach. So, if I see the athlete able running 7:35 at the moment, and one month later I want him running 7:30, I try to develop the specific speed endurance, using various distances between 90% and 110% of that speed (in this case, 15" every 100m, with my system of calculation 110% in 13"5, 105% is 14"25, 95% is 15"75 and 90% is 16"5), of course connected with the distances.

For example, at 110% I can use 200m (27") and 300m (40"5), at 105% 400m (60"), 500m (1'15"), 600m (1'30") and 800m (2'), at 95% 1000m (2'37"5), 1200m (3'09"), 1600m (4'12"), 2000m (5'15"), at 90% 3000m (8'15") and continuous run.

I gave an example of percentage, but in reality there is a easy decrease of speed, without jumps of 5% (for example, 1000m in 2'32" is about 98-99%, and we use frequently).

At the end, is the personal sensibility of coach and athlete which decide the real time.

Preparing 3000m and 5000m we use the same base as volume and intensity. The difference is only during the last specific period of 4 weeks, when we go for 3 (maximum) sessions of specific speed, and, if we look at 3000m,we use some less volume (for example, 6000m instead 8-10000m of tests on track) opening recovery and running faster.

About the long run in winter, Caleb never runs longer than 1:30:00, and also this is not frequent. However, he runs several times 1:15:00 / 1:20:00, using good speed (faster than 3:30 / km). Particularly, he uses "medium fast continuous runs" between 12 and 15 km at a pace of 3' / km or faster, runs some cross country of 12 km, and runs one 10000m on track in Kenya for controlling his endurance (this year was a "solo" in 28'28" in Nairobi on 10 May, with the second 35" behind).

With athletes as Caleb I don't need to have very long run at easy pace. He is very tall (188cm), and with long slow run becomes heavy in his action. Very long run with tall athletes, not able to use high frequencies in their strides, is Always a mistake, because provokes big problems under biomechanical point of view.

The goal is to create the capacity to run long and fast, may be once every month. Shaheen, for example, one week after winning Golden Gala in Rome (July 2005) in 7'56",

ran in Iten 37 km in 2:01:00, 5' faster than the Marathon runners of Kenya Team for WCh. But the long run of Shaheen, as the long run of Caleb, always was fast, under 3'20" > 3'10" per km (many times under 3').

This means nothing to do with the classic "Lydiard plan", if somebody thinks the situation is similar...

Coach, you said the easy runs were for recovery only. So could Caleb run the same times he runs now with only the quality runs and with much lesser volume?

Renato,

I see no mention of weights.

Caleb could greatly benefit with 2 or 3kg of extra propulsive muscle

Ben L Wrong wrote:Renato, can you explain why caleb is more talented than Thomas Longosiwa? Thomas ran 12.49 and 7:30, so, do you think Caleb could do better un both 3000 and 5000?

going on what canova has said in past few months, caleb's current lines of fit are possibly

49.0 / 1'45.0 ->

3’28.8

7’23.9

12’52.0

to

48.5 / 1'44.2 ->

3’27.7

7’22.3

12’50.3

the sky is the limit for him currently, especially over 1500/3k

Coach.

when we will see Ndiku again in competition now?to try a fast 5k as u told??

and...what ur opinion about 10k women yesterday where Florence Kiplagat was second??..

Thanks very much

Thanks again, Coach!

Coach Canova,

Different subject but this was mentioned on a couple of other threads and would be fun to know.

Was that you on the infield coaching your athletes in the Rudisha documentary "100 Seconds to Beat the World"?

Yes it was- he was telling his athletes to 'Be tranquil' and not race in practice.

The other man with him (not speaking) was Gabriella Nicole - The coach of Mary Keitany

Grateful Runner wrote:

Thank you Mr. Canova. You are this messageboard's greatest asset.

+++

Bad Wigins wrote:

At CW he revealed some antics, with his dyed hair and gestures and dancing. Kind of like a mix of Bolt, Kemboi and Dennis Rodman.

Can we expect more antics? His dance moves need a bit of work and he shouldn't imitate Blake's stupid beast thing. But the bodybuilder front-double pose was funny.

That dance was amazing. He was sort of doing the Smurf I think...