Training of Saif Saaeed Shaheen(Stephen Cherono) - 12:48 5k, 7:57 3k SC

Renato Canova wrote:

How I promised, because now I'm in Qatar for 3 days without any athlete to follow, I write the REAL training that Shaheen did from 15th of June. I want to explain that, for this season, we have 3 goals : a) to beat his WR of steeple b) to win 5000 and steeple in World Cup

c) to win steeple and 5000 in Asian Games in December.

Regarding the first goal, we are disappointed that the conditions around the event didn't allowed Shaheen in bettering his record. He was in the best shape of his life in Zurich, and it's frustrating to waste it without fault, after running in Athens on 3rd July the same time having 80% of the shape. The problem is that, at the moment, there is one athlete only (Paul Koech) able to push Shaheen, and of course this athlete cannot help him for trying a record. If we organize a race of 2000 steeple with all the best specialists, the winner is not able to finish with a time useful like passage for beating the WR. This is the reason because he has to look for flat events, going to steeple for winning titles only.

MONDAY, 12-06

a) 1 hr 10:00 progressive run (from 3:40 to 3:00, last 15:00) (21k)

b) 45:00 moderate + 15 times 80m sprint uphill (13k)

TUESDAY, 13/06

a) Track in Chepkoilel : 3 couples of 1200 + 400m (rec. among tests 1:45, among couples 4:00) in :

3:05.3 / 56.9 - 3:03.6 / 57.1 - 3:00.9 / 56.1 (9k)

b) 45:00 easy regeneration (12k)

WEDNESDAY, 14/06

a) 1 hr 15:00 with short variations of speed (22k)

b) 1 hr moderate (16k)

THURSDAY, 15/06

a) 1 hr 03:00 with last 6:00 max speed (18k)

b) 30:00 easy + 5 x 100m sprint uphill + 15:00 hard (12k)

FRIDAY, 16/06

a) 20:00 easy warm-up + Fartlek (5 times 6:00 fast, 1:30 recovery, 1:00 fast, 3:00 recovery - totally 54:30) (21k)

b) 45:00 moderate (12k)

SATURDAY, 17/06 (Rain)

a) 1 hr on the mud (15k)

b) 45:00 very slow (10k)

SUNDAY, 18/06 (Rain)

Rest

Total mileage of the week : 181 km (1 resting day)

MONDAY, 19/06

25 km in 1 hr 19:44 in Iten (2300m of altitude) at 3:11 of average

TUESDAY, 20/06

a) Track in Chepkoilel : 4 couples of 600m (first test slow, 1:00 recovery, second test fast), rec. 4:00, in :

1:35.9 / 1:25.3 - 1:33.9 / 1:23.2 - 1:35.3 / 1:23.8 - 1:34.0 / 1:24.4 (9k)

b) 40:00 slow (muddy) (10k)

WEDNESDAY, 21/06

a) 23,7 km very muddy in 1:21:40 (average 3:26, 5 km between 15,3 and 20,3 in 14:36)

b) 1 hr moderate + 15 x 80m sprint uphill (16,3k)

THURSDAY, 22/06

a) 25:00 warm-up + (track) 2 x 400m in 63.8 / 61.0 rec. 30.0 + 2 x 200 in 26.9 / 25.3 rec. 3:00. I stopped training because his legs were very heavy due to the mud of the previous day. After this, we went for 2 sets of 10 sprints of 60m climbing for recruiting the ability of rapidity, lost because heavy legs. (7k)

b) 45:00 moderate (12k)

FRIDAY, 23/06

a) 1 hr moderate (16k)

b) 1 hr with short variations of speed (17k)

SATURDAY, 24/06

25:00 warm-up + Fartlek : 4 sets of 4:00 + 3:00 + 2:00 fast, rec. 2:00 between 4:00 and 3:00, and 1:30 between 3:00 and 2:00, and 2:30 among sets (totally 57:30, 23k)

SUNDAY, 25/06

Rest

Total mileage of the week : 159 km (1 resting day)

MONDAY, 26/06

35 km in 1:51:36 in Iten (average 3:11 per km)

TUESDAY, 27/06

a) 1 hr 13:00 from moderate to fast (22k)

b) 37:00 moderate + 15 x 80m sprint uphill (11k)

WEDNESDAY, 28/06

a) Track in Chepkoilel : 2 x 1600, rec. 6:00, in 3:57.3 and 3:58.0 (note : this training was planned as 4 x 1600 in 4:06, I changed after seeing the first in 3:57)

b) 40:00 easy regeneration (9k)

THURSDAY, 29/06

1 hr 15:00 progressive run (22k)

In the afternoon, travel by car from Eldoret to Nairobi.

FRIDAY, 30/06

Travel Nairobi - Athens + 30:00 jogging (6k)

SATURDAY, 1/07

30:00 jogging in Athens (6k)

SUNDAY, 2/07

30:00 jogging (6k)

Total mileage of the week : 125 km

MONDAY, 3/07 : ATHENS SUPERGP : 3000 st. in 7:56.32

(splits for 400m : 61.5 - 2:06.3 (64.8) - 3:11.8 (65.5) - 4:15.2 (63.4) - 5:17.7 (62.5) - 6:21.8 (64.1) - 7:24.9 (63.1) + 31.4)

TUESDAY, 4/07 :

Travel to St. Moritz (37:00 jogging, 8k)

WEDNESDAY, 5/07 :

a) 1 hr 15:00 progressive run (21k)

b) 52:00 moderate + 18 x 80m sprint uphill (16k)

THURSDAY, 6/07 :

a) Track in St. Moritz : 7 x 600m increasing time and opening recovery : 1:33.3 (1:00) + 1:30.4 (2:00) + 1:29.1 (3:00) + 1:27.2 (4:00) + 1:24.0 (5:00) + 1:23.3 (6:00) + 1:24.3 (cold weather)

b) 50:00 moderate (13k)

FRIDAY, 7/07 :

a) 1 hr 15:00 moderate (20k)

b) 20:00 easy + 30:00 fast (average 3:00 per km) (14k)

SATURDAY, 8/07 :

Track : 25:00 warm-up + 800 in 1:59.6 (rec. 3:30) + 1200 in 2:56.7 (4:30) + 1600 in 4:01.4 (8:20) + 800 in 1:58.7 (training stopped for stomach pain, due to cold temperature)

SUNDAY, 9/07

1 hr moderate (16k)

Total mileage of the week : 136 km (1 competition)

MONDAY, 10/07 :

Track in St. Moritz, nice day, 18 degrees :

2000m in 4:54.7 (rec. 10:00) + 2 x 600m (rec. 1:30) in 1:25.2 / 1:23.2 (rec. 8:00) + 3 x 400m (rec. 40.0) in 57.2 / 59.4 / 54.8

After this training we decided to go to Rome for running 5000m in Golden Gala.

TUESDAY, 11/07 :

a) 1 hr moderate (16k)

b) 50:00 moderate (14k)

WEDNESDAY, 12/07 :

Travel St. Moritz - Milan by car, Milan - Rome by plane.

In Rome, 33:00 jogging

THURSDAY, 13/07 :

a) 25:00 jogging

b) 31:00 with final progression (last km in 2:50)

FRIDAY, 14/07 : ROME (Golden League), 5000m : 2nd in 12:51.98

Splits : 29.4 (200) / 1:30.3 (600 - 60.9) / 2:31.3 (1000 - 61.0) / 3:33.7 (1400 - 62.4) / 4:34.8 (1800 - 61.1) / 5:05.3 (2000) / 5:35.1 ( 2200 - 60.3) / 6:36.6 (2600 - 61.5) / 7:36.8 (3000 - 60.2) / 8:43.2 (3400 - 66.4) / 9:52.0 (3800 - 68.8) / 10:24.8 (4000) / 10:56.4 (4200 - 64.4) / 11:58.6 (4600 - 62.2). Last lap in 53.38.

Last lap of Bekele and Shaheen, every 100m :

Bekele : 12.6 + 13.8 (26.4) + 13.7 (40.1) + 13.0 (53.1)

Shaheen : 14.0 + 13.2 (27.2) + 13.4 (40.6) + 12.78 (53.38)

Shaheen made a big tactical mistake, remaining inside the group at the beginning of the last lap, prisoner in the first lane. Bekele increased suddenly his speed from behind, going in 3rd lane with already 4 meters of gap on the finish line, with one lap to go. All the difference was in the first turn of last lap. My personal impression is that Shaheen was stronger, but wasted his chances using 150m before being free to follow Bekele and Songok. Last 300m in 40.5 for Bekele, in 39.38 for Shaheen.

SATURDAY, 15/07 :

Travel Rome - Milan - Amsterdam - Nairobi. Rest

SUNDAY, 16/07 :

In Nairobi : 1 hr moderate

In the afternoon : Travel to Iten

MONDAY, 17/07 :

a) 1 hr progressive run (18k)

b) 1 hr with short variations of speed (18k)

TUESDAY, 18/07 :

a) 1 hr 20:00 (40:00 moderate + 20:00 hard + 20:00 moderate) (24k)

b) 30:00 easy + 10 x 1:30 hard climbing (rec. 3:00) (11k)

WEDNESDAY, 19/07 :

a) 20:00 warm-up + fartlek (8:00 + 2 x 6:00 + 3 x 5:00 + 4 x 3:00 + 5 x 2:00, rec. 2:00 easy, totally 1 hr 25:00) (4 + 26k)

b) 1 hr moderate (16k)

THURSDAY, 20/07 :

a) 45:00 moderate + 10 x 100m sprint climbing + 30:00 moderate + 3k continuous running uphill (23k)

b) 45:00 moderate (12k)

FRIDAY, 21/07 :

a) 40:00 easy + technique hurdles (11k)

b) 30:00 easy + 10 x 100m fast uphill (gradient 3-4 %) with 3 hurdles to pass, for improving the ability in pushing and strength endurance (8k)

SATURDAY, 22/07 :

a) 30:00 easy + 10 x 100m fast downhill (gradient 3-4 %) with 3 hurdles to pass, for improving eccentric strength

b) 40:00 easy + 9 km (track) alternating 1 km in 2:45 and 1 km in 3:03 (2:46 / 3:02 / 2:45 / 3:06 / 2:45 / 3:03 / 2:48 / 3:01 / 2:41) in 26:06

SUNDAY, 23/07 : 198 km (1 day resting)

MONDAY, 24/07 :

39 km in 2 hr 07:22 in Eldoret - Kaptagat (average 3:16 per km.

TUESDAY, 25/07 :

a) 1 hr moderate (16k)

b) 45:00 moderate + 2 sets of 10 x 80m sprint uphill (14k)

WEDNESDAY, 26/07 :

a) 25:00 warm-up + Fartlek (5 x 2:00 rec. 1:30 + 10 x 1:00 rec. 1:00 + 15 x 30.0 rec. 30.0) (total time 52:30) (5 + 17k)

b) 45:00 moderate (13k)

THURSDAY, 27/07 :

a) 1 hr 20:00 with last 20:00 under 3:00 per km (23k)

b) 40:00 easy + technique of hurdles (10k)

FRIDAY, 28/07 :

a) 30:00 + (Track Kamarin) 10 x 600 in 1:33.0 rec. 1:00 (12k)

b) 30:00 + (Track Chepkoilel) 10 x 400 in 57.5 rec. 1:00 (10k)

SATURDAY, 29/07 :

a) 30:00 + (Track Kamarin) 2000 / 1600 / 1200 / 800 / 400 (rec. 3:00) in 5:18 / 4:10.6 / 3:06.8 / 2:00.6 / 55.2

(6 + 6k)

b) 30:00 + (Track Chepkoilel) 5 couples of 300m (rec. 1:00 among tests, 4:00 among couples) in 39.1 / 38.7 - 38.8 / 39.8 - 39.9 / 40.1 - 40.0 / 38.7 (6 + 3 k)

SUNDAY, 30/07 :

Rest

Total mileage of the week : 180 km (1 day resting)

MONDAY, 31/07 :

a) Travel from Iten to Nairobi for period on track

b) 1 hr 10:00 progressive run in Ngong (19k)

TUESDAY, 1/08 :

a) 25:00 warm-up + Track in Kasarani : Couples with rec. 1:30 among tests and 5:30 among couples, first test slow, second test fast :

400 in 57.2 / 600 in 1:21.3 -

800 in 2:02.5 / 1200 in 2:59.1 -

1200 in 3:07.2 / 800 in 1:52.4 -

800 in 2:03.0 / 400 in 50.7 (12k)

b) 45:00 moderate (12k)

WEDNESDAY, 2/08 :

a) 1 hr moderate (Ngong) (17k)

b) 50:00 progressive (Ngong) + 12 x 80m sprint climbing (15k)

THURSDAY, 3/08 :

a) 25:00 warm-up + (Track Kasarani) 3 x 1600m (rec. 5:00) in 3:59.9 - 4:02.7 - 4:01.4 (10k)

b) 30:00 warm-up + (Track YMCA) 2 sets of 5 x 300m (rec. 50.0 among tests, 5:00 among sets) in :

38.8 - 39.0 - 39.0 - 38.5 - 38.6

39.0 - 37.3 - 37.0 - 37.6 - 37.2 (10k)

FRIDAY, 4/08 :

a) 1 hr 10:00 moderate (Ngong) (18k)

b) 45:00 easy regeneration (10k)

SATURDAY, 5/08 :

30:00 easy run in Masai Area (Rain during all the night, mud everywhere) + 6:00 / 8:00 / 10:00 / 8:00 / 6:00 fast, rec. 3:00 jogging (total time : 50:00) (21k)

SUNDAY, 6/08 :

1 hr moderate (16k)

Total mileage in the week :

Rest

Total mileage in the week : 160 km

MONDAY, 7/08 :

a) 1 hr 15:00 moderate (Ngong) (20k)

b) 45:00 moderate + 13 x 90m sprint uphill (14k)

TUESDAY, 8/08 :

a) 25:00 warm-up + (Kasarani) 2 sets of (600 / 500 / 400 / 300m, rec. 1:30) rec. 4:30, in :

1:26.7 - 1:08.7 - 55.0 - 40.8

1:27.3 - 1:09.8 - 56.7 - 41.4 (9k)

b) 25:00 warm-up + (YMCA) 2 sets of 5 x 400m (rec. 50.0 among tests, 2:30 among sets) in :

58.1 - 58.5 - 57.0 - 58.3 - 57.8

57.6 - 58.3 - 57.0 - 57.7 - 52.5 (9k)

WEDNESDAY, 9/08 :

1 hr moderate (muddy) in Ngong (17k) - After 15:00 :

1 hr 08:00 moderate (muddy) (19k)

This training was not a technical choice. After the first hour, finishing running, the group realized that 2 athletes were lost in the forrest. So, the strongest runners (Shaheen, Bilal Salem, Robert Kipchumba, Paul Kosgei, Sultan Zaman) went running again, searching the lost guys. At the end, everybody had very heavy legs.

THURSDAY, 10/08 :

20:00 warm-up. After it, I preferred to give rest, because it was not possible to train with so painful and heavy legs. This was due to the fact that, running on mud, athletes must use not adapted muscles for balancing their action.

FRIDAY, 11/08 :

25:00 warm-up + Kasarani track :

4 couples of (1000m, rec. 2:00, 300m) rec. 4:30, in :

2:25.6 / 41.0 - 2:25.5 / 41.7 - 2:24.6 / 42.6 - 2:23.9 (rec. 1:20) / 40.3

SATURDAY, 12/08 :

a) 1 hr with short variations of speed (18k)

b) 45:00 progressive run (14k)

SUNDAY, 13/08 :

30:00 easy + 3 x 2:00 hard climbing rec. 4:00 + 5 x 1:00 hard climbing rec. 3:00 + 10 x 20.0 sprint climbing (11k)

MONDAY, 14/08 :

25:00 warm-up + (Kasarani) 4 sets of 3 x 400m, rec. 2:30 among sets, in :

61.8 - 62.2 - 60.1 (rec. 15.0)

55.9 - 57.5 - 58.4 (rec. 40.0)

55.4 - 54.8 - 55.0 (rec. 60.0)

54.7 - 53.0 - 52.2 (rec. 1:40) (10k)

TUESDAY, 15/08

Travel Nairobi - Zurich. In Zurich, 30:00 jogging

WEDNESDAY, 16/08 :

a) 37:00 moderate (10k)

b) 26:00 jogging

THURSDAY, 17/08 :

33:00 jogging

FRIDAY, 18/08 :

ZURICH Meeting, Golden League : 3000 st. in 7:56.54

The attempt for the World Record failed, because of a very bad pacing. The beginning was too fast, but Mateelong (other my athlete) during the fifth lap, ran in 66.0, rallenting Shaheen from a correct pace. After 2000m, Shaheen went for one lap in 62.2, but the difference of pace provoked a lack of relaxing technique. He became very tight and contract in his action, and at the end, when understood that was no more possible to beat his own record, didn't push because demoralized.

SATURDAY, 19/08 :

Travel to St. Moritz - Rest

SUNDAY, 20/08 :

1 hr 24:00 moderate (25 km)

MONDAY, 21/08 :

a) 30:00 warm-up + 12 x 400m rec. 1:00 in 56.6 - 57.4 - 57.2 - 56.9 - 57.5 - 57.7 - 56.8 - 57.6 - 58.1 - 56.9 - 57.7 - 55.2

b) 1 hr moderate (16k)

TUESDAY, 22/08 :

a) 45:00 easy + 15 x 80m sprint uphill + 1 lap of the lake (4,270 km) in 11:42 (average 2:44 per km)

b) 45:00 easy

WEDNESDAY, 23/08 :

a) Travel St. Moritz - Milan by car - Bruxelles by plane

b) 40:00 easy jogging

THURSDAY, 24/08 :

32:00 jogging

FRIDAY, 25/08 :

Bruxelles, Van Damme, Golden League : 3000 st in 8:04.32

It was a very bad day. We discovered only one day before the race, on Thursday, that the pacer, Hachlaf, had an injury. The same day of the competition we look for some athlete able to pace, but at the end Shaheen remained with Cesar Perez only. The Spanish guy, being the lonely pacer, felt too much pressure, and started in crazy way : 58.0 the first lap, 1:59 at 800m ! After this, he was no more able to run, and Shaheen had to overtake him after 900m, running alone, without any motivation, and paying a so crazy start.

The splits (of Shaheen) : 59.0 - 2:00.2 (61.2) - 2:32.8 (the official slit is not correct, the cell was on the finish line)- 3:06.7 (65.8) - 4:10.7 (64.0) - 5:17.8 (67.1) - 6:24.0 (66.2) - 7:31 (67.0) + 33.4 last 200m

SATURDAY, 26/08 :

Travel from Bruxelles to St. Moritz. There, 45:00 easy run

SUNDAY, 27/08 :

1 hr 30:00 from moderate to fast (28k)

MONDAY, 28/08 :

a) Track : 10 x 400m in 57.0 rec. 100m jogging in 45.0

b) 1 hr moderate run (16k)

TUESDAY, 29/08 :

a) 1 hr moderate + 12 x 80m sprint uphill (17k)

b) 45:00 moderate (12k)

WEDNESDAY, 30/08 :

a) Track : 2 sets of 5 x 500m (rec. 2:00 among tests, 5:00 among sets) in :

1:10.0 - 1:09.2 - 1:10.1 - 1:09.7 - 1:10.9

1:09.8 - 1:10.6 - 1:10.7 - 1:10.3 - 1:08.8

Note : During the morning there was the WADA for antidoping in St. Moritz, and we lost almost all the morning. The temperature was 3 degrees, with snow on the mountains. So, about noon we went by car to search a track at lower level, with a better temperature. After 120km, we found the track in Landquart (120km from St. Moritz), where it was possible to train with 13 degrees.

b) 45:00 easy jogging

THURSDAY, 31/08 :

a) 1 hr with short variations of speed (17k)

b) 40:00 easy + 2 sets of sprint uphill, rec. among sets 5:00. Distances : 150m + 130m + 110m + 90m + 70m + 50m

FRIDAY, 1/09 :

a) Travel to Berlin

b) 30:00 jogging

SATURDAY, 2/09 :

30:00 jogging

SUNDAY, 3/09 :

BERLIN, Golden League : 1500m (2nd in 3:33.51, PB)

Splits : 56.8 - 1:55.2 (58.4) - 2:52.3 (57.1) + 41.2.

Having his legs tired, because the 2 competitions of steeple and the cold temperature of the last days in St. Moritz, Shaheen was not able to stay in the competition from the beginning. He started very bad, almost the last, and had big problems in overtaking the other runners. He was no. 7 with one lap to go, no. 5 at 1200, and finished not bad, reducing the gap from Choge. I'm sure that he can run about 3:30 in a fast race and with fresh legs.

MONDAY, 4/09 :

Travel Berlin - St. Moritz. There, 57:00 moderate.

TUESDAY, 5/09 :

a) 1 hr 13:00 progressive run (21k)

b) 50:00 with short variations of speed

WEDNESDAY, 6/09 :

a) Track in St. Moritz : 2 sets of 5 x 600m (rec. 1:00 among tests, 5:00 among sets) in :

1:30.6 - 1:29.3 - 1:30.3 - 1:29.5 - 1:30.0

1:29.6 - 1:29.8 - 1:29.3 - 1:29.7 - 1:29.9

b) 45:00 easy run

THURSDAY, 7/09 :

a) 30:00 easy + 1 lap of the lake (4,270 km) in 11:47 (2:45 average) + 10 x 80m sprint uphill + 10:00 easy run + 1000m on track in 2:25.4 (for 200m : 32.2 + 31.6 (63.8) + 29.4 (1:33.2) + 27.7 (2:00.9) + 24.5

b) 30:00 jogging + stretching

FRIDAY, 8/09 :

28 km at 3:08 pace (1 hr 27:48)

SATURDAY, 9/09 :

a) Track : 3 x 1200m (rec. 3:00) in 3:03.6 - 3:04.1 - 3:03.8 - (rest 6:00) - 6 x 400 rec. 1:00 in 57.6 - 57.4 - 56.0 - 54.6 - 55.2 - 53.4

b) 30:00 jogging

SUNDAY, 10/09 :

1 hr moderate (17k)

MONDAY, 11/09 :

a) 40:00 easy + 2 sets of 12 x 120m sprint uphill (rec. among sets 5:00)

b) 1 hr with short variations of speed

TUESDAY, 12/09 :

Track : 5 x 300m (rec. 40.0) in 43.2 / 41.0 / 40.1 / 40.8 / 40.0 - (Rest 4:30) - 10 x 200m (rec. 100m jogging in 45.0) in 27.1 / 28.7 / 28.2 / 27.0 / 26.6 / 26.5 / 26.7 / 27.1 / 26.2 / 23.7

WEDNESDAY, 13/09 :

Travel to Athens. There : 35:00 easy jogging

THURSDAY, 14/09 :

Rest

FRIDAY, 15/09 :

25:00 jogging

SATURDAY, 16/09 : World Cup, 5000m (last 600m in 1:24.4, with one lap between 4400 and 4800 in 55.1)

SUNDAY, 17/09 : World Cup, 3000m steeple (last lap in 56.9).

During all the period, Shaheen always had the cures of our physiotherapist of Qatar, the Ukrain Oleksandr Ilyashenko. This situation is very important, and is the reason because we can maintain sometime very long and fast run, without too many problems. He uses massages almost every day, also if only once per week there is a deep massage.