These are the strategies that the British 5km, 10km and half-marathon record-holder has undertaken forward of the Nice North Run
Eilish McColgan is in full preparation forward of the autumn street working season.
After making her 26.2 mile debut in London again in April – she positioned eighth total in 2:24:25 – the 34-year-old is gearing as much as compete on the Nice North Run (September 7), earlier than she takes on the New York Metropolis Marathon two months later (November 2).
It is apparent McColgan is aware of what it takes to carry out on the highest degree. The Brit is the nationwide record-holder over 5000m, 10,000m, 5km, 10km, 10 miles and the half-marathon. She can be a triple European outside medallist and the present Commonwealth 10,000m champion.
McColgan, after working the London Marathon in April, has used the summer season as an abbreviated break, with the view of getting again into peak form for her subsequent set of street races.
Reflecting on her expertise within the British capital, she says: “Initially I used to be dissatisfied with my time as a result of I do know I can run a lot quicker however after talking with all the opposite elite athletes – I realised that just about everybody was down on their finest.
“Maybe it was the climate situations because it was a lot hotter than all of us anticipated. I undoubtedly wasn’t ready for it to be as heat because it was and ended up cramping very early into the race which made for a reasonably painful final half. Wanting again, I am extremely pleased with ending my first marathon regardless of the challenges main into the race and through it.”
McColgan’s focus is now squarely on the Nice North Run. Finishing the 13.1 mile course from Newcastle to South Shields final yr in 67:45 noticed the Brit beat her mum Liz’s Nice North Run document mark and, this time round, she is decided to affix Liz on the honours board.
To finest put together for the race, McColgan’s weekly coaching has concerned two interval periods on the monitor, one long term, a number of simple runs and one full relaxation day, permitting her to construct in direction of the occasion with out sacrificing restoration or growing damage threat.
“It is a fairly normal format for me no matter what race I am aiming for,” McColgan says. “Clearly for the half-marathon, my periods can be geared extra in direction of 10km and half-marathon tempo and my lengthy runs will construct in direction of 16 miles.”
With McColgan including quantity via low-impact cross-training periods, it means she does not run as many miles as another elite endurance athletes. After a short restoration interval after the London Marathon, she has rebuilt her base health over the previous few months and is matching her peak from April.
Throughout her most up-to-date construct, McColgan hung out in all six coronary heart fee zones, however has barely stronger emphasis on zone two (cardio endurance) and zone 4 (threshold).
Nevertheless, given she competed in London 4 months in the past, she hasn’t adopted a conventional multi-phase coaching cycle for the Nice North Run, placing her summer season coaching in three distinctive blocks. “June has been only a ‘get into working once more month’, July a ‘get match camp’ and August ‘getting ready to race’.”
The core coaching components have included one long term, two more durable interval periods and, just a few days per week, cross-training within the night for 40-60 minutes. Her extra intense periods have concerned 10x1000m or 20x400m.
Within the instant build-up to the Nice North Run, McColgan has stayed disciplined and her final laborious session will happen per week out from the race, earlier than a managed and straightforward ultimate week. “There have been no actual adjustments to my coaching this yr as my important focus has been constructing again once more from knee surgical procedure,” she says. “Final yr I used to be nonetheless struggling for consistency so it was good this yr to tick off London Marathon as my first one after which begin the constructing course of another time.”
With McColgan’s 10km and half-marathon private bests being 30:10 and 65:43 respectively, can she get again to these kind of occasions once more in some unspecified time in the future sooner or later?
“I would like to get again to that form once more, however I’ve to be sensible,” McColgan says. “After London, I took a a lot wanted break and reset so solely started my coaching once more round June. We now have constructed up fairly steadily so it is going to take longer than simply two to 3 months to get again into private finest type.
“My 10km time is a European document in order that degree of health does not occur in a single day. It is months and months of consistency required to succeed in that degree, however I really feel assured we’re on the appropriate path and hopefully I can rewrite a few of these private bests in 2026 and past.”
To help McColgan’s coaching she makes use of the COROS PACE 3, which helps her validate selections with proof and never simply intuition.
“For me, knowledge is likely one of the strongest instruments in my coaching,” McColgan provides. “The watch isn’t simply telling me how far or quick I’ve run – it’s giving me perception into my coronary heart fee, effort ranges, restoration, and even how I’m adapting over time.
“That permits me to identify patterns, perceive what’s working, and make changes. It’s additionally a method to take the guesswork out of coaching. I can see if I’m hitting the appropriate paces, spending sufficient time in the appropriate coaching zones, and recovering correctly between periods. Over weeks and months, that consistency provides up.”
