Lydiard® Foundation has been established to promote the application of the principles of Lydiard to endurance training. The most successful endurance training system in the world.
We aim to provide a community of runners and coaches with information, education, debate and support.
The Five Principles of Lydiard Training.
- Aerobic Conditioning as the Foundation.
- Response-Regulated Adaptation.
- Feeling-Based Training.
- Sequential Development.
- Timing
What is the Lydiard approach to distance running?
An approach to distance running which enables the runner to perform at his or her best on the day of a target race. Reaching this peak performance is achieved through progressing through the training phases. Each training phase has specific benefits and is timed to enable the runner to maximise each energy system. The most important phase for all distance runners is aerobic development and this is the foundation of the pyramid. Hills follow to strengthen the muscles and connective tissues with anaerobic capacity training as the icing on the cake. The strengths and weaknesses of the runner are considered and addressed in the integration phase before the taper prepares the runner to perform at their best.
The Lydiard approach works well for all runners not just for Olympic medalists. It will get the best out of you even if you don’t have a particular race target. It’s an approach that focuses on listening to your body and recognising the importance of recovery so that you can structure your training to achieve the best results.