Where every athlete starts — even the ones who've been running their whole life. Week 1 looks slow on paper. Tempo runs, biomechanics drills, dynamic warm-ups. By Week 6 we introduce acceleration work from a three-point stance. By Week 8 you'll run a 40-yard dash, a flying 30, and a 150m time trial — and you'll know exactly where you stand. The grass is on purpose. The progression is on purpose. If you skip this phase, every phase after it leaks.

Volume up. Intensity controlled. This is the phase where the engine gets built. Speed endurance (2×300m + 3×200m), tempo runs, biomechanics drills, hill sprints. Strength training begins at 3 days a week — always after track work, never before. Weeks 1-4 stay on grass. Track is introduced Week 5 once mechanics are locked. Most athletes feel slower in week 3. That's the point.

Now we sharpen for your event. 100m sprinters do different work than 200m or 400m runners. Block starts. Plyometrics. Race-pace intervals. Speed endurance specific to your distance. This is where you start seeing PRs. Strength holds at 2-3 days a week. Volume drops, intensity climbs. Recovery weeks built in at 12, 16, 20.

The taper that isn't really a taper. Race simulations. Time trials. Block start practice. Volume comes way down, intensity goes way up. Strength drops to 2 days a week, maintenance only. Track surface for everything. By the end of this phase, you should be running times you haven't run before in practice. That tells us you're ready to race them.

During the season, training has one job: keep you sharp without burning you out. Weeks 1-2 of each block: maintain fitness between races. Weeks 3-4: race prep — starts, accelerations, broken sets. Volume stays low. Intensity matches race demands. This is the phase where most coaches mess up by either over-training (athletes peak too early and fade) or under-training (athletes show up flat). The block structure prevents both.