PECO Cross Country 2026–27
14-Week
Interval Plan
Interval Plan
A spiralling progressive programme underpinned by Jack Daniels’ training principles. Every session is different — rep distance grows week on week, with pyramid sessions for variety and planned down weeks for recovery.
Juniors — Daniels R-pace (stride effort)
Adults — Daniels I-pace (VO2 max)
The science: Juniors follow Jack Daniels’ Repetition principle — fast, relaxed efforts at mile race pace (think strides), with full recovery between reps. Adults follow Daniels’ Interval principle, targeting VO2 max with 5k-pace efforts and 50–90% recovery. The spiral structure means no two sessions are the same. Pyramid sessions appear every 3–4 weeks for variety and cross country specificity.
Juniors — R-pace (stride effort)
- Pace: mile race pace — fast, relaxed, like strides
- Feel: controlled and smooth, not flat-out
- Recovery: full where possible — 1:3 to 1:5 work:rest
- 100m / 200m → 90s–3 min recovery
- 300m / 400m → 3–4 min (compressed to fit window)
- 600m → 4–5 min between reps
- 400m is the R-pace ceiling per Daniels
- Min and max shown — coach decides on the night
- Stop the set if form deteriorates
Adults — I-pace (VO2 max intervals)
- Pace: current 5k race pace
- Recovery: 50–90% of effort duration
- 100m (~20s) → 10–18s jog recovery
- 200m (~50s) → 25–45s jog recovery
- 400m (~100s) → 50–90s jog recovery
- 600m (~150s) → 75–135s jog recovery
- Optimal VO2 max stimulus: 3–5 min efforts
- Volume: max 8% of weekly mileage per session
The Plan
WEEK BY WEEK
Every session is unique. Rep distance spirals upward, stepping back after down weeks before climbing again. Pyramid sessions appear every 3–4 weeks for variety.
Session shape: 15 min warm-up · 30 min work · 15 min cool-down. Every session has a minimum (younger / less able athletes) and a maximum (strongest in the group). Rep volumes are rep distance only — not total movement including recovery. Jog recoveries become walk recoveries where needed.
| Wk | Date | Session | Structure | Recovery | Rep Vol. | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 Sep | 100m R-pace | Min 2×4 · Max 4×8 | 120s between reps 2 min between sets |
0.5–2.0 mi | Establish R-pace feel. Fast, relaxed, like strides. Controlled and smooth — not sprinting. | |
| 2 | 16 Sep | 200m R-pace | Min 2×3 · Max 3×5 | 3 min between reps 3 min between sets |
0.7–1.9 mi | First step up. Full recovery — every rep should feel as fast as the first. | |
| 3 | 23 Sep | 100–200–100 Pyramid | Min 2 sets · Max 3 sets | 90s after 100m 3 min after 200m 3 min between sets |
0.5–0.75 mi | First pyramid. Broken rhythm — exactly what cross country demands. | |
| 4 | 30 Sep | 100m Down | Min 2×3 · Max 3×5 | 150s between reps 3 min between sets |
0.4–0.9 mi | Down week. Reduced volume. Let weeks 1–3 adaptation consolidate. | |
| 5 | 7 Oct | 300m R-pace | Min 2×2 · Max 3×4 | 3 min between reps 3 min between sets |
0.7–2.2 mi | Spiral to 300m. Recovery compressed to fit 30 min window. Focus on form throughout. | |
| 6 | 14 Oct | 200m R-pace | Min 2×4 · Max 3×6 | 3 min between reps 3 min between sets |
1.0–2.2 mi | Step back to 200m, more reps. Higher volume at full R-pace quality. | |
| 7 | 21 Oct | 100–200–300–200–100 Pyramid | Min 1 set · Max 2 sets | 90s / 3 min / 3 min by rep distance 4 min between sets |
0.6–1.2 mi | Full pyramid pre-half term. One set is fine for younger athletes. | |
| — | 28 Oct | No session Half Term | |||||
| 8 | 4 Nov | 400m R-pace | Min 2×2 · Max 3×3 | 3 min between reps 4 min between sets |
0.5–2.0 mi | Back refreshed. 400m is the R-pace ceiling. Quality over quantity. | |
| 9 | 11 Nov | 200–400–200 Pyramid | Min 2 sets · Max 3 sets | 3 min after 200m 4 min after 400m 4 min between sets |
1.0–1.5 mi | Pyramid centred on 400m. 200m bookends keep quality high. | |
| 10 | 18 Nov | 600m R-pace | Min 2×2 · Max 3×3 | 4 min between reps 5 min between sets |
0.7–2.0 mi | Full Bubwith lap. Effort managed on the night. Stop at minimum if athletes are flagging. | |
| 11 | 25 Nov | 200m Down | Min 2×3 · Max 2×5 | 3 min between reps 4 min between sets |
0.7–1.2 mi | Down week. Back to 200m, reduced volume. Legs ready for the final three sessions. | |
| 12 | 2 Dec | 400m R-pace | Min 2×2 · Max 3×4 | 3 min between reps 4 min between sets |
0.5–1.9 mi | Peak R-pace session. 400m at stride effort — race-shape quality. | |
| 13 | 9 Dec | 600m R-pace | Min 2×2 · Max 2×4 | 4 min between reps 5 min between sets |
0.7–1.9 mi | Full Bubwith lap repeated. Closest to race simulation. Younger athletes stop at minimum. | |
| 14 | 16 Dec | 200–400–600–400–200 Pyramid | Min 1 set · Max 2 sets | 3 min / 4 min / 4 min by rep distance 5 min between sets |
1.1–2.3 mi | Season finale. One set is solid for younger athletes — two sets for the strongest. | |
| Wk | Date | Session | Structure | Recovery (50–90%) | Total | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 Sep | 100m I-pace | 5 × 16 reps | 10–18s jog between reps 90s between sets |
~5.0 mi | High rep volume. 50–90% of ~20s effort = 10–18s jog. Sharp from the off. | |
| 2 | 16 Sep | 200m I-pace | 4 × 8 reps | 25–45s jog between reps 2 min between sets |
~5.0 mi | Step up to 200m. Recovery scales — 50–90% of ~50s = 25–45s jog. | |
| 3 | 23 Sep | 100–200–100 Pyramid | 4 sets | 15s after 100m 35s after 200m 90s between sets |
~5.0 mi | First pyramid. Recovery per rep distance. Varied effort maximises VO2 stimulus. | |
| 4 | 30 Sep | 100m Down | 3 × 10 reps | 15s jog between reps 2 min between sets |
~1.9 mi | Down week. Reduced volume. Consolidate before stepping to longer reps. | |
| 5 | 7 Oct | 300m I-pace | 4 × 6 reps | 40–70s jog between reps 2 min between sets |
~4.5 mi | Spiral to 300m. ~80s effort. Approaching optimal VO2 max stimulus duration. | |
| 6 | 14 Oct | 200m I-pace | 4 × 10 reps | 25–45s jog between reps 90s between sets |
~5.0 mi | Back to 200m, more reps. Higher volume at I-pace quality. | |
| 7 | 21 Oct | 100–200–300–200–100 Pyramid | 3 sets | 15s / 35s / 65s by rep distance 2 min between sets |
~5.6 mi | Full pyramid pre-half term. Each rep length uses its own recovery ratio. | |
| — | 28 Oct | No session Half Term | |||||
| 8 | 4 Nov | 400m I-pace | 4 × 5 reps | 50–90s jog between reps 2 min between sets |
~5.0 mi | 400m I-pace is prime VO2 max territory. ~100s effort, 50–90s recovery. | |
| 9 | 11 Nov | 200–400–200 Pyramid | 4 sets | 35s after 200m 75s after 400m 2 min between sets |
~5.0 mi | 400m pyramid. Bookend 200m reps keep quality. Mixed effort for broad VO2 stimulus. | |
| 10 | 18 Nov | 600m I-pace | 3 × 4 reps | 75–135s jog between reps 3 min between sets |
~4.5 mi | Full Bubwith lap. ~150s effort — upper end of optimal VO2 max duration. Hardest session. | |
| 11 | 25 Nov | 200m Down | 3 × 6 reps | 35–45s jog between reps 2 min between sets |
~2.2 mi | Down week. Back to 200m, reduced volume. Consolidate before the final block. | |
| 12 | 2 Dec | 400m I-pace | 4 × 6 reps | 50–90s jog between reps 2 min between sets |
~6.0 mi | Peak volume week. Highest quality I-pace session of the programme. | |
| 13 | 9 Dec | 600m I-pace | 3 × 5 reps | 75–135s jog between reps 3 min between sets |
~5.6 mi | Full Bubwith lap repeated. Race simulation — sustained I-pace across the actual course. | |
| 14 | 16 Dec | 200–400–600–400–200 Pyramid | 2 sets | 35s / 75s / 110s by rep distance 4 min between sets |
~5.6 mi | Season finale. Full pyramid across all distances. Every training zone in one session. | |
Reference
KEY PRINCIPLES
Spiral progression
Rep distance increases every week but steps back after down weeks before climbing again. No two sessions are the same — athletes constantly adapt rather than habituate.
Pyramid sessions
Pyramid sessions appear every 3–4 weeks, mixing rep distances within a single session. Recovery scales with each rep. The broken rhythm mirrors cross country terrain.
Down weeks
Every 4th week reduces volume and increases recovery. Adaptation happens during rest. Half term on 28 October provides an additional natural recovery window.
Cross country rhythm
The stop-start nature of interval training trains the broken rhythm of cross country. Athletes who have practised resetting after a hard effort recover far better on course.
Junior R-pace quality
Every junior rep should feel like a stride — fast, relaxed, controlled. If quality drops, stop the set. Fewer good reps beat more tired ones every time.
Adult VO2 max stimulus
The 50–90% recovery ratio keeps adults in the I-pace zone. Efforts of 3–5 minutes are optimal — the 400m and 600m weeks sit squarely in this window.
