Training in teams for personal bests in middle distance events
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can start to work independently within a small team to improve my personal best in middle distance events.
Key learning points
- Move: maintaining a forward and relaxed alternate arm action helps maintain speed and balance.
- Move: increasing stride length and/or stride frequency towards the end of a run can improve time.
- Think: being able to maintain a "race pace" for the full distance of a race without fatigue will maximise performance.
- Feel: running alongside others can help to regulate emotions during training.
- Connect: running with others in pairs or small groups can help with motivation over longer distances.
Keywords
Communication - sharing ideas, listening and giving feedback to teammates and coaches to improve performance and understanding
Aerobic - physical activity that relies on the presence of oxygen to produce energy. Lower intensity and longer in duration than anaerobic activity
Pacing - managing your speed throughout the race to avoid burning out too early and maintaining enough energy for a strong finish
Common misconception
To get faster at running middle distance you always have to train at race pace.
Improvements in speed and fitness for middle distance running can also come from running easy efforts. This builds aerobic fitness and gives the individual a strong base where over time the same effort will be maintained but at a faster pace.
Teacher tip
Using the Borg RPE Scale will allow every pupil to find their own personal pace. Using conversation as a gauge in the lesson will indicate if the effort is too hard or too easy. It will not be possible to hold a conversation when running a hard middle distance effort.
Equipment
worksheet; stopwatches - one between two
Content guidance
Risk assessment required - physical activity
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What does achieving a personal best mean?
Q2.Anaerobic exercise occurs over What is required when working as a team?
Q3.What can sprinting help develop?
Q4.How long does anaerobic exercise occur?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What element is essential for aerobic activity?
Q2.Why might someone be motivated to run?
Q3.What is a steady pace effort on the RPE scale?
Q4.How can running and talking help you?
To help you plan your 8 physical education lesson on: Training in teams for personal bests in middle distance events, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 physical education lesson on: Training in teams for personal bests in middle distance events, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom.
Explore more key stage 3 physical education lessons from the Athletics: train and perform in a sport education season unit, dive into the full secondary physical education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.