The problem with most runners that Erin van Eyssen coaches is that he has to hold them back from doing too much.

Runners love running; and whether it’s on a 5km fun run or a 100-mile trail ultra, most runners tend to push the limits of their bodies and end up demotivated, unable to perform, or worst of all, injured.

It’s one of the reasons former mechanical engineering graduate Van Eyssen started his training business, Flat Rock Endurance (flatrockendurance.com) way back in 2017, after years of listening to runners and their training while working as a running-shoe specialist.

“I could see so many good athletes messing around in training and making mistakes,” Van Eyssen explains. “I also realised that I could retain a lot of the stuff; and I decided to formalise the knowledge I’d built up, and study.”

Having worked in the UK and Cape Town’s Sweat Shop and Run stores, Van Eyssen went on to study for a National Diploma in Coaching Sciences from Cape Town’s Exercise Teacher’s Academy from 2015-2017, and then took a leap of faith to start his own coaching business, even selling his car to fund the start-up.

With only a few athletes on his books in the beginning, Cape Town-based Van Eyssen has slowly built up his business and now looks after some 90 athletes, with four coaches – including elite trail runner Toni McCann, and strength and conditioning coach Brendon Lombard – to assist across all running disciplines.

“It was a good time to start the business because trail running was growing rapidly, along with road, and there weren’t a lot of running coaches out there,” Van Eyssen remembers. He applied the lessons learnt from his mechanical engineering studies to his coaching business, carefully analysing data and coming up with complex training methods to focus on the individual problems of every runner he coaches.

“It’s our job to make sense of this thing that seems impossible, because not many people realise how tough they can be.”

With a 35-minute 10km, 17-minute 5km, 3:20 marathon and 4:35 Two Oceans to his name, Van Eyssen is a handy athlete, but believes his true passion lies in helping others reach their potential.

“Some of the runners we help need a plan from us; while others need more motivation, and see us as a stabilising factor in their journey. The key is being able to see the human through the data.”

Although Van Eyssen looks after some top-ranked racers, most of his clientele are mid-pack runners, or those just trying to finish their goal event. Most are focused on the longer distances, with ultras at the top of the ‘to do’ list.

“Most of our runners have a lot of self-belief, but don’t always see the way forward clearly in terms of how they train. So they’re looking for guidance and experience,” he says. “It’s our job to make sense of this thing that seems impossible, because not many people realise how tough they can be.”

Here, Van Eyssen shares with us his insights into training and racing – guaranteed to help you, no matter what your distance or time goal is on race day.

The Matter of Distance
Van Eyssen has some strong views on the right way to increase mileage.

“Traditionally, the thought has always been to get in as much volume as you can,” he says. “But the key question is: how much volume can you add safely, on the terrain you’re racing on? For some that may be 50km, and for others, 200km. You need to find what’s right for you.”

Time vs Distance
Van Eyssen believes that training should be measured by time rather than distance. 

“Distance can vary dramatically, depending on the terrain you run on,” he says. “For instance, 100km of trail running is vastly different from 100km on the road. It also depends on how hilly the terrain is.”

As he explains: “Your body doesn’t know how far you’ve run.”

The 80/20 Rule
Like most coaches, Van Eyssen believes in the 80/20 rule: 80% of training done at an easy pace, and 20% at intensity.

“Yes, there is a lot of truth in it, and there are a lot of plans aligned to that. It’s very relevant to races like Two Oceans and Comrades.”

Overtraining?
Keeping track of your training and being aware of when things start to go wrong is key to long-term planning.

“It’s all about getting a feel for your patterns,” says Van Eyssen. “But you need to be aware of when you’re chronically fatigued. A good test is to see how you feel after a planned rest day; if you find you’re still struggling to shake off fatigue after a rest day or two, it’s time to back off.”

Other signs of overtraining include disrupted sleep, general irritability, a change in heart rate or HRV (heart rate variability), low-grade illness and niggling injuries. Any of these signs are an indication that the body needs rest.

“Yes, we need fatigue to build a stronger body; but the key to any successful training plan is staying healthy,” he says. “We have more athletes to protect from themselves than runners we have to push!”

Tech Overload
Modern smartwatches are full of great training data, and allow us to carefully monitor heart rates, effort levels, sleep and recovery. But for Van Eyssen, not all data is good.

“I think people become obsessive about the data, and sometimes the numbers can muddy the waters. I use the numbers if it will help an athlete perform better; but sometimes those numbers are more important retrospectively, rather than during a run.”

Van Eyssen and his team subscribe to the RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) model that suggests a ranking of between 1 and 10 based on how much effort they are putting in – 1 being very easy, and 10 being flat out. 

“I’m not saying that using a heart-rate monitor doesn’t have its place, but they have their challenges: they’re limited in terms of reaction time; they’re not helpful for short, hard intervals; they’re affected by heat, fatigue and caffeine; and they drift higher the longer you run.

“An athlete can lose touch with how they feel, while the RPE and Talk Test teach you to understand your body. For instance, if you try to keep your heart rate low over a race like a 50km, you find yourself going slower and slower, even though you could probably push yourself harder.”

The Challenge of Easy
One of the biggest challenges the team at Flat Rock faces is helping their clients understand the value of polarised training – keeping easy easy, and intervals hard. 

“A lot of runners run in that grey zone between easy and hard, so they’re not developing either their max or their endurance effectively. It’s important to polarise your training to get the most benefit.”

One key skill to ensure endurance runs are done at the right pace is to use the Talk Test. Are you able to talk in full sentences while running? Then you’re probably running in the right zone to build your endurance. 

Building endurance the right way also means that your body will be more able to handle sessions of high intensity, says Van Eyssen.

Pacing
Finding the right training pace for a race like the Totalsports Two Oceans is one of the biggest challenges entrants have, and it changes the faster your race time is likely to be. For quicker runners, like those running under 3:30 for the marathon, long runs tend to be slower than race pace. For slower runners, long runs tend to be run at goal race pace because “slower would mean you’re no longer running”. “Faster runners can maintain a higher threshold for longer, so they tend to run their long runs slower than race pace. But for the rest, that gap is narrower, and you need time to develop your efficiency.”

Race Day
Trust the process: You’re capable of more than you think, so staying confident is key.
Be Conservative: Play it safe early on. Climb within yourself, and don’t smash your legs on the descents. It’s super-easy to overcook the first 30km of Two Oceans and then have nothing left for the tough second half.
Beware the Bonk: In an ultra-distance race, fatigue can be deceptive. You can be fine – until you’re not. It happens quickly if you don’t take care of your pace and nutrition.
Maintain Equal Effort: Avoid pushing hard on the climbs. Try and even out your effort level across the hills, flats and downhills. Intensity drains the battery fast.

Expectations
Many of the runners that Van Eyssen coaches have higher expectations than the reality of their ability. And it’s hard to keep runners motivated when their goals may be out of reach. “Saying ‘delusional’ may be negative, but it’s normally a lack of experience and knowledge of the sport. A person will watch the Two Oceans or Comrades and say, ‘I can do that!’ when they see the backmarkers crossing the finish line.
“But the reality is that many of those runners you see have committed six months out, and are running five to 15 hours a week,” he says. “So a lot of runners look at that, and don’t realise the work that needs to go in to finish.”

Building the Athlete
Van Eyssen’s strategy for building a stronger athlete begins with establishing a consistent running routine, whether the individual is a beginner, mid-pack or elite runner.

“It’s all about getting you out there as often as possible… from, say, two days a week to three days a week, and so on. Once we can establish consistency, then we start incorporating things like strength and conditioning and nutrition, to ensure the athlete is strong and able enough to start increasing volume. 

“And finally, there’s a focus on nutrition; because the longer the race distance, the more nutrition becomes important.”

Get Strong
For Van Eyssen, the key role of incorporating a strength and conditioning programme into a run programme is to ensure that the athlete is capable of handling increased volume and intensity.

“It’s one element that runners don’t want to do. I’m guilty of it too; because it’s hard work, compared to a run where you can be outside in the fresh air and sunshine,” says Van Eyssen. But along with injury prevention, Van Eyssen has seen significant performance benefits.

“It really does pay off. Take Toni (McCann) for instance. She was struggling with high volume; so we brought in strength and conditioning, and we found that she could then up the volume with a lot of performance benefits.”

Van Eyssen advises runners to include running-specific workouts like plyometrics and stability, which complement running better than others.

The Social Factor
All the talk about RPE and heart rate zones makes little difference if your running crew has different ideas. 

Not everyone has the same schedule; and most of us run at the pace dictated to by the bunch, rather than the schedule on our training plans. So how does Van Eyssen deal with the important social component of training?

“You need to factor those runs into a training plan. I know some friends who have a run every Thursday morning, and it’s an anchor run in the week. It’s important to adjust around it to make training sustainable and fun.”

Recovery Days
As important as training is, so is your body’s ability to absorb the training and rebuild. That only happens when we pull back a little – at least once a week.

For Van Eyssen that means total rest, or gym work, or some cross-training or easy running. “It should leave you with just some light fatigue, so that you can get back to work the next day.”

Plan Your Week
Most of Van Eyssen’s clients have full-time jobs and lives aside from running, so planning a training week must take into account the pressures of work and family.

Monday is always a lighter day after a long run on the weekend, while Tuesday is a good day to incorporate more intensity, with speed or hills. Wednesday is ideal for a medium long run, Thursday a chance for longer intervals of speed or hills; Friday gym and mobility, and then a long run at the weekend. Rinse and repeat.

Do You Stretch?
Although light stretching is something that most runners should do, Van Eyssen says that being super-flexible is not needed in running.

“We need some tension in the muscles for good running economy; but over-mobility can be a problem for runners.”

With so many online resources available, Van Eyssen suggests checking out Pilates and yoga workouts to complement your running, to provide just enough range of motion.

The Art of Climbing
For events like Two Oceans, mastering hills is a key component of race-day success. Van Eyssen’s experience in training trail runners has helped him develop a solid strategy for the inclines.

“Climbs should not take you into the red zone,” says Van Eyssen. “You need to get comfortable enough to climb aerobically, and develop endurance on the hills.”

He tells the story of an American elite runner who, after an injury, ran a race in the mid-pack, and couldn’t believe how hard those runners were running relative to their ability.

“Elites actually climb within their ability so they can be faster on the flats and downhills. So you need to be comfortable enough so your cardio and legs aren’t overly taxed.”

Van Eyssen believes that both short and long hill intervals all help develop climbing ability. (See Coach Erin’s Intervals.)

Coach Erin’s Intervals
Hills
3 x 5min, 2min recovery
Build to 3 x 15min
Effort: 7-8 RPE or threshold pace

Tips:
– Focus on rhythm and a strong cadence.

– Look up to open up the chest and breathe easier. 

– Drive with the arms (“When the arms work, the legs listen,” says Van Eyssen)
– Controlled pace. No flailing

– Relax your jaw. The rest will follow.

– Learn to climb at a higher intensity so it feels easier on race day.

Speed
5 x 800m at 10km pace
Build to 8 x 1km
Effort: Threshold pace or 7-8 RPE

Biomechanics
Is there such a thing as good running form? As far as Van Eyssen is concerned there are many ways to run efficiently, and he doesn’t get involved with changing biomechanics and running style unless it seems an obvious limiting factor.

“No matter how you run, if you increase your consistency, you improve your efficiency,” he says. “There are very few bad running styles and biomechanics.”

Speed Work
Everyone knows that speed work means performance gains; but for Van Eyssen, upping the intensity can only happen once a solid aerobic base has been established.

“Doing things like gym and speed work raises the ceiling, and makes handling a faster race pace more manageable. Without speed work, you’re stuck in one gear.”

How different is training for a 10km and an ultra?
Elite 5km runners can reach 140 to 160km a week – which is the same as an elite marathoner. But the type of training differs, because of the different demands needed for longer and shorter distances.

“Both are aerobic activities; but a marathoner is focusing on economy, whereas a shorter-distance athlete is looking at higher intensity. In many ways it’s harder to run fast than it is to run far, because of the demands that intensity places on the body. It’s far more risky.”

The Most Important Run
Training for an ultra means that the most important run of the week is the long one. 

For Van Eyssen, a 40km long run (in either training or racing) around three or four weeks before Two Oceans is one of those key long runs. “You need to make sure you’re fully recovered by the time you get to race day.”

The long run can vary in terms of percentage of distance you run in a week, but Van Eyssen suggests the long run should make up around 30% of your weekly mileage.

He also advises doing the long run on similar terrain to your race – so in the case of Two Oceans, a hilly route would be best suited. “You need to train your body to absorb eccentric load on the downhills, and to climb efficiently.”

What You Eat
Van Eyssen leaves much of the dietary advice to McCann, a qualified dietician, but believes that runners should be careful taking on an endurance event while doing any form of extreme diet that cuts carbs.

“Dieting while trying to pursue an endurance goal is risky. If we restrict, we increase the likelihood of injury and overtraining. It’s a fine line. Most people need carbs to run far, and a low-carb diet can make things very hard,” he says.

As for race-day nutrition, Van Eyssen believes you need to take in as much carbohydrate as you can safely manage on race day. But this involves training your gut before race day to process high carb intake.

“High-carb race nutrition is all the talk now, but 60g of carbs an hour is a good place to start,” he says. “And don’t forget the salt tabs – you need them to help absorb the carbs.”

Know Your Race Pace
Taking on an event like Two Oceans presents a challenge in terms of pacing. But Van Eyssen has a simple strategy: be realistic, based on your previous events.

“Most people will have run a marathon to qualify for Two Oceans, so let history predict your ability,” he says. “Most will run a pace similar to the one that they ran in their marathon, and that’s a good place to start. If you find you have lots in reserve, then you can push a bit harder in the second half.”

Super Shoes
Super shoes – those high-stacked carbon models that have changed the face of running since 2019 – are all the rage. But should mid-pack and back-of-the-pack runners even bother with them?

“The science has been done, and there’s no doubt they’re performance-enhancing over every distance. But the effect is less the slower you are, so I would use them quite carefully if you’re not at the sharp end of the field.”

Van Eyssen believes the new shoes put a lot of load on the foot and calf, so you need to train in them to ensure you’re able to handle that on race day. Most runners, he suggests, are better off in a more traditional shoe that allows a greater range of motion and more comfort.

 

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