My name’s Hannah Cadden, I’m 18 years old from the ACT competing Nationally and Internationally in events ranging from 800m, 1500m, 3000m Steeplechase all the way up to 6km cross country. I have competed in over 20 National Championships in both Athletics and Cross Country since the age of 10, placing as high as 4th on the track and 3rd in my age group in Cross Country. I have competed Internationally at the Arafura Games in 2019 coming away with two gold and a silver medal, along with being selected into the Regional Australia Team to compete at the Oceania Championships in Fiji in 2020. Unfortunately, these games were cancelled due to the escalating Covid-19 situation at the time.
For the last 5 years, I have been training under the watchful eye of coach Dennis Goodwin (AMDA Swifts) based out of Canberra, Australia. The past few years have consisted of training mainly for the 800m and 1500m events, but I have recently made the decision to incorporate 3000m Steeplechase training to further this pursuit. Dennis has been known to provide challenging training sessions for our squad that have evidently paid off with multiple State, National, and International titles to his name.
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Training throughout the year fluctuates depending on the season we are in (cross country or track) and what events we as individuals are focusing on. Training at its peak can get up to 8 sessions a week consisting of easy/long runs, track sessions and gym sessions. The ongoing support of my sponsors at The Walking Clinic, SOS Hydration and Full Bloom Activewear is just one of the many reasons I’m able to manage my load/injuries and my aspirations of “living the dream”. Managing a high training load alongside completing Year 12 and working at The Runners Shop in Canberra is really tough but is a challenge I love navigating. When looking back at my training from the past few years some sessions definitely stand out more than others (whether they have left me wanting more or because they have mentally pushed me). I have chosen 4 of my favourite sessions to share that have become some of the squad favourites!
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Session 1: 1km Breakdowns
5 x sets of 1km broken down as 500m, 300m, 200m
Session to be completed as follows:
500m, 300m, 200m, 200m, 300m, 500m
*recovery*
500m, 300m, 200m, 200m, 300m, 500m
*recovery*
500m, 300m, 200m
Session 2: 200m Repetitions. 30 x 200m reps
Session to be completed as follows:
10 x 200m with 1 min break
*recovery*
10 x 200m with 1 min break
*recovery*
10 x 200m with 1 min break
Session 3: 4, 2×3’s, 3×2’s (Killer lactic session)
Session to be completed as follows:
400m
*recovery*
300m
*recovery*
300m
*recovery*
200m
*recovery*
200m
*recovery*
200m
(the 200m’s are usually whatever is left in the tank)
Session 4: Long Run + weights
Long run distance + time varies for the whole squad. Before Covid-19 we would all run through the Arboretum (Canberra) trails together.
Distances can range from: 10 – 16km (at around 4:45km’s pace)
Some athletes follow long run with a strength session in the afternoon consisting of light weights, plyometrics and core strengthening (varies from athlete to athlete).
These are just some of my favourite sessions throughout the track/cross country season. These sessions can easily be modified to suit your needs and fitness levels to get where you want to be!
Thank you for taking the time to read!
Hannah 🙂
