Coming to the end of 2024 having made massive progress in resolving the number one issue in our sport and many other running related sports on the subject of interruption of training. Having identified the gradual loss of range of motion in hamstrings, calfs, plantar fascia, quads, hip flexors, etc as a repetitive mechanism that interrupts an athlete’s training and successfully undermines the worst and most successful training programs.

Cramping, spasms, micro-tears, pulls of propulsion muscles and other soft tissues is among the most common cause of an athlete missing a major championship track meet or showing up to such meets with a lack of fitness. In pro track, pro football, pro basketball, pro baseball, pro soccer, etc, etc, etc hamstring, calf, achillies issues take dozens of top professional athletes off the track or field for 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 5 months or more. Expand the view to college and high school athletes and the numbers skyrocket.

As an athlete gets more fit and tissues start to tighten over time, the design of stretching protocols is as important as the design of the running workouts in a training program. For me, this has been a periodic but highly consistent issue dating back to the early 1990’s that gradually appeared with greater frequency through the 2000’s and 2010’s. In the 2020’s it gradually became an issue popping up as frequently as every couple months.

If you can train continuously, your fitness level is determined by the quality of the design of the training program and the execution thereof.

In 2025 I hope to see what comes from the design of TheETG training program.