Training

A visit to the New Balance House Team

As one of the leading running footwear and apparel brands, New Balance decided to invest more time and money into their elite athletes by creating the 'New Balance House' initiative to house their athletes and devote a full-time coach to enhance the athletes to improve performance and results.

The New Balance House team are based in Manchester, and is comprised of eight runners from both the UK and Europe. The athletes live and train together, creating a team ethos within a predominantly individual sport. This helps to improve morale off the track which leads to better performance and mindset when on the track.

Sportsshoes.com paid a visit to the team in Manchester and caught up with some of the athletes and their coach to find out more about the trailblazing initiative.

ㅤ

WHAT IS NEW BALANCE HOUSE?

In order to build a competitive team in a plethora of events, New Balance created their visionary New Balance House project, offering their elite athletes the opportunity to live and train together, honing their skills and furthering the chance of success whilst being readily supplied with all the latest footwear and apparel to help them achieve their goals.

Team New Balance MCR are one of the few professional running teams within the UK, and with the perpetual support of New Balance, the team are able to consistently compete in the upper echelon of international athletics.

Working alongside the athletes is coach Steve Vernon, a former international athlete boasting a wealth of running experience as well as being a highly respected name within the sport. Vernon strategically plans sessions for all of the athletes, with exceptional attention to detail in order to obtain the best results possible.

ㅤ

WHO TRAINS THERE?

The New Balance MCR team is not exclusive to a certain type of athlete, or limiting itself to specific distances. The team is made up of athletes competing over varying distances such as; 800m, 1500m, 5000m, 10,000m and even marathon running. This shows the amount of attention to detail and importance New Balance pays across the board to be versatile, adaptable and proactive by being readily available to cater for a range of events with equal aplomb.

Representing team New Balance MCR are:

Ross Millington (10,000m).
Jonny Mellor (Marathon).
Ben Connor (10,000m).
Andy Heyes (5,000m).

Elinor Kirk (10,000m).
Lauren Howarth (5,000m).
Anna Silvander (800m).
Ciara Mageean (800m/1500m).

ㅤ

BENEFITS OF THE NEW BALANCE HOUSE INITIATIVE?

As the athletes live and train together, there is a constant focus and motivation throughout the house in order to push each other and help each other along the way. A healthy, competitive environment enables the athletes to perform at their optimum level, clocking up those seemingly mundane training miles and continually remaining at the highest intensity possible.

Being sponsored by such a leading brand as New Balance, the athletes have instant access to all the latest footwear, apparel and equipment as they strive for the best results and performance.

All the athletes are going through the same experience within the house, so they can use the time spent together talking about how training is going, picking up tips from each other and generating a camaraderie to push themselves to the next level. Even though some of the athletes are running at different distances, the principles remain the same.

ㅤ

ㅤ

WHO OVERSEES THE TRAINING OF THE ATHLETES?

Head coach Steve Vernon works tirelessly with all of the athletes, devising thorough training plans with innovative methods to meet the individual needs of the athletes and ensuring they are at their peak for the race day. As a former athlete himself, Vernon knows exactly what it takes to achieve the goals, live a healthy lifestyle and meet all the necessary dietary requirements.
ㅤ

ㅤ

HOW TO TRAIN LIKE A NEW BALANCE ATHLETE

To be in the best condition, both physically and mentally, the New Balance athletes have to dedicate their entire lives to their profession. Every decision they make whether it be choosing when to run, when to rest, what to eat, has an impact on their life in one way or another. A lot of sacrifices have to be made along the way in order to reach the top, remaining professional and dedicated at all times.

Having a coach like Vernon undoubtedly helps the athletes as he can inspire and motivate them, even when they are having a bad day or don't perform at the level they want to be at. A structured regime met with ultimate precision results in maximum efficiency for the athlete, both on and off the track.

Even though the vast majority of training miles are clocked up on the track or on the road, gym work is quintessential for any athlete to improve core strength and provide conditioning. Putting in the miles when running is great for the legs, but having the necessary work in the gym allows the athletes to build up other muscle groups, focusing on minor details which deliver those all important 'one percent's.

ㅤ

ㅤ

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF NEW BALANCE HOUSE

Running is a hugely competitive sport and industry, especially with the range of distances and amount of competitors. For many athletes, reaching the summit of the sport is proving to be increasingly difficult as all the aforementioned 'one percent's' are making a world of difference. Thankfully for the MCR team, New Balance as a brand are willing to prepare the athletes as best they can in order to achieve the most positive results. New Balance are striving to meet the needs of all their athletes, coaches and further developing the reputation of the brand in the process. As with any event, the aims and objectives are abundantly clear – win, pick up medals, achieve personal best times. But most of all, enjoy!

ㅤ

Looking for some training tips and advice? Then head over to our Training category where our athletes and experts explain everything you need to know.