4w-3w - mid-season promotion and fitness test training

[Athers]

Nearly got all my games in for promotion to 3W this season but just missed out as too many called off over winter. Can carry them over but just been told the FA are no longer allowing mid-season promotions on the women's pathway so the next opportunity is end of 2024/25 season Bit of a kicker but can apparently get lines on Women's National League as a L5/4W so will try that via MOAS. Additionally, has anyone got any tips or links to previous threads about any fitness test training methods? It might not seem much to some but 4 x 40m sprints in under 6.4 seconds and then a 75m run in 17secs followed by 25m walk in 22secs (repeated 40 times) will need some training for me. Interested in any ideas on timekeeping, build up, recovery etc especially as I have plantar fasciitis and need to manage the load (not to mention a knee replacement!) Not interested in the usual 'beers the night before and just do it' comments - hoping to get some good advice from the community from others that have built up to it and smashed it. thanks!

 

[RefereeX]

I'm gonna be a little bit controversial here and I don't meant to upset anyone, but the idea of a fitness test isn't to test the level of fitness you're able to achieve for that one given point in the season and then relax until the next test comes round the following year. If you're at the right level of fitness for the level of football you want to operate at the passing the fitness test should pose no difficulty, providing you're injury free.

With regards to your OP, appreciate this is for a new level and plantar fasciitis and the knee replacement probably make things difficult, but what I would suggest is getting some correct running footwear. (Running in Nike trainers make my feet hurt a little sometimes, but asics trainers are pain free.)
Then, audio files are available, you can measure it out and practise. It doesn't have to be on a running track, it can be on a 100m straight. Mark out a point, then 12.5 metres, then 75 metres from there and finally another 12.5 metres from there. Then your run is obviously the 75 metre section and the recovery walk is 12.5 metres to the end point and 12.5 metres back. So on and so forth.
But I'd advise mixing this up with a little bit of longer distance running and sprint training. Regular 5km runs improve fitness levels no end. Personally though, I've gone too far the other way which is why it's important to keep the sprint training too. I can do intervals at 15 secs run 15 secs walk relatively comfortably, but I seem to only scrape the sprints, so my next goal is to improve my sprint speed.

The aim should then be, once you've smashed the fitness test, to maintain that fitness level year round so that next year you've got nothing to worry about.

 

[Athers]

I'm gonna be a little bit controversial here and I don't meant to upset anyone, but the idea of a fitness test isn't to test the level of fitness you're able to achieve for that one given point in the season and then relax until the next test comes round the following year. If you're at the right level of fitness for the level of football you want to operate at the passing the fitness test should pose no difficulty, providing you're injury free.

With regards to your OP, appreciate this is for a new level and plantar fasciitis and the knee replacement probably make things difficult, but what I would suggest is getting some correct running footwear. (Running in Nike trainers make my feet hurt a little sometimes, but asics trainers are pain free.)
Then, audio files are available, you can measure it out and practise. It doesn't have to be on a running track, it can be on a 100m straight. Mark out a point, then 12.5 metres, then 75 metres from there and finally another 12.5 metres from there. Then your run is obviously the 75 metre section and the recovery walk is 12.5 metres to the end point and 12.5 metres back. So on and so forth.
But I'd advise mixing this up with a little bit of longer distance running and sprint training. Regular 5km runs improve fitness levels no end. Personally though, I've gone too far the other way which is why it's important to keep the sprint training too. I can do intervals at 15 secs run 15 secs walk relatively comfortably, but I seem to only scrape the sprints, so my next goal is to improve my sprint speed.

The aim should then be, once you've smashed the fitness test, to maintain that fitness level year round so that next year you've got nothing to worry about.

great advice there thanks. Agree on the footwear - will need to look into that more. I think I can do the test - my stats on my middles indicate a good mix of sprints and distances. I think it's more the concentrated distance/time 'formality' of it that will be a newer kind of load, hence the build up. ta

 

[JamesL]

As a sufferer of plantar fascitis myself footwear is really key. Especially across the recovery period.

You shouldn't just accept and live with it albeit I expect the knee replacement makes that challenging.

As with most injuries they are cause by a weakness somewhere else in the biomechanics of the body. To that end plantar is usually associated with calves. So calf stretching and strengthening will help.

In addition to this what helped me to recover from it was
1) rolling a tennis ball under the foot up and down the length of the foot, from the ball to the heel and back.
2) taking a towel and winding it up and then holding each end of the towel hooking it over the top of the foot and pulling the foot back towards you, really stretches out and opens up the affected tendon.
3) gel inserts in my football boots and supportive running wear. Get gait analysis done and recommendation for shoes to help with plantar.

Echo @RefereeX comments although I would add if you're not there yet is great to be aspiring to it and you just need to maintain that.

It's hard to give training advice as we don't know your current fitness or activity level.

Suggestions couch 2 5k should give you enough to work towards passing the fitness test.

I myself always train for the level up, so for you that would be the 15/22. 1 it will get you fitter as your goal fitness is higher but it removes any of the mental aspects of the fitness test. If you can do at least one up then the test that matters is a breeze.

 

[Athers]

As a sufferer of plantar fascitis myself footwear is really key. Especially across the recovery period.

You shouldn't just accept and live with it albeit I expect the knee replacement makes that challenging.

As with most injuries they are cause by a weakness somewhere else in the biomechanics of the body. To that end plantar is usually associated with calves. So calf stretching and strengthening will help.

In addition to this what helped me to recover from it was
1) rolling a tennis ball under the foot up and down the length of the foot, from the ball to the heel and back.
2) taking a towel and winding it up and then holding each end of the towel hooking it over the top of the foot and pulling the foot back towards you, really stretches out and opens up the affected tendon.
3) gel inserts in my football boots and supportive running wear. Get gait analysis done and recommendation for shoes to help with plantar.

Echo @RefereeX comments although I would add if you're not there yet is great to be aspiring to it and you just need to maintain that.

It's hard to give training advice as we don't know your current fitness or activity level.

Suggestions couch 2 5k should give you enough to work towards passing the fitness test.

I myself always train for the level up, so for you that would be the 15/22. 1 it will get you fitter as your goal fitness is higher but it removes any of the mental aspects of the fitness test. If you can do at least one up then the test that matters is a breeze.

good stuff. Calves like Jack Grealish but defo need to stretch more - will try your ideas. I found Oofos brand trainers and sandals have been really good for PF. Weird name, good kit. Will defo be targeting the next level as a way to increase fitness which is something I'm going to do more this coming season too as a matter of course. Work/life got in the way too much this year and just relying on games to keep fit was not enough. cheers

 

[OnlyUseMeWhistle]

good stuff. Calves like Jack Grealish but defo need to stretch more - will try your ideas. I found Oofos brand trainers and sandals have been really good for PF. Weird name, good kit. Will defo be targeting the next level as a way to increase fitness which is something I'm going to do more this coming season too as a matter of course. Work/life got in the way too much this year and just relying on games to keep fit was not enough. cheers

Oofos are great and good insoles too