When I think about Serena Caravelli’s season, I can’t help but feel moved. As her coach, I’ve had the privilege of accompanying Serena over the past few years, and I can say with certainty that this has been one of the most intense and inspiring experiences of my career.

---

Coaches tend to think they know everything about training programmes — I’ll admit it — but with Serena, I’ve learned just how important it is to understand the athlete as a whole, taking into account family, personal life, and work. The track is only one part, and quite a small one, of the overall equation.

This awareness has transformed the way we structure our programmes at Scirocco TF: following set plans isn’t enough — it’s essential to understand the individual and adapt the training accordingly.

---

PBs in the 100m and 200m as a W45 – possibile

Serena has proven that an athlete’s development never truly ends. As a W45, she set personal bests in both the 100m and 200m — something not exactly expected according to textbook physiology.

Comments like “she could have run those times as a senior” are all over social media, courtesy of the ever-present keyboard warriors. I, on the other hand, stick to the objectivity of the data and invite anyone to lace up their spikes, step onto the track, and run 100 metres in under 12.5 seconds at 45 years old… oh, and as a woman. Then we’ll talk.

Returning to the progression of the programme, what stands out is how even elements fundamental for a sprinter or hurdler, such as the use of starting blocks and hurdles, were introduced very late in the season — without compromising the outcome.

---

Slower, yet faster

The training session on 11 July proved to be a key moment: running two flying 30-metre sprints with a 30-metre run-up, Serena completed both attempts in 7.79 seconds, timed with Freelap.

Even this figure made my eyes widen, but even more impressive was Serena’s understanding that the first attempt — in which she reached 8.85 m/s in the flying section — was better than the second, where the initial 30 metres were technically faster, yet her exit speed from the flying section was only 8.72 m/s.

Slower on entry, faster on exit. Same 60-metre time, but a better projection for the 100 metres.

That day, Serena clicked: thanks in part to the seven-step hurdle start work, which emphasised the power of each contact, she understood the dynamics of acceleration like no other athlete I have ever coached.

Patient and powerful.

This approach allowed for optimal transfer of horizontal force, maximising performance even when starting blocks were introduced very late in the programme due to physical limitations.

---

Surgical Plyometrics

Plyometrics were incorporated into Serena’s programme in an extremely targeted and progressive manner. After managing residual tendon discomfort from the previous season, we began introducing exercises from 20 January, starting with 15 cm drop freezes.

The goal was to strengthen the tendon structure without ever exceeding the pain threshold, while consolidating the ability to transfer force to the ground and optimising athletic technique.

This precise phase allowed Serena to develop explosive power safely, effectively preparing her for the high-intensity sessions in the following months.

---

Psychological management

Alongside technique and physical strength, psychological management proved crucial. Work-related stress, personal commitments, and the pressure of international competitions could have undermined her performance, but with the right approach and transparent communication, Serena maintained exceptionally high-level performances.

During the season, some maximum-strength sessions didn’t deliver the expected results, and Serena almost never makes mistakes under the weights.

It was precisely through constant dialogue that we realised the cause wasn’t physical, but mainly linked to stress and work commitments at the time.

This shared understanding allowed us to adapt the programme, temporarily shifting the focus from purely physical work to one more oriented towards balance and recovery. The result was a marked improvement in the quality of training and a greater sense of calm in tackling the most intense phases of the season.

This philosophy inspires our programmes: it’s not just about running or jumping, but about training the athlete as a whole.

---

Hurdles, blocks, and over-distance training

Serena tackled an impressive volume of over-distance training. Repeated 250-metre runs at high intensity helped develop exceptional anaerobic capacity, essential for managing three rounds of the 200 metres at the European Championships.

A key moment of the season was the 250-metre run in 34 seconds at Almuñécar, Spain, during one of our training camps — and where I live. The conditions were truly challenging: rain had just stopped, strong winds, and cold temperatures. Yet despite this, Serena demonstrated remarkable control over accumulated fatigue and excellent management of the run.

This performance reinforced her confidence over longer distances, allowing her to approach the rest of the season with outstanding conviction. But this result doesn’t come out of nowhere… many sessions, such as 5×250m with 5-minute rests, paved the way. Nothing comes for free.

And the Hurdles?

Hurdles were introduced on 10 January, starting with a weekly volume of just 24 hurdles. Although Serena has extensive experience with hurdles, training the neural freshness required for high-frequency competitions takes time and many, many high-intensity repetitions.

That remains the main goal for the 2026 season: even greater frequency over the hurdles.

That said, we needed metres. Serena’s programme was incredibly high in volume from the start, focusing primarily on over-distance training to challenge the anaerobic system. This strategy yielded extraordinary results: perfect management of three competition rounds across three different events, plus two relays.

---

The Flow Moment

One of the most beautiful moments for me was seeing Serena enter a state of flow during the European Championships. All the signs described in textbooks — total concentration, control of technical execution, inner calm — were there.

The training sessions leading up to the European Championships weren’t the best of the year, but they were consistently between 90 and 95% of her maximum performance. That constant precision of execution made me think, “we’ve got this.”

This shows that a peak isn’t required in every session, but rather a steady progression that prepares the athlete to excel when it truly matters. A peak — one that is genuine and can be maintained throughout a multi-day international event.

---

Bluer than the sky

At this European Championships, Serena was both the flagbearer and the face of the entire Italian women’s team. Stepping onto the track and securing victory with the final leg of the mixed 4×400m run in that manner truly defined the greatness of her European campaign.

The ability to view one’s individual performance as part of the team’s success is a fundamental principle at Scirocco TF, where collective growth is valued alongside personal achievement.

Personally, there’s no attitude that irritates me more than a sprinter who opts out of the relay to “preserve themselves.”

Chances are, these individuals know very little about sport.

---

The Final Preparation

The weeks leading up to the European Championships followed a key principle: balancing recovery with technical work. Short but targeted sessions, attention to detail, and full recovery allowed Serena to arrive at the competition fresh and ready. Literally three days of training, four days of rest, with a total volume of less than 200 metres.

The sole objective was to conserve energy to perform at her best in Madeira. Minimal work on hurdles and maximum quality in flying sprints, with a focus on hidden speed.

---

The Season in number

A retrospective analysis of the season’s results highlights how a winter dedicated to improving physical structure can translate into an exceptionally high-level outdoor season. This approach doesn’t diminish the importance of winter preparation; rather, it emphasises its strategic role, using it as a solid foundation to achieve even more ambitious goals during the summer months.

Personal, National and continental records

• 100m: PB 12″56
• 80m hurdles: SB 11″51 (ER)
• 200m: PB 25″12 (NR)
• 200m hurdles: PB 29″14 (NR)

National and international performances

• 60m W45: 7.99, 1st at National Master Indoor Championships, Ancona – Italy.
• 60m hurdles W45: 8”84, 1st at National Master Indoor Championships, Ancona – Italy.
• 200m W45: 26”03, 1st at National Master Indoor Championships, Ancona – Italy.
• 80m hurdles W45: 11”56 (NR), 1st at National Master Outdoor Championships, Misano – Italy.
• 100m W45: 12”56, 1st at National Master Outdoor Championships, Misano – Italy.
• 200m W45: 25”12 (NR), 1st at National Master Outdoor Championships, Misano – Italy.
• 80m hurdles W45: 11”51 (ER), 1st at European Master Athletics Championships, Madeira – Portugal.
• 100m W45: 12”79, 1st at European Master Athletics Championships, Madeira – Portugal.
• 200m W45: 25”32, 1st at European Master Athletics Championships, Madeira – Portugal.
• 4x400m relay X45: 3’49”72 (NR), 1st at European Master Athletics Championships, Madeira – Portugal.

---

[…]

This European Championships, even before boarding the plane, came with these expectations: the progression of training results, from the return from holiday to the event itself, left no doubt. There were never absolute peaks in individual sessions, but the steady progression led to an exponentially improving final performance, which manifested perfectly in competition. The peak occurred exactly where it was meant to — over a total of 11 races.

I was almost scared reading the data and realising that everything was going perfectly.

It was a fantastic, long season, and to think it started with plyometrics on 10-centimetre boxes, introducing blocks and hurdles only from January, makes me reflect on how little is known about optimal programming and how much we discovered together this year.

Thank you for allowing me to be part of this journey of yours. Now let’s enjoy this period of rest with joy and lightness, to recharge our energy and prepare to embark on a new journey in the coming season.

Ale

---

---

The future is bright,
Scirocco TF

---

Join the Team

---