Training

Introduction

If you require guidance to help prepare for the event, we hope you find this useful.

The Schedule

The first thing that may strike you about the programme is that it is based on 3 runs/week. This is formulated on sound science and has been demonstrated to be highly effective. The key to its success is that each session, if executed properly, is challenging and requires a degree of effort and concentration from the runner. The format is simple: 2 blocks of 4 weeks each, with a steadily increasing load.

Key Points

  • Warm-up: each session lasts for approximately 1 hour. Though not stated, you should begin the session with a gentle 10 min easy jog and, after the session, warm down similarly.
  • The Tuesday runs are interval based and require you to increase your effort during each of the time intervals set out e.g. for 20 x 1 minute, gradually increase your speed/effort within each of these minutes with the aim being to finish the twentieth minute as strongly as you did the first, and all others in between. To achieve this for all your interval runs, it is essential that you recover fully and properly between the intervals. This can best be achieved via an active recovery by means of brisk walking or, preferably, an easy, light jog.

If you follow this 8-week schedule, you can be confident that you can tackle the full 12Km/7.5 mile event safely and well. Additional “padding” runs are not recommended but by all means, do not hesitate to enhance your active recovery on non-running days by indulging in other immensely beneficial but non-load bearing aerobic activities like cycling, swimming, gym circuits, Pilates and many others. The key here is that impact and repetitive load on joints and leg muscles are avoided while core strength and cardiovascular systems will benefit substantially.

Hope you have found this helpful!

Weeks 1 – 4 from starting training

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Week 1 10 x 2 mins

2 min recs

RPE 8

  3-5 miles steady

Some hills

RPE 7/8

   

 

 

Long run

 

RPE 6

Week 2 4 x 6 mins

3 min recs

RPE 8

 

3-5 miles steady

 

RPE 7/8

    Long run – hills

RPE 6

Week 3 4 x 7 mins

3 min recs

RPE 8

 

 

 

3-5 miles Fartlek

 

RPE 7/8

    Long run -hills

RPE 6

Week 4

 

20 x 1 min

1 min recs

RPE 9

 

 

 

3-5 miles steady

 

RPE7/8

   

Long run

 

RPE 6

RPE: Rate of Perceived Exertion – a notional scale from 1 – 10 describing the relative hardness/degree of difficulty of the session based on the physical effort applied. 1 is a gentle stroll whereas 10 is eyeball bursting flatout, as in sprinting – which you won’t be doing!!

FARTLEK (Speed play): Random spells of faster running/increased effort within an overall distance.

Weeks 5-8 from starting training

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Week 5

20 x 1 min

1 min recs

RPE 9

 

2-4 miles comfortable

RPE 6

 

 

 

 

4 miles easy

RPE 6

Week 6

10 x 2 mins

2 min recs

RPE 8

 

3-4 miles steady

Some hills

RPE 6/7

   

 

 

4 miles easy – some hills

RPE 6/7

Week 7

8 x 3 mins

2 min recs

RPE 7

 

3 miles Fartlek

Max 3 mins effort

RPE 6-8

    5 miles easy

RPE 6

Week 8 20 x 1 min

1 min recs

RPE 8

 

3-5 miles steady

Some hills

RPE 6/7

   

4 miles easy

RPE 6

RPE: Rate of Perceived Exertion – a notional scale from 1 – 10 describing the relative hardness/degree of difficulty of the session based on the physical effort applied. 1 is a gentle stroll whereas 10 is eyeball bursting flatout, as in sprinting – which you won’t be doing!!

FARTLEK (Speed play): Random spells of faster running/increased effort within an overall distance.