Meet Joe Bloggs, he’s 52 years old, gets roped into cycling the Joburg’s cycle challenge every November in aid of charity, he’s completed his 7th 95km race in his best time of 5h25m. He doesn’t do any training in preparation for this yearly event but relies on his fitness from his sometimes 3 weekly runs and Saturday park run. Every September to March he adds a session to shed that winter layer so that he can enjoy his weekend braai’s, the extra beer and pudding during summer. Joe’s PB last year at the RAC 10km was 64m02. He wants to run a sun 60m this year and is willing to put in the extra effort to break that hour mark.
Meet Jane Doe, she’s 25 years old, has completed a tertiary education and has just started her first job as an accountant. Jane sits a lot during her working hours crunching numbers for her boss. In high school Jane used to play soft ball twice a week in summer and was a first team hockey player. She continues to play hockey after High school for a premier club. Jane has embarked on this programme to increase her running fitness by doing road races.
A park runner who wants to run their first 10km. Running approx 5 times per week.
YOU!! Yes, you reading this!
Set a goal time and race 14 weeks from now and get in touch for a programme.
What you need to start this programme?
A good pair of shoes. If your shoes are more than a year old, invest in a new pair. Shoes are cheaper than a cost of an injury
A watch or a stopwatch.
If possible, find a training group. Challenge your friends or work mates and form your own group.
Training time 5 -10 hours per week.
Should be currently running about 30 km per week or more
NOTE, if you are training tired from a hard week, go back and repeat week 3. The following week continue with the programme.
Paces
E = Easy at 6m30 to 7m00 per km
M = Slightly faster than E pace at 6m15 to 6m30 per km
T = Threshold pace at 5m45 to 6m05
I = Interval pace at 5:15 to 5m30
R = Repetition pace at 5:55 to 5m15
WU = Warm Up
CD = Cool Down
Time trial tests to ensure improvements:
Try pick a time trial and test yourself on the same time trial.
Week 2 – 5km TT TEST – record this time
Week7 – 5km TT TEST – compare to week 2 time, this time trial time should be faster that week 2
Week12 – 5km TT TEST – compare to week 7 time, this time trial time should be faster that week 7.
Week14 – 5km TT TEST – aim is to run 5km at 5m45 to 5m55..
Race tips!
Pick a race in 14 weeks and Diarise the date
Pre enter the race as soon as entries open.
Know how to get to start .
Aim to get to there an hour before the start
Eat oats or a banana or carb drink an hour before the race.
Get to the startline at least 15 minutes before the gun goes off.
If you would like any advice or would like a 10km programme please contact Michelle Coach Mee on 0832803605
Run around the track in a counter-clockwise direction.
Do not stand or stretch in any lanes.
Should a faster runner want to pass you, listen for “Track!” which means there is a fast runner approaching you from behind and they are ready or in the process of overtaking you.
“Passing right” means hold your line as a faster athlete is in the process of over taking you on your right hand side.
Do not run more than 2-3 abreast. This will block the lane.
Single lane track
In a group session, on a single lane track keep left and pass right. Just like a highway.
Exit the track to the left into the middle of the track. This does not impede faster athlete’s still running in the lane and this will avoid nasty collisions.
Do not run more than 3 abreast.
Multiple lane track
Look for notice boards or signs on the track for which lanes are open for use!
Check to see if the tracks being used by sprinters an see which lanes they are using. Stay out of these lanes.
If there are hurdles obstructing the first 2 lanes, do not move the hurdles and hence do not use these lanes. This is a sign that these lanes are not to be used.
If the track has lanes, don’t use the first 2-3 lanes as these are excessively used during track season during the middle distances events and it helps to reduce excessive wear on the inside lanes. The fastest runners use the lanes 4-5 and slower runners can use 6-8. Remember to stay in your lane. Faster runners in the same lane must pass on the right side of you.
First observe the runners on the track and the pace they are running. Choose your lane according to your pace.
Do not run more than 2 abreast. This will block the lane.
A Small Track Bus
If you are running a session with other athlete’s at the same pace, let each athlete take a turn on the front for the interval. Rotate positions in the bus.
Don’t let the elastic break – Try keep as close as possible to the runner in front of you but leave just enough space as not to step on their heel.
Going off the back- It is difficult to regain the back of the group if you allow a gap of more than 2-3 meters. Hence always try stay in close contact with the runner in front of you.
Most Important – All seasoned athlete’s should welcome and encourage any novice athlete that arrives at the track. Help them to become a better athlete by sharing basic track etiquette. We have all been beginners…
Do you have a sore lower back? Do you have no explanation for losing time over the last few kilometers of a race?
Start by LOOKING at your RUNNING FORM! Often small little gremlins creep into our running posture.
Correct Head Position
Today’s first video is a talk on running form
The second video shows athlete’s doing running form drills over 50m.
Running Drills
Drills: 10 x 20m or 10 x 50m.
During lock down, you can try these down your driveway or in your garden
Running form faults and corrections are magnified over short, fast sessions (R or 1500m Pace). If you do it correctly over a fast speed, it will be easy at race pace!
Focus on 1 posture or running technique per session.
You’ve probably been sucked into the vortex of black hole running. It’s the twilight zone, a pace that’s not overly strenuous but still hard enough to feel good after the workout. It is a pace that is too slow for positive gains but too fast for a full recovery.
Run in the black hole, you will get tired but make no speed improvement. You may even see a reduction in your speed.
The Black hole is a narrow band of about 10 beats per minute at 100 – 105% of your threshold heart rate.
Make sure your R Pace (1500m pace) interval sessions are done at the correct speed. If you’re run them too slow, you’re headed into black hole training. Alternate, hard sessions with easy sessions. If you have not fully recovered from a quality session, you could spend most of your easy run in the black hole.
Don’t get stuck in an endless cycle of hard runs that are too easy and easy runs that are too hard!!!
Racing is about getting from the start to the finish in the quickest possible time with the least amount of energy left in the tank. This means you’ve gone as hard as possible, leaving all your energy spent out on the road.
I have put a few tips together to help you to race a fast 10km race:
Break the 10km race up into 2 x 5km races.
The first 5km stay within 5-10 sec of your race pace without speed surges. Huge speed surges cost energy and could result in accumulating lactate faster than you can clear it. This will force you to slow down.
Know the route, this helps you to bank time for hills or lots of tight turns and to push on the easy sections to make up lost time.
Take the inside running line and cut corners across the road. Every second counts towards a new PB.
Set your pace (even splits to 8km), make sure it’s based on your current level of fitness.
If you are feeling good at 8km, it’s time to kick up the pace by 5-10 sec per km to the end.
If you are just holding on, keep your current pace. Re-evaluate your effort at 9km, we can usually smell the stables and find that extra little effort for the final km.
Even if you’ve run a perfectly paced race, at roughly the 7km mark the race starts to bite! Breathe, stay focused on good cadence and running rhythm. Keep to your pace as this is where you can lose concentration and your pace can waver.
Nutrition is just as important for a 10km race as a marathon. Eat 2-3 hours before the start of the race. Eg: cereal, oats, toast with jam. Drink 500ml of fluid from the time you wake up to the start of the race.
I usually have coffee as I get up with cereal and a Liqui Fruit about 30 min before the start.This works for me.
Evaluate your race afterwards, what went well and what areas you could improve on for your next race.
If you would like any further advice on 10km race strategies, contact me to discuss in further detail.
Hard repetitive training creates microscopic tears in your muscle fibers. If you do not rest or do easy recovery runs, you do not allow these tears to repair.
Your brain has time to chill out and recharge on a rest day.
Generally, 1 rest day and 2 recovery runs should be planned in your 6-day per week running schedule. If you’re running once per day. For some athletes, a rest day could include a cross-training session like yoga, or for others, a complete rest from all exercise.
