Runner of the Month for September
The choice of Runner of the Month for September involved a lot of strong support, and some crafty covert messages
TRAC coach Kevin McQuaid will be regularly providing series of four workouts, the first two workouts are aimed at improving your 5k / Parkrun times.
Parkrun – the local weekly 5k race that many of us like to use, some as an easy jog and others to push themselves to see how fast they can manage it. In week 1, the aim is to feel the rhythm of what you intend to run for park run itself. Get used to how your body moves & how the scenery moves around you. Week 2, the aim is to start at a brisk tempo, one that you could hold for an hour, then run some repeated efforts at your 5k pace, before returning to your brisk tempo. Combining different efforts, to help build some fatigue in your body before aiming to run at your Parkrun / 5k pace.
Week 3, pacing cutdowns – This is something that is a challenge to learn and feel. Today’s workout is all about learning what ramping up the pace feels like – each rep is slightly shorter, run at a slightly faster speed. With no rest in between it’s about not setting off too quick and controlling how much you up the pace for each rep. Learning how to change pace accurately is a great skill that comes in super handy as you run various different kind of workouts and races.
Week 4, switch up the easy run. This week’s Workout of the week is adding some variability to the regular easy run and finishing with some downhill strides to add in some form work. Running at an easy pace is a valuable tool for any runner. A change that can help utilise the easy run in a slightly different way is changing where you do your easy run, choosing somewhere that isn’t flat. Whilst Thanet isn’t known for its elevation you can find many little spots where you get up and down.
WHAT: 3-4 sets of 4 x 90 seconds at your goal park run or 5k pace, with a short 30 second recovery jog. After each set of 4 reps take a 3 minute easy walk / jog before starting the next one. So the workout would look like:
Warm Up followed by
4 x 90seconds @ Parkrun / 5k effort, with a 30 second easy jog.
3 minutes easy jogging
4 x 90seconds @ Parkrun / 5k effort, with a 30 second easy jog.
3 minutes easy jogging
4 x 90seconds @ Parkrun / 5k effort, with a 30 second easy jog.
3 minutes easy jogging
Either stop at this point and cool down OR run one more set.
4 x 90seconds @ Parkrun / 5k effort, with a 30 second easy jog.
3 minutes easy jogging
Cool down
WARMUP/COOLDOWN: Warm up before the workout with 15-20 minutes of easy running followed by 4-6 x 20-second strides (i.e., accelerate for 5 seconds, spend the next 10 seconds at near-top speed, and then gradually decelerate to a jog over the final 5 seconds. Catch your breath for 40-60 seconds and then repeat 3-5 more times). Cool down after the workout with 5-15 minutes of easy running.
WHY: To feel the rhythm of your 5k / Park run goal pace. Is it sustainable, or is it too easy. Should you change your pace?
WHERE: Preferably somewhere that is similar to your Parkrun route. Otherwise you can run on a Treadmill in the gym
WHEN: Generally in the middle of the week. You feel fresh & not fatigued from a harder workout the day before. Avoid doing the day before a more challenging run.
WHAT: 8 to 10 minutes running at the effort you could hold for an hour, then 3-4 sets of 3 minutes at your goal park run or 5k pace, with a short 90 second recovery jog. After each set of 4 reps take a 3 minute easy walk / jog before starting the next one. So the workout would look like:
Warm Up followed by
8 to 10 minutes running at a tempo you could hold for an hour
5 minutes easy jogging running
3-4 x 3 minutes @ Parkrun / 5k effort, with a 90 second easy jog.
1 minutes easy jogging
8 to 10 minutes running at a tempo you could hold for an hour
Cool down
WHY: To help teach your body to run at your Parkrun pace when you have some fatigue in your legs. To understand how to change pace.
WHERE: Preferably somewhere that is similar to your Parkrun route. Otherwise you can run on a Treadmill in the gym
WHEN: Alternate on a weekend, one weekend Parkrun, one weekend this session.
WHAT: An easy 15 minute workout, followed by shorter blocks run at faster paces. No rest in between as you then run 10 mins/ 8min / 6mins / 4mins / 2mins. Finish off with a 15 minute easy jog to cool down.
Warm Up of 15 minute easy running, followed by:
10 minute at 4/10 effort
8 minutes at 5/10 effort
6 minutes at 6/10 effort
4 minutes at 7/10 effort
2 minutes at 8/10 effort
Cool down 15 minute easy running.
If 30 minutes in total feels intimidating, stat by halving each of the above ups (so 5/4/3/2/1 minute) and run to the same effort. Next step you could do 2 sets of this in the same workout, before rebuilding up to running above as set out.
WARMUP/COOLDOWN: Nice and easy to remember – 15 minutes running at a 2 out of 10 effort.
WHY: To really understand what it is like to gradually up the pace. If you run with a watch can you avoid looking at the paces until after the workout to see what paces each effort was run at?
WHERE: Preferably somewhere that is flatter – to let you get in a decent rhythm and feel the paces. Between Margate and Reculver Towers gives you a nice long flat sections to use. Check the wind as well! This can make a big difference to how fast / slow your effort will be.
WHEN: Generally in the middle of the week. You feel fresh & not fatigued from a harder workout the day before. Avoid doing the day before a more challenging run.
WHAT: Choose one of the easy runs you would normally run. Look at how long in time you would normally run. This is the amount of time you are going to use. Next find a part of Thanet that isn’t flat, that you are going to run EASY up and down for the amount of time.
Select the length of time your easy run would be – if an hour that is how long you are going to run super easy. No stopping to walk at any time. Choose your start point, run either down or up to your turnaround point, turnaround and get back to your start point. This is 1 rep. Keep going back and forth until your time is up.
To finish you are going to run hard 5x 20-30secs downhill, then slowly jog back up.
WHY: Running nice and easy over hills adds in some different challenge to your normal easy run, whilst not altering running at a very easy pace. Having to not stop, work out the difference in style in switching from running uphill to running downhill all valuable. Then at the end how will you manage the feeling of running hard downhill. Not long enough to tire you out, but long enough to feel speed a great way to end a session
WHERE: It could be from the Captain Digby to the North Foreland lighthouse. It could be from the top of North Foreland Avenue down to Stone Bay (my particular favourite), it could be be from Stone Gap Primary into Broadstairs and back, Ramsgate Harbour, Up and down around West Cliff in Ramsgate. Many options.
WHEN: Choose a day when you have an easy run planned and switch it up with the easy hills session.
The choice of Runner of the Month for September involved a lot of strong support, and some crafty covert messages
Please help us get to the end… and also remember if you’re taking part in the Club Champs and want