Plan for the week
Mon (7:30) - 4's and 2's.  Stobhill.  3 X (4 min effort, 2 min recovery, 2 min effort, 2 min recovery).
Wed (6:30) - Track 5K session. 1000m at 5K pace, 5X(400m, 100 recovery, 200m, 100m recovery – efforts faster than 5K pace), 1000m faster than first.   The session can be easily adapted if needed.
Thurs (6:30) - 9's.  Lancaster Park.  9 min effort from the post-box anti-clockwise.  First runner turns and jogs clockwise, picking up runner as they meet, until reaches the last person, then all proceed anti-clockwise to re-start effort at post-box.  3 reps.  Good introduction to tempo running which is a vital element to training for any distance from 5K upwards.
 
Bizarrely, it appears that I am around for every session this week – not sure how my body will cope!!
 

Plan for the week
Mon (7:30) -  '800s'. Two circuits of low stobhill – 2 min recovery from when 1st runner completes circuits.  6 reps.  
Wed (6:30) - Track 1600's.  1000m effort to start and warm up.  Then 3X 1600m efforts with 2:30 recoveries.
Thurs (6:30) - 2s and 1s.  An old stalwart of a session!  Kirkhill.  2:00 efforts with 1:00 recoveries X 6 then 1:00 efforts with 1:00 recoveries X 6.


I will be away on Monday but hope to be running on Wed and Thurs.

​I will not be able to make the sessions on either Monday or Thursday this coming week.
 
Plan for the week
Mon (7:30) - Short Hills.  We previously ran these near Mafeking roundabout.  This was not ideal.  I would suggest doing them in King's Avenue, running up the hill from what was Greystoke Surgery.  That should be a long enough hill and should be reasonably quite.  Remember, this session does need a good warm up.   So I would recommend running up to and around Lancaster Park before heading to King's avenue.  I would also suggest half a dozen 20 second strides during the warm up.  Strides are not meant to be efforts.  Rather they are to help stretch and warm up your legs.  Increase your pace gradually over approx. 10 seconds and then hold it for 10 seconds, concentrating on running smoothly with good form.  Walk to get your breath back after each stride.  Then once you get to King's Avenue, the session is as follows:  10 x 10s uphill sprints with 60s recoveries.
Wed (6:30) – Track 800S session – 800m efforts with a twist!  5 X 800m with 2-3 min recoveries:  1st 800m at 5K pace;  2nd 700m at 5K pace then 100m faster; 3rd 600m at 5K pace then 200m faster, 4th 500m at 5K pace then 300m faster, 5th 400m at 5K pace then 400m faster.
Thurs (6:30) – Ignore what is on the schedule – it will be too dark for this.  Go to Lancaster Park and do a tempo session.  3+ laps without stopping.  Decide how many laps you are going to do before you start.  NB 1 lap = 1.4 miles.  A standard tempo session would be to do all laps at the same good pace.  A ‘good pace’ is one when you can’t talk to people other than odd words.  HOWEVER it is NOT all out race pace.  If you go that fast then you will get the pretty much the same training stimulus as running a bit slower but it will take you longer to recover.  A twist on the standard tempo session, which is good for old people like me that take a while to warm up, is to do the 1st lap at a reasonable pace but not full tempo pace.  Then aim to run each lap faster than the one before.  Easy if you are only doing 3 laps.  A gold star if you can achieve this for a 7 lap tempo session of Lancaster Park – great marathon training and pace judgement!

Plan for the week
Mon (7:30) - 4s and 2s.  Stobhill. 4:00 effort, 2:00 recovery, 2:00 effort, 2:00 recovery.  3 sets
Wed (6:30) - The schedule says bypass, but I think it will be too dark for this, so I suggest we do 9's. Lancaster Park.  9 min effort from the postbox anti-clockwise.  First runner turns and jogs clockwise, picking up runner as they meet, until reaches the last person, then all proceed anti-clockwise to re-start effort at post-box.  3 reps.
Thurs (6:30) - Track 200's.  20 x 200m efforts with 200m jog recoveries.


In theory I am around all week (there's a surprise!) but I was knackered today after just a 1.5 mile jog, so will have to see how I get on.