10-WEEK PROGRAM: WEEK 5
March 7th - 13th
Training
Developed for participants entering the 14.38km course
Monday: 60min walk/run (7km)
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 3km run/walk to local oval, four to six fast laps of the oval
Thursday: rest
Friday: 40min walk (4km)
Saturday: 75min walk/run (9km)
Sunday: rest
Training
Developed for participants entering the 5.2km coursee
- Monday: 20min walk (2km)
- Tuesday: rest
- Wednesday: 10min walk (1km) to an oval, then 5 laps of running or fast walking with a lap walk in between. Walk home
- Thursday: rest
- Friday: rest
- Saturday: 35min walk/run (4km)
- Sunday: rest
IN WEEK 3 we spoke about building up the length of the training sessions to improve your endurance.
This week I am introducing a session on Wednesday to help you complete the runs in a faster time.
It is satisfying to finish, but it is an added bonus if you finish knowing you have pushed yourself hard.
Throughout my career a lot of my most memorable races were not necessarily ones that I won, but ones where I really got the most out of myself.
The feeling of exhilaration in that experience is unforgettable. I think it has something to do with the endorphins released by our bodies when we exercise hard -- it's referred to as a runner's high.
I still do speed sessions and races because it is quite an addictive feeling.
It is pretty self-explanatory, but the new session is basically a short warm-up and warm-down to and from an oval.
At the oval, you extend yourself for a lap then walk a lap to recover in between.
This will get your lungs and legs used to exercising at a quicker pace and the body will adapt to this stimulation and be able to perform faster or more comfortably on race day.
It is what elite runners call fartlek -- a Swedish word for speed play, so again you are training like the best in the business.
Our total distance for the week adds up to double the distance of the two relevant events (28km and 10km) and halfway through our journey we are right on target.
