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TRAINING |  |
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Training Programs
The Herald Sun/Citylink Run for the Kids tranining runs brought to you by Nike are on again. The training runs will commence from Monday 4th Feb, with the final training run to be on Saturday 29th March. Training runs are free of charge and a great way to prepare for the race and have fun in the process. 2008 Run for the Kids Training Runs, presented by Nike.MONDAY EVENING:FEDERATION SQUARE Where: Amphitheatre, off Flinders Street. (Melways ref: 2F H5) Time: 5:45pm for a 6pm start What’s On: 5km and 10km course WEDNESDAY EVENING:FEDERATION SQUARE Where: Amphitheatre, off Flinders Street. (Melways ref: 2F H5) Time: 5:45pm for a 6pm start What’s On: 5km and 10km course with an additional speed work group. SATURDAY MORNING:FEDERATION SQUARE Where: Amphitheatre, off Flinders Street. (Melways ref: 2F H5) Time: 8:45am for a 9:00am start. What’s On: 5km, 10km and longer run over the 8 week period. MONA'S RUNDOWNSteve Moneghetti's training guide for active and less-active participants will appear exclusively in the Herald Sun's Health and Fitness section every Monday. Steve's 12-week program will ensure that you are fit and primed to go for the race on March 30. Watch the paper for more details. Each week Steve's program will also appear on the race website. WEEK 12Get fit and run for the kids with STEVE MONEGHETTI ONLY SIX days to go until the big event and, with a record 27,498 entrants, you will be part of the biggest fun run ever held in Victoria and the second biggest in Australia. Enjoy the company. As you can see in the training program, this week is all about freshening up physically for Sunday. You are doing only a couple of easy runs. The rest of the week is recovery and rest. Don't make yourself busy because you suddenly have all this extra time on your hands. Rather, use this time to rest to allow your body to be in the best physical and mental state for the event. Here are a few other simple tips:
See you all at the start line on Sunday morning. TRAINING: WEEK 12
WEEK 11HOW did you go in the race or time-trial at the weekend? Hopefully it all went well and you're now confident of your action plan for the real deal in 13 days. If you didn't get the result you wanted, there is a tendency to feel you need to step up training. Don't. The last thing you need now is to tire your body for the big day. We have started the taper phase of training. This is the good bit, when you start to reduce the quantity and quality of training and allow your body to absorb the workload. So I've backed off the long run a bit and want you to do only one speed session - tomorrow. This will help freshen you up so you can produce the result you deserve on the big day. As the week progresses you should feel progressively better. Those tired and aching legs will suddenly start to feel as good as new again. It is like The Six Million Dollar Man or Bionic Woman - "we can rebuild him...better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster". As it is Easter this weekend, I've set only one 8km run/walk training day from Good Friday until Easter Sunday. It may be an excellent opportunity to spend time with family and friends who have supported you during this training period. It will also aid the freshening-up process. Treat yourself to an Easter egg or two because the simple carbohydrates won't do you any harm at this stage. In fact, next weekend (race day) you will need all the carbohydrates you can get. TRAINING: WEEK 11
WEEK 10Get fit and run for the kids HOPEFULLY everything is going well in your training and you are starting to enjoy the fruits of your labour. You will have noticed that the past two weeks' training was the same - no extra distance, no extra sessions. This was because we have reached our full training load and we're now starting to focus more on our participation in the event. If you think about our progression we have now covered the course distance, run or walked faster than we will need to on the day and trained on hills so we will not be fazed by them in the events. We have completed the full package and you should be brimming with confidence about your participation as well as having achieved a few other bonuses such as feeling more energetic and looking healthier. This week I want you to do a lead-up race or time-trial on Saturday. It will act as a dress rehearsal for the big day, and a chance to try out your running uniform, the shoes you intend to wear and the food and drink you will take before and during the run. The distance doesn't need to be as far as the race. A 10km or 3km race is fine, but try to do it at the pace you'll be exercising at on race day, March 30. For example, the Run for your Life fun run is at Daylesford on Saturday, with the choice of a 3km, 5km or 8km distance. Why not make a weekend of it? Finally, remember that if we reach our limit of 30,000 participants, on-line entries will close on Friday at 5pm. After all this work and dedication, I would hate you to miss out on being a part of all the action. TRAINING: WEEK 10
WEEK 9Get fit and run for the kids with STEVE MONAGHETTI RIGHT now I'm in Beijing with fellow marathon runner Lee Troop checking out the city, the marathon course and the athletes' village before the start of the Olympics on August 8. It's so important for us to inspect these facilities before Troop competes in the event on August 24. It helps to focus his training, allows him to visualise the course and familiarise himself with the surroundings on the day. This removes many of the unknowns and acts as a dress rehearsal for the race. There is no reason why you shouldn't do the same thing. Sure, it isn't the Olympics, but the Herald Sun/CityLink Run for the Kids is an event you'll want to enjoy and complete successfully, so a little planning will help this happen. Drive over parts of the course, or ride or walk the sections you can safely access in the second part of the long course or on the entire short course so you are familiar with them. Also, run in the clothes and shoes you intend to wear on the day in Saturday's training run. If you're going to use public transport to get to the start area - and I encourage you to do so - trial it beforehand so you know how much time you'll need to allow to get there comfortably. Also a familiarisation tour of the start/finish area in Linlithgow Ave will make it less daunting on the day of the event. All of these little things might seem overkill, but I believe a bit of homework and study adds up to a better result in the examination ... must be the maths teacher coming out in me. TRAINING: WEEK 9
WEEK 8Get fit and run for the kids with Steve Moneghetti LAST week was all about preparing you for the hills on both courses and ensuring you cope with them well on event day; this week is all about endurance. Distance events are all about absorbing enough training to be able to complete the distance. It's what people mean when they say you need to be of a mature age to run a marathon. It takes months or years to accumulate enough training into your legs and heart to successfully complete one. For a lot of you the Herald Sun/CityLink Run for the Kids is your own personal marathon, so you need to absorb some training to prepare you adequately for the event. Though I have incorporated speed work and hills into your training, this week is all about the long endurance run/walk which you will do on Saturday. I want you to cover 15km, yes, further than the race distance of the long-course event if that is the course you have chosen. This will give you complete confidence in your capacity to make it to the finish. The key is to do it slowly and within your comfort zone. Don't make it a huge burden, just get the distance covered in your own time. Feel free to walk, stop for a rest or shuffle along. I have absolutely no interest in the time it takes or the effort required, I just want you to cover the distance. Once you have completed this run you will feel a terrific sense of achievement, content in the knowledge that the length of the run will not faze you. We've certainly come a long way since that first training day on Monday, January 6. To quote one of my great thoughts on life: "It is all about the journey, not the destination." TRAINING: WEEK 8
WEEK 7Get fit and run for the kids with STEVE MONEGHETTI WE HAVE reached a significant point in our training for the Herald Sun CityLink Run for the Kids. After completing last week's training you are now more than halfway towards completing the training for the run. In running parlance, we've gone around the turning point at halfway and are heading for home. It's good positive reinforcement for what may often seem hard work training for something that's so far away. Now for this week's challenge. The long and short courses include at least one significant hill: the long course has the Bolte Bridge and Collins St; and the short course has the infamous Anderson St hill on the Tan. These might provide a nice view at the top and a smooth ride down the other side, but getting up them in the first place will be a tough test. They will be even more difficult if you have not included some hill work in your preparation. So to help you prepare and get to know what you might be in for on the hills, I've added a hill session to your training on Thursday. Find a hill about 300m long and of a steep gradient - similar but not steeper than the Anderson St hill. Start with three or four repetitions of running or power walking up this hill, then slowly jogging/shuffling or walking back to the start. Remember to run/walk there and back very easy as your warm-up and warm-down so you're not stressing your body on the hill before it's warmed up. Also it will help you recover better from the effort of running this difficult workout. I hope you enjoy rising to the challenge this week. TRAINING: WEEK 7
WEEK 6Get fit and run for the kids with STEVE MONEGHETTI HOW did you go with the speed work I introduced last week? It really will provide variety and stimulate your senses, and you may even experience the euphoria of an exercise-induced "high". It's often said that running is addictive. A lot of this addiction is a result of "runner's high" and, though I don't feel it often myself these days, occasionally I will have a race or session that surprises me and I again get that great buzz. So even though you may have found it difficult, it's worth persisting. One of my favourite sayings is, "if it was easy everyone would do it". So, as Nike says, just do it. Speaking of which, you may have read in Health & Fitness last week that the Nike training runs are back again, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Be at the atrium at Federation Square at 5.45 for a 6pm start. The runs are 5km and 10km and on Wednesdays they include a speed-work group. How's that for perfect synergy after my introduction of speed work last week? These runs are an excellent chance to take advantage of group training and be extended by joining others, who may make you run a little quicker than you may otherwise do by yourself. You are sure to sprint home over the last 200m just to beat a friend you were running with. I'll be coming to a couple of the runs, so get ready to take me on. TRAINING: WEEK 6
WEEK 5Get fit and run for the kids with STEVE MONEGHETTI THE variety I incorporated into last week's training has certainly sparked interest in people I am encountering on my travels around the state. I'm delighted with the reaction because it's made me realise how interested people are in the psychology of training. To add to this variety, I'm keen for you to learn how to exercise faster. This will be especially valuable if you are running the events, though walkers will also find a greater sense of achievement. As a result, this week we are going to do speedwork on Tuesday. Walk or jog to a local oval as a general warm-up and do about fi ve minutes of stretching. Next, do the speed session. Around the boundary line or track lane, run or fast-walk a lap followed by a slow-walk recovery lap. Do this four to six times, then run or walk home. This will get your legs and body used to going faster and, as they adapt, you will be able to sustain this quicker pace for longer periods, maybe even the full 14.14km distance. This type of workout is an integral part of any elite runner's training, so you really are stepping up to the task now. Good luck with it. TRAINING: WEEK 5
WEEK 4IT'S the Australia Day holiday today, so as a special treat I've given you an "active rest day". This is a day when you replace your normal training with a different activity of your own choice. It might be cross-training with a pool swim, bike ride or gym session. Or it might just be a leisure activity with the family or friends, such as a walk to the park with a kick of the footy or a hit of cricket, or a day at the beach. This might sound a strange coaching strategy, but I find with my athletes it works well. It breaks the monotony, adds variety, makes a person think for themselves and acts as a reward. I hope it has the same four benefi ts for you, too. This week will see the successful completion of four weeks (or one month) of training and for this you do, indeed, deserve a reward. The excitement of starting a new training program is gone, and the race may still feel a long way off. But this is the period when you will make the most gains. Improving your anaerobic fi tness is all about building on each workout. The more consistent you are with your training, the fi tter and stronger you will be by race day. You may even start feeling a little fl at or sluggish if you skip a session. This is also the time when your distances will start to build, so it’s important to listen to your body and concentrate on warming up and cooling down. An injury now could set you back a few weeks so, if you are sore, rest, and if the pain continues, be sure to see a physiotherapist or doctor. I hope you proudly celebrated our national day on Saturday – and enjoy your "active rest day" today to start this week of training. TRAINING: WEEK 4
WEEK 3Get fit and run for the kids with STEVE MONEGHETTI BY NOW you will have completed enough training to make some decisions. If you are going well and have completed most of the first two weeks, you are on track to finish the long-course event. But if you are struggling to complete the training I've set, maybe you should consider just doing the 5.76km event. No training at all yet means you need to get a wriggle on and make a serious commitment to getting active this week. Otherwise the task will be beyond you and it may be unwise to put your body under the stress that the race will bring. Now that you have made a wise decision, here is what I would like you to achieve this week - a longer-distance run on the Saturday. It will get your body used to being on its feet for a sustained period of time. If you are going to walk the long course, you most likely will be out there for more than two hours. Even if you run/walk sections of it, you'll still be on your feet for close to two hours, so the longer run will start to condition your body for this enduring effort. With the Australian Open tennis continuing at Melbourne Park, we are able to see first-hand some of the fittest athletes on the planet. And who knows, when you are out exercising this week you might just run into a famous tennis player maintaining their fitness while you are improving yours. Now here is your serve of training for this week. TRAINING: WEEK 3
WEEK 2Get fit and run for the kids with STEVE MONEGHETTI LAST week you started training to get you to the line for the 14.14km Herald Sun/CityLink Run for the Kids. A big congratulations to all of you who successfully completed it and are now committed to participating in the run. It was a very hot week last week; I know I suffered a little because I didn't keep adequately hydrated. As a result I had to modify my training at the end of the week. I'm not embarrassed about this, in fact I'm glad I was sensible and strong enough to back off and let my body recover. I hope you take on this advice yourself and always listen to your body. It's one of the great advantages of exercise in that you get to know your body much better. With the weather so hot, my advice is to exercise early in the morning or late at night when the temperature is much cooler and the sun is lower in the sky. Also, try to run in shady places such as around the Tan or, like me, around Lake Wendouree in Ballarat. Make sure you have drinking water available, and this might mean doing runs from home around the block so you can stop off for a regular drink. Alternatively, carry water or energy gels with you in a water belt, camelback or in your shorts or jacket pocket. Last week was a bit of a shock to your system, but you should feel better within yourself already and think the 14.14km event is a real possibility. We will continue to work on your base fitness by increasing your exercise to four days a week. With that gift voucher for Christmas, treat yourself to a good pair of walking/running shoes or a new exercise outfit. This will put a spring in your step and keep you motivated as well as preventing injury. This week's total distance (18km) already adds up to further than the 14.14km of the long event, which should reinforce your confidence. Finally remember the Aussie slogan "slip, slop, slap". TRAINING: WEEK 2
TRAINING: WEEK 1HERE it is, your ticket to a new you. This training program will get you off your bum and over the finish line in the 2008 Run for the Kids. Below is week one, and over the next 12 weeks Health and Fitness will help prepare you for the 14.14km challenge that lies ahead. Before starting any training program, get a check-up from your local doctor. To get started, you need to be walking three times a week for 20 minutes.
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