RUN PROGRAM - "MILEAGE GAME"
Weekly Workouts
February 17th to February 23rd - Week #4
Workout type this cycle - Long intervals (4 minutes) with short recovery (1 minute) at controlled pace with long regeneration training.
Workout type this cycle - Long intervals (4 minutes) with short recovery (1 minute) at controlled pace with long regeneration training.
- Two runs on Saturday.
Workouts
Monday
Day off
Tuesday
Warm Up - 6 minutes of easy running.
Tempo Run - 18 to 36 minutes at a mindful running pace focusing on technique.
Strength Workout
Cool Down - 6 minutes of easy running + soft tissue work - ( stretching, foam roller, massage & sauna )
Wednesday @ Fast Trax - FAST TRAX FARTLEKS @ 6:00pm - DROP IN COMMUNITY RUN WORKOUT
Warm Up - 12 minutes of easy running - regrouping during warm up if group spreads out during warm up.
Intervals - 4 x 4 minute with 1 minute recovery.
Tempo - 12 minute tempo run
Cool Down - 12 minutes of easy running - ( stretching, foam roller, massage & sauna )
Thursday
Warm Up - 6 minutes of easy running.
Tempo Run - 18 to 36 minutes at a mindful running pace focusing on technique.
Strength Workout
Cool Down - 6 minutes of easy running + soft tissue work - ( stretching, foam roller, massage & sauna )
Friday
Warm Up - 6 minutes of easy running.
Tempo Run - 18 to 36 minutes at a mindful running pace focusing on technique.
Cool Down - 6 minutes of easy running.
Saturday @ Fast Trax - FAST TRAX FARTLEKS @ 8:30am - DROP IN COMMUNITY RUN WORKOUT
Warm Up - 12 minutes of easy running - regrouping during warm up if group spreads out during warm up.
Intervals - 4 x 4 minute with 1 minute recovery.
Tempo - 12 minute tempo run
Cool Down - 12 minutes of easy running - ( stretching, foam roller, massage & sauna )
Sunday
Recovery Run - 90 to 150 minutes of easy running based on event - Complete run over hilly terrain on soft surface as off road is good for legs.
Day off
Tuesday
Warm Up - 6 minutes of easy running.
Tempo Run - 18 to 36 minutes at a mindful running pace focusing on technique.
Strength Workout
Cool Down - 6 minutes of easy running + soft tissue work - ( stretching, foam roller, massage & sauna )
- Tempo run note: 10km - 18 minute tempo, Half - 24 minute tempo, Full - 30 minute tempo, Ultra - 36 minute tempo
Wednesday @ Fast Trax - FAST TRAX FARTLEKS @ 6:00pm - DROP IN COMMUNITY RUN WORKOUT
Warm Up - 12 minutes of easy running - regrouping during warm up if group spreads out during warm up.
Intervals - 4 x 4 minute with 1 minute recovery.
Tempo - 12 minute tempo run
Cool Down - 12 minutes of easy running - ( stretching, foam roller, massage & sauna )
Thursday
Warm Up - 6 minutes of easy running.
Tempo Run - 18 to 36 minutes at a mindful running pace focusing on technique.
Strength Workout
Cool Down - 6 minutes of easy running + soft tissue work - ( stretching, foam roller, massage & sauna )
- Tempo run note: 10km - 18 minute tempo, Half - 24 minute tempo, Full - 30 minute tempo, Ultra - 36 minute tempo
Friday
Warm Up - 6 minutes of easy running.
Tempo Run - 18 to 36 minutes at a mindful running pace focusing on technique.
Cool Down - 6 minutes of easy running.
- Tempo run note: 10km - 18 minute tempo, Half - 24 minute tempo, Full - 30 minute tempo, Ultra - 36 minute tempo
- Optional day off if more rest is needed to handle the training load.
Saturday @ Fast Trax - FAST TRAX FARTLEKS @ 8:30am - DROP IN COMMUNITY RUN WORKOUT
Warm Up - 12 minutes of easy running - regrouping during warm up if group spreads out during warm up.
Intervals - 4 x 4 minute with 1 minute recovery.
Tempo - 12 minute tempo run
Cool Down - 12 minutes of easy running - ( stretching, foam roller, massage & sauna )
Sunday
Recovery Run - 90 to 150 minutes of easy running based on event - Complete run over hilly terrain on soft surface as off road is good for legs.
- Focus on Fuel Efficiency by not eating 2 hours prior to this session and only drinking water for the workout.
- Focus on Run Economy by hitching at the hip and not rocking shoulders with good body posture
Weather Notes
Run workouts out of the shop will be cancelled if the following occurs one hour prior to workout on the Environment Canada website.
Summer
As athletes, it is especially important to monitor environmental conditions. We suggest that you follow all weather watches or warnings and consider training indoors or significantly reducing your workout when conditions are less than ideal.
Summer
- Air Quality Health Index - ( 7 or higher )
- Air Temperature - ( +30 degrees or warmer )
- Air Temperature - ( -20 degrees or colder )
As athletes, it is especially important to monitor environmental conditions. We suggest that you follow all weather watches or warnings and consider training indoors or significantly reducing your workout when conditions are less than ideal.
Workout Notes
Interval Workouts
Complete the interval workouts as fast as comfortably possible considering the length of reps, number of reps, and recovery periods. You want a certain flow to each workout whereby you are not straining to each your top speed. As in a race, pace early reps and systematically increase effort across reps to maintain or increase pace across reps.
Note: Think of interval workouts as just-manageable challenges, that barely exceed your current abilities. If you feel fully in control, make the next workout a bit harder. If you feel anxious or not in control dial things down a notch on your next workout.
Note: Continued research in the area of training intensity seems to suggest when athletes make their hard days harder they got better, but when they make the easy days harder by running too far they break down.
Tempo Workouts
Short tempo workouts are done on your recovery days, so the pace and volume must be controlled to allow full recovery between the formal interval workouts. Rather than running long and slow, we get in some mindful running focusing on cadence and good form that contributes to performance.
Note: Run at an effort of 50% for the warm up and build from 60 to 70% effort if you are feeling good for the tempo portion of the run.
For example, a short tempo workout for a marathon runner would start by running six minutes at an easy running pace, followed by thirty minutes at a crisp mindful pace, one which you are focusing on technique and cadence as opposed to a specific pace or heart rate and then finishing up with six minutes at an easy running pace, making it a forty two minute workout.
Note: If you increase the length of your tempo runs you negatively affect your recovery-adaptation. You can add time to these workouts by adding an addition 6 minutes to the warm up and cool down portion of the workout.
Recovery Workouts
Recovery workouts on Sundays are slow continuous running over longer distances.
Note: Run at an effort of 50% for your recovery runs.
Note: If you increase the length of your Recovery Workouts you negatively affect your recovery-adaptation.
Simulation Workouts
Simulation workouts replace the weekly Saturday interval workout every three weeks. Pacing of these workouts is based on your goal race pace over similar terrain to your goal event.
Note: Run at an effort of 50% for the warm up and build to 80% effort as the simulation runs begins. Once you settle into your rhythm build from 90 to 100% of your goal marathon pace for your simulation runs.
Terrain Choice
Regeneration and Recovery
If you are feeling really fatigued on any particular day, this is a good sign that your body needs more recovery before it is ready to tackle another challenging workout. Simply replace your workout for the day with a recovery workout or rest day. If injured, ill, or experiencing excess fatigue, don’t do the workout.
Otherwise, do the workouts as scheduled and make adjustments in paces (e.g., increases, decreases) within and across workouts to maximize each workout.
Note: Within the program the best days for rest days are Mondays and / or Fridays based on your schedule.
Complete the interval workouts as fast as comfortably possible considering the length of reps, number of reps, and recovery periods. You want a certain flow to each workout whereby you are not straining to each your top speed. As in a race, pace early reps and systematically increase effort across reps to maintain or increase pace across reps.
- Trail runners complete one formal workout on hilly terrain and the second workout on flat to rolling terrain.
- For hilly terrain workouts, complete a few intervals on flat terrain, uphill terrain and downhill terrain for a balanced trail workout.
- Road runners complete both formal workouts on flat to gradual downhill terrain.
- Use the gradual downhill terrain to focus on technique and increasing leg speed.
Note: Think of interval workouts as just-manageable challenges, that barely exceed your current abilities. If you feel fully in control, make the next workout a bit harder. If you feel anxious or not in control dial things down a notch on your next workout.
Note: Continued research in the area of training intensity seems to suggest when athletes make their hard days harder they got better, but when they make the easy days harder by running too far they break down.
Tempo Workouts
Short tempo workouts are done on your recovery days, so the pace and volume must be controlled to allow full recovery between the formal interval workouts. Rather than running long and slow, we get in some mindful running focusing on cadence and good form that contributes to performance.
Note: Run at an effort of 50% for the warm up and build from 60 to 70% effort if you are feeling good for the tempo portion of the run.
For example, a short tempo workout for a marathon runner would start by running six minutes at an easy running pace, followed by thirty minutes at a crisp mindful pace, one which you are focusing on technique and cadence as opposed to a specific pace or heart rate and then finishing up with six minutes at an easy running pace, making it a forty two minute workout.
- 10km program - 18 minute tempo workout / mindful running.
- Half marathon program - 24 minute tempo workout / mindful running.
- Marathon program - 30 minute tempo workout / mindful running.
- Ultra marathon program - 36 minute tempo workout / mindful running.
Note: If you increase the length of your tempo runs you negatively affect your recovery-adaptation. You can add time to these workouts by adding an addition 6 minutes to the warm up and cool down portion of the workout.
Recovery Workouts
Recovery workouts on Sundays are slow continuous running over longer distances.
- 10km program - Run 60 minute workout
- Half marathon program - Run 75 minute workout
- Marathon program - Run 90 minute workout
- Ultra marathon program - Run 120 minute workout
Note: Run at an effort of 50% for your recovery runs.
Note: If you increase the length of your Recovery Workouts you negatively affect your recovery-adaptation.
Simulation Workouts
Simulation workouts replace the weekly Saturday interval workout every three weeks. Pacing of these workouts is based on your goal race pace over similar terrain to your goal event.
- 10km program - no simulation workouts.
- Half Marathon program - (AM) 5km building to 15km every three weeks.
- Marathon program - (AM) 10km building to 30km every three weeks.
- Ultra marathon program - (AM) 10km building to 40km, (PM) 5km building to 30km every three weeks.
Note: Run at an effort of 50% for the warm up and build to 80% effort as the simulation runs begins. Once you settle into your rhythm build from 90 to 100% of your goal marathon pace for your simulation runs.
Terrain Choice
- Trail runners complete simulation workouts on trail on hilly terrain similar to goal event focusing on both uphill and downhill technique.
- Road runners complete simulation workouts on pavement on flat to rolling terrain similar to goal event.
Regeneration and Recovery
If you are feeling really fatigued on any particular day, this is a good sign that your body needs more recovery before it is ready to tackle another challenging workout. Simply replace your workout for the day with a recovery workout or rest day. If injured, ill, or experiencing excess fatigue, don’t do the workout.
Otherwise, do the workouts as scheduled and make adjustments in paces (e.g., increases, decreases) within and across workouts to maximize each workout.
- Regardless of program, aim to take one day off a week. Have the courage to rest.
- On your single off-days and extended breaks from training, truly dis-connect from your training.
- Unplug both physically and mentally and engage in activities that you find relaxing and restorative.
Note: Within the program the best days for rest days are Mondays and / or Fridays based on your schedule.