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Monday sessions
Quick fire hill repeat session. The emphasis is on getting you going, to increase your heart rate and endurance.
Sarah's super starter speed endurance session - a threshold pyramid.
Jog for up to ten minutes and find a nice flat road, preferable a loop like Queens, Herne and a bit of Blackness that links them.
Choose up to 5 dynamic exercises incl. Toe-heel, Frankenstein (opposite arms high legs), Sumo squat, High knees and heel flicks
A simple pyramid session of intervals at threshold (run at 3 to 4 word pace) pace of 1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1 minutes with 60 seconds recovery at walk ( or jog) between each interval.
Warm down and stretch and remember your social distancing
Sarah's Super starter threshold session.
Warm up jog up to ten minutes very easy. Find a loop of mainly flat roads if you can. (Like Queens, Herne and part of Blackness)
Choose up to five dynamic exercises, e.g. toe/heel. Frankenstein. Knee taps, Sumo and Swooping to stretch hamstrings. Then a simple pyramid session of intervals at threshold pace of 1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1 minutes with 60 seconds recovery at walk ( or jog) between each interval.
Recover bu jogging 10 mins and go stretch. Keep social distancing in mind as always
Monday session – 15th Feb
Jog for 6 mins warm up
Dynamic drills (choose about six from usual list)
Main session: 4 x 4 mins threshold with 90 seconds recovery between. – 3 word pace
Suggestion, if you measure the first 4 mins turn round and do it in reverse (twice)you won’t have to keep timing yourself and you can also double check that you’re maintaining the same threshold pace.
Cool down jog and some nice static stretches concentrating on hamstrings and quads.
Off Track- road/pavement/off road
Find a route from home where you start on a flat/ish section first for warm up and drills then reach a moderate hill section eg Millbrook Road/Southridge/London Road.
Warm Up 1 : About 5 minutes,start in jog then steady pace.
Drills: :Toe/heel /alternate high knee lift & hand tap to opposite knee/"Frankenstein" straight leg lift with outstretched arm to opposite leg/ " scoop" hamstring stretch alternate leg with step between/ sideways run both sides so you face a different way/high leap jumps in air during jog ,
Warm Up 2: Run 3-5 mins: steady with a few 100m sections at more intense pace
Main exercise: Hill Repeats - run up hill for 45 seconds at threshold pace then return back to start at same level of effort – total time each hill rep is 1 min 30 secs (Threshold or 2 to 3 word pace), x 5 +, Between each hill repeat have interval of 60 seconds at a recovery pace on flat surface.
Warm Down: jog for 2-5 mins
Stretching: Static; eg hamstrings/quads/calves/ankles/hips/shoulders
You'll need a flat road with plenty of lamp-posts like Southview.
Jog for 1 mile or up to 12 minutes to get you going preferably on the flat or if you hit a hill slow down on the hill to keep your heat rate steady until you get to the start of a flat road.
Find a 50m stretch to do some dynamic drills with the emphasis on starting to move more quickly, e.g. toe/heal - start steady but get much quicker by the end of the drill. Also Knee lifts, heel flicks and straight legs.
Then run for up to 400 m . say Croft rd to hospital steadily getting quicker. Return doing the same to start point.
Main session is: Jog easily between three lamp-posts, threshold between two posts then fast between two, then jog, threshold fast. Repeat all the way down the road then repeat coming back to, for example, Croft Rd. Repeat your "up and down the road with lamp-posts session" up to four times.
Warm down is gentle jog home then stretch. Remember to give pedestrians a wide birth.
This session is aimed at helping you to increase speed, for example overtaking a runner in a race
Any profile eg flat/undulating.
Warm Up : About 5 minutes, start in jog then steady pace.
Drills Toe/heel /alternate high knee lift & hand tap to opposite knee/"Frankenstein" straight leg lift with outstretched arm to opposite leg / " scoop" hamstring stretch alternate leg with step between/ sideways run both sides so you face a different way/high leap jumps in air during jog,
Main session:
5 mins jog
7 mins easy
7mins steady
7mins threshold 3 word pace
Cool down jog for a few minutes
Stretching
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Find a loop that is 800 m ( two laps of the track). Warm up by jogging to the loop. Make sure you do some dynamic warm ups then try an “evens” & “odds” session. Run the odds at a pace just below threshold pace. Run the evens at a faster pace ( for advanced runners do 10k pace odds, sub 5k pace evens. For the Monday group start this week with 4 reps overall plus a warm down.
This session introduces the concept of Fartlek ( Swedish word for speed-play) for those that haven’t tried it and also as the Track lights are still out.
Use Southview road as a base but any flat road with street lamps up to 2/3rds of a mile long will suffice.
Staring at the Whitehill end of Southview warm up by running easy to Church Rd, up Church rd, down Beacon and into Southview back to your start point.
Do some dynamic drills along Southview to Hospital for 20 m each drill. Toe heel, jog 10 m, high knees, jog 10m, knee lifts, jog 10m, opposite arms / legs. Jog back to corner of Southview/Whitehill.
Main session: jog between first two lampposts, then run fast between next three lampposts ( faster than threshold). Repeat this process all the way along Southview to the last white house on left before bend ( that is jogging then fast). Turn round and repeat the process of jogging between two lampposts and running fast between three posts back to start then do it again! ( So up and down Southview twice as a minimum.)
Jog the Southview / Beacon Rd / Church Rd loop as a warm down then stretch.
NB: Wear high vis clothing and lights. Beware when you cross roads and go round pedestrians at a good social distance.
Try some on the spot dynamic drills each time doing 4 on the spot jog steps between each rep.
- Hip rotation: knee up rotate leg outwards. Drop. Jog 4 steps, Do other side repeat
Forward lunges keeping good leg alignment then backward lunges - Two legged squat
- Standing hamstring stretch with foot on straight up bent upwards.
And to kick off having jogged for 5 mins easy progression run. Easy 7 mins, steady 7 mins, threshold three word pace 7 mins. Cool down and stretch
You could use Southview Rd or Fielden Rd as a base but any flat road with street lamps or some other marker (parked car, wheelie bin etc) up to 2/3rds of a mile long will suffice.
Warm up: 5 mins jog, (could be jogging to start point).
Dynamic drills: can also be done on the spot
Eg: Toe heel, jog 10 m, high knees, jog 10m, knee lifts, jog 10m, forward lunges, jog 10m, sumo squats.
Main session: jog between first two lampposts, then run fast between next three lampposts ( faster than threshold). Repeat this process all the way along your chosen route, ( that is jogging then fast). Turn round and repeat the process of jogging between two lampposts and running fast between three posts back to start then do it again at least twice more.
5 mins warm down jog and a few static stretches.
NB: if you are on the roads please be seen, wear high vis clothing and lights if dark.
Be careful crossing roads and give other pedestrians a wide berth (social distancing).
Enjoy!
Can be done anywhere, on or off track. If off track remember to wear hi viz and lights and to social distance from all others on or off track.
Warm up: 5 mins jog, or two laps of track
Dynamic drills:
Toe heel, jog 10 m, Ski twists,jog 10m, high knees, jog 10m, hip rotation both sides.
Main session: 5,4,3,2,1,2,3,4,5 mins at threshold. 60 seconds recovery between each.
Warm down jog 5 mins and static stretches.
Enjoy!
Tuesday sessions
Warm up: 4min jog then mobility drills and dynamic drills (walk on toes, walk on heels, hamstring curls, heel flicks, bear crawl forwards and backwards).
50 min run to include:
5 mins threshold, 5 mins fast,
5 mins threshold, 5 mins fast,
5 mins threshold, 5 mins fast.
Fartlek is Swedish for “speed play”. Show a difference between the two paces but not flat out on the faster section. Aim to complete the 50 min run. No recoveries.
Have a warm jacket/jumper available for the cool down.
Cool down stretches: upper and lower calf, hamstring, quads, inner thigh, arms and shoulders.
Remember your own safety and the safety of others. Keep social distancing and wear hi-viz clothing.
At least 1/2 mile warmup before arriving at junction of Ghyll Rd and London Rd.
Then do mobility drill and dymanic drills on flat pavement just beyond Ghyll Rd
Main session is hill reps up to the wine shop at the top of the hill
- 2 starting from Ghyll Rd
- then 2 starting from Elim Court Gdns
- finally 2 starting from opposite Jeffries Way
As you do shorter distances aim to build up the speed on the top section
1/2 mile jog and stretches to finish
Warm up: 200m jog then mobility drills and dynamic drills (toe kicks, knee taps, hamstring curls, Frankenstein, duck waddle forwards and backwards).
4 x 4 mins @10K effort (2 min jog rec)
3 x 3min @5K effort(90 sec jog down recovery)
3 x 2min @5K effort(90 sec jog down recovery)
3 X 1min hard and fast
60 sec recoveries between everything & allow drink recoveries
Keep warm while cooling down with a warm jacket or jumper.
Cool down stretches: upper and lower calf, hamstring, quads, inner thigh, arms and shoulders.
Remember your own safety and the safety of others. Keep social distancing and wear hi-viz clothing.
With the weather improving and a return to the track hopefully not too far away, it’s a good time to start including some more speed work in your training. If you haven’t been doing any, then don’t go flat out all at once – build up steadily (even over several weeks) and think about using your arms and increasing your cadence (number of strides per minute). Try to find a fairly flat section for your speed work.
5 min warm up jog, then mobility drills and dynamic drills ((e.g. toe kicks, knee taps, hamstring curls, grapevine, duck waddle)
Main session: 10 min at threshold pace, then 10 x 90 seconds fast with 30 sec walk/jog recovery in between, then 10 min at threshold
5 min warm down and stretches.
Enjoy.
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Warm up: 400m jog then mobility drills and dynamic drills (walking on toes, walk on heels, toe kicks, heel flicks, high knees, sumo squats).
10 mins threshold on the flat (2 min jog rec)
10 x 45 sec fast hill (90 sec jog down recovery)
5 min easy ,5 min hard on the flat (60 sec rec )
Use your recoveries and push hard on the hills.
Keep warm while cooling down with a warm jacket or jumper.
Cool down stretches: upper and lower calf, hamstring, quads, inner thigh, arms and shoulders.
Remember your own safety and the safety of others: social distancing and hi-viz clothing.
After any disruption to training, this Tuesday session is designed to ease you back in.
5 min warm up jog, then mobility drills and dynamic drills ((e.g. toe kicks, knee taps, hamstring curls, grapevine, duck waddle)
Main session: 15 min at threshold pace then 15 min at 10K pace and finally 15 min at threshold pace.
5 min warm down and stretches.
This is a simple but tough session involving 4 threshold runs of about 1 mile with just 60 seconds rest in between. You should be able to manage close to 5K pace for the mile.
Start as normal with ½ mile jog warm up, then mobility and dynamic drills.
You could do the threshold runs along Green Lane (from Steel Cross roundabout to Crowborough Hill which is just over 0.9M) – two runs in each direction.
Jog warm down at the end and then stretching.
Enjoy the burn.
Ensure social Distancing
Warm up -
Walk on toes
Walk on heels
Toe kicks
Heel flicks
High knees
Sumo squats - forwards and backwards
Main sessions
10mins Threshold on the flat (2min jog rec.)
10 x 45sec fast Hills (90sec Jog down recoveries)
5min easy, 5 min hard on the flat 60sec rec.
Use recoveries and push hard on the up hill.
Cool down -
Slow movements and no bouncing
Upper and lower calf.
Hamstring curl
Quads
Inner thigh
Arms and shoulders
Please wear hiviz if dark.
On roads so wear hi-viz. Respect and be careful of other road / pavement users.
Jog at least ½ mile to the junction of Croft Rd & Southview Road as warm up.
Mobility and dynamic drills (see “Warm Ups” section)
Fartlek loop: Whitehill Rd, Queens Rd as far as the green, left into Gordon Road, left into Church Rd, 1st left into Myrtle Rd and back to the start: steady run down Whitehill, fast along Queens Rd as far as Montargis, jog to top of Gordon Rd then fast along Church Rd & Myrtle Rd.
60secs recovery
2 x the length of Southview Rd to where pavement ends and back (so twice out and twice back): jog for 2 lampposts then fast for 2 lampposts. No rest at the far end, 60 secs recovery when you get back to Croft Rd junction.
Repeat the fartlek loop of Whitehill / Queens Rd / Myrtle Rd
½ mile jog warm down then stretches
To get the benefit of fartlek make sure you are pushing yourself on each fast section and recover in between.
2 laps (800m) jog
Mobility drills (leg swings holding onto railings or other objects)
Dynamic drills (e.g. toe kicks, knee taps, hamstring curls, grapevine, duck waddle)
This session can be run on roads on roads, the track or on grass. If you are on roads, remember you must take care and stay aware to avoid traffic; and you must wear hi-viz clothing.
After a warm-up, mobility and dynamic drills, the main part of the session is:
- 15 mins running at threshold pace
- then 15 mins at 10K pace
- and finally 15 mins at 5K pace
5 min jog recovery at the end then stretching
This is a pavement / road session so you must be very careful crossing roads, use the pavement wherever possible and be aware/considerate of traffic and pedestrians at all times.
Also remember to wear high visibility clothing (it helps you to be seen even in daytime) and use a torch if it is dark.
Warm up by jogging / running at least ½M to reach the top (N end) of Mill Lane. The loop consists of running down Mill Lane, R(ight) into Croft Road, R at roundabout, up Church Rd, R at top along Beacon Rd to return to the start.
Run this loop 4 times (or 6 times for an intense session) alternating between threshold pace and fast pace. Aim to make the fast laps 30 seconds faster than the threshold laps. 1 minute rest between laps.
Don't forget your normal dynamic & mobility drills before you start and then a warm down run and stretches at the end.
7 x 800m efforts building up speed towards the middle then easing down again: 1st 800m @ 10K pace, 2nd 10K @ 5K pace, then middle 3 @ 1M pace, then 6th @ 5K pace and last @ 10K pace.
5K pace should be about 5 secs/lap faster 10K pace and 1M pace should be 5 secs/lap faster than 5K pace. Don’t go too fast to begin with and make sure the fast 800s are 10secs/lap faster than the slowest ones.
45 secs recovery after each 800m, except after those at 1M pace when you have 60 secs recovery.
Session to be done every 3 months to check progress on speed and stamina. Athletes to note their times for 200m and 3000m and compare with previous results
1 lap: 100m jog, 100m stride, 100m jog, 100m fast. 200m time trial, 100m walk, 100m jog, 3000m time trial, 200m walk.
Finish with 2 x 400m at threshold pace with 45 secs recovery in between.
Wednesday runs
Route on Strava: https://strava.app.link/iZC2ck0WIcb
R up main road, A 26 to lights
R down London Road
L Ghyll Road
L up St John’s
R, Goldsmith’s avenue to A 26, cross over
L then R down Mill Lane
R Croft road, Whitehill
L Queen’s Road
R down Montargis
Cross over Crowborough Hill to Old Lane
L East Beeches
L North Beeches
R up Crowb Hill, either return to Goldsmiths or:
L into High Street
R Mill Lane
R down A26 to Goldsmiths
Route on Strava: strava.app.link/MlTz08OWIcb
R out of Goldsmith’s, up to traffic lights
Straight over, up A26
L Mill Lane
L Croft Road
R Broadway
R Crowb Hill
R up Montargis
L Queen’s Road
L Blackness
R Herne Road
L Fermor Way
R Fermor Road
R up Whitehill
L Southview (or Church Road for shorter route)
R A26 to traffic lights, return to Goldsmiths
Route on Strava: strava.app.link/Sd6dHPLWIcb
Cross main road, A26, into Eridge Gardens
R into Millbrook road
L, all the way down Crowborough Hill
Under bridge, R into Western Road
Continue up Walshes road, Fermor Road
R up Whitehill
L into Harecombe,
L Combe End
R Southridge Rise
L Whitehill Road, Croft Road
L, Church Road to Beacon Road, either return to Goldsmith’s, or:
L Goldsmiths Avenue
R St John’s road to London Road
L at lights, down A 26 back to Goldsmiths
Warm-ups, stretches and strength-building
Click on the images or descriptions below to read or download useful information on warming up, on building core muscle strength and on stretching:
