Have you completed the club Improvers programme or are otherwise able to run 10k?
Want to maintain your running or even to run further and faster?
TT Improvers will aim to progress Eagles from running 10k to running ten miles with a target 10 mile race in April and as a stepping stone to the half marathon distance for those who want to progress further.
It is difficult to write a generic training plan because people will have done different amounts of running and have different availabilities. Here are some useful tips
· Start where you are and increase the amount / intensity of the running gradually.
· Listen to your body - if you are tired or have a niggle, then rest or reduce the amount of running.
· If you have time, it is good to progress to running three times a week with a rest day in between.
· Try to include some strength work - squats, lunges etc - or other cross-training to reduce the risk of injury
· As you are aiming to increase your distance, the most important training run is the "long run"
o The suggested progression for people who have not yet run ten miles is as follows – the first four weeks are build-up weeks so people who are already at the 10k level are welcome to do a 10k / six miles earlier in the progression:
w/c 7 Jan 3miles
w/c 14 Jan 3 miles
w/c 21 Jan 4 miles
w/c 28 Jan 4 miles
w/c 4 Feb 6 miles
w/c 11 Feb 5 miles (drop-down week)
w/c 18 Feb 6 miles (half-term week so daytime runners may be busy midweek)
w/c 25 Feb 8 miles
w/c 4 Mar 8 miles
w/c 11 Mar 9 miles
w/c 18 Mar 10k (drop-down week)
w/c 25 Mar 10 miles dress rehearsal
w/c 1 Apr - 10k (drop-down / taper week)
w/c 8 Apr - TT10 on 14 Apr
o evening runners will note that it will be difficult to accommodate the long run on a midweek evening from the beginning of February onwards; options which you may wish to discuss in this group are to plan weekend runs or (if you would otherwise volunteer with beginners) to plan longer runs starting at 6.30pm
o TT Improvers who have already run ten miles may consider adding a couple of miles to the above progression (so that they go over the target distance in training) and / or putting more effort into the speed / hills sessions at the beginning of the programme
· It is also good to do some sort of speed or hills session - shorter distance but higher intensity.
· The third run could be a shorter run of around 5k to 7k (possibly one of the midweek club runs if your long run is at the weekend) - not as long as your long run but possibly run slightly faster.
· "Drop-down" weeks in which you reduce the amount of running are a good idea.
· The list of club training options is precisely that – so don’t try to do everything
o choose from the available list
o or do your own thing, on your own or with other people.
There will be workshops after club run on Monday 7 January – 10am run for daytime runners (with the workshop probably at FarmW5 at 11am) and 7.30pm club run for evening runners (with the workshop at the Rose & Crown at 8.30pm for 8.45pm). Although these workshops are aimed primarily at new Improvers progressing to 10k, TT Improvers are welcome to come along for the social and / or to ask their own questions.
The target for both daytime and evening Improvers will Thames Towpath 10 (miles) on Sunday 14 April http://west4harriers.com/ttt/ - please note that this race does sell out.
If you are on facebook and want a forum to discuss topics at a suitable level for you, from training plans to diet, from strategy to the best clothing and also to arrange training runs with others, please join the TT Improvers facebook group