Have you completed the club beginners’ programme or are otherwise able to run 5k?
Want to maintain your running or even to run further and faster?
Improvers aims to progress Eagles from running 5.5k to running 10k (or to keep running at around 5 to 7k) and to provide an introduction to hills and speed work.
The list of club training options is precisely that – so don’t try to do everything
· choose from the available list
· or do your own thing, on your own or with other people.
Regular sessions appropriate to people at the 5k level are:
· Club runs on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7.30pm
· Some of the Thursday morning continuous runs – though there some of these may be self-led (depending on what you and everyone else wants to do)
· Coached sessions on Mondays at 10am, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7.30pm
In addition, the club will be offering two one-off sessions on Wednesdays at ** 6.30pm **
· 10 July – Lammas Park (meeting by the gate on Culmington Road opposite from Beaconsfield Road (by the lodge, the circular flower bed and the drinking fountain)) Introduction to the mile including warm-up, drills / strength and conditioning and the opportunity to run a mile faster than you have previously run
· 17 July – Lammas Park (meeting by the Clovelly Road gate) Introduction to Intervals including warm-up, drills / strength and conditioning and a session of 8x1mins (at a bit faster than conversational pace) with 1min recovery
If you want to stay at 5 to 6k level
Do try to go out once or twice a week, perhaps to parkrun or the Mon / Wed 7.30pm club runs or go for a run on Thursday mornings.
Any of the coached sessions staying in one place (hills or intervals) would also be good experience though do continue to have a rest day in between sessions.
You might also like to try
Ealing Mile in Lammas Park 12.30pm Fri 5 July; 7.30pm Fri 5, 12, 19, 26 July
You know you can run 5k and more at a conversational pace, so perhaps you can run one mile a bit faster (the taster session on Wed 10 July will focus on the mile)
Parkrun handicap on Wed 7 Aug; club champs 5k on Wed 4 Sep
If you want to progress to 10k
Training basics
· 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
· Rest days are as important as running days to allow your body to recover from the stress of the training days and so heal stronger to increase your fitness
· Long run *** at conversational pace *** to build up endurance
· Hills or intervals – the club will be offering sessions on Monday mornings and Tuesday and Thursday evenings
· If time, another continuous run, normally shorter than long run, at a slightly faster pace – perhaps parkrun
· Other runs and / or cross-training as appropriate - try to include some strength work - squats, lunges etc - or other cross-training to reduce the risk of injury – this will be included in the Monday 10am sessions for daytime Improvers
· "Drop-down" weeks in which you reduce the amount of running are a good idea.
· If you are following a training plan, always do your sessions at a pace / intensity ** so that you can do the next session ** - there is no point in running your long run so fast that you are too tired to do the other sessions in the week
Battersea 10k (summer league) on Sunday 11 August
- for those of you who are already confident about running 6k
Osterley 10k on Saturday 7 December
- training will start in October with workshops on
· UPDATE Wednesday 2 October at 8.30pm after club run and
· Monday 30 September at 11am after a session at 10am.
Both workshops will help you to choose training sessions offered by the club so that you can progress to 10k by 7 December.
Club champs has races at distances one mile, 5k, 5mile, 10k and cross country so you could get your five qualifying distances without going over 10k.
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 Improvers facebook group