Holiday Running Options

With the coming holidays, a lingering injury, various goals and schedules among the running group, feel free to modify your training in November and December to fit your needs. Some may want to maintain their existing endurance level, others may want to build upon it through the holidays. You can modify your time, distance, speed, frequency of running or any combination of these variables.

For me I’m going to work hard over the next two months to bring my half marathon time down to somewhere between 1:50 & 2:00 in an effort to be ready for January as we officially begin training for the Flying Pig.

Over the coming weeks we’ll be using steady state running, intervals, tempo runs (info below) and long runs in our training. Again, please modify the schedule to fit your needs over the coming 2 months.

Overview of Tempo Runs:

Tempo runs are runs performed at constant moderate effort, usually at or slightly faster than race pace, allowing for two important benefits:

First, tempo runs are effective physical and mental simulators of a race, allowing the body and mind to function efficiently at event speeds. The neuromuscular communication paths necessary to operate in a race are established and your feel of event speed is developed.

Second, tempo runs create a cardiovascular overload, improving endurance and accompanying strength benefits. Optimal tempo runs incorporate a distance of about 1/4 of the race distance.

Because of both of these benefits, tempo runs are one of the most effective types of speed work training for the marathon. Next week we'll incorporate a tempo run...

Here the schedule for those who've been running for several months:

Monday - Boot Camp or XT
Tuesday - 12 x 400 Intervals
Wednesday - Boot Camp or XT
Thursday - Run 45 Mins
Friday - XT or Boot Camp
Saturday - 14 Miles Slow

Here the schedule for the newer members of the group:

Monday - Boot Camp or XT
Tuesday - Run 23 Mins
Wednesday - Boot Camp or XT
Thursday - Run 23 Mins
Friday - XT or Boot Camp
Saturday - 2.25 Miles Slow

See many of you in the morning...

Brian Calkins NSCA-CPT, ACE

HealthStyle Fitness, Inc. 4325 Red Bank Rd Cincinnati, OH 45227 513-407-4665, x-105 www.CincinnatiFitness.com