Club Training Monday 15th June

Monday's session is a step-down rep session with a gradual increase in pace as the reps get shorter. The session is 2 x 3 mins at 10k pace, 2 x 2 mins at 5k pace, 2 x 1 mins at 3k pace and 2 x 30 seconds a bit faster. The recovery after each rep equals the time of the rep, i.e. 3 minutes after the 3 minute reps, 2 minutes after the 2 minute reps etc.

The route is as follows. Warm up via Strathaven Rd and Sainsburys to the junction just before Langlands Club House. Start the first rep there heading towards Auldhouse. Go straight through Auldhouse Cross and turn right past the kennels on to Shields Rd. Carry on to Greenhills Rd and return to the club via Strathaven Rd.

Be realistic about your pace judgement, meaning don't start out too fast. This should be quite a comfortable session given that the total rep volume is quite low. Keep in mind also that Thursday is the Vertical Mile (ie a single hill rep; don't think of it as a race!).

Alan

Club Training Thursday 11th June

Thursday's session is another Auldhouse variation as an easy run. The route is through the Glen to Langlands, past Langlands clubhouse to Auldhouse. Straight through Auldhouse cross and carry on to take the first junc on the left up the hill. Carry on up and round to Leaburn road and then second left to pass Park Farm. From there, back to the club via Sainsburys. Keep the pace easy throughout.

Alan 

Club Training Monday 8th June - Chatelherault

Monday's session is at Chatelherault, so do please follow the usual arrangements for filling in the training registration form so we know who is coming and who to wait for. 

This week's session is that old favourite, the Chatelherault uphill fartlek session. The purpose of this session is to focus a little on strength (the uphill bit) and a little on threshold (the effort to be put in on the uphills). Each time your pack reaches an uphill section that is more than 10 metres long, increase the effort to threshold effort (i.e. comfortably hard and sustainable for an hour if you had to). On reaching the top of each hill, ease back to an easy conversational pace, slow enough for those dropping off the back of your pack to catch-up. The first hill for the efforts is when you cross the first, big stone bridge and go through the narrow gate onto the trail on the other side of the gorge. The last hill is just before you descend the steep steps you ran up at the beginning of the lap. Run easy down that hill and back to the start/finish.

Alan

Club Training Thursday 4th June - Auldhouse 5k TT

We had a great turn out in May with many fine performances. Let's try and better that in the June edition. Hopefully the weather is favourable. Please register for training as usual as I upload this start list to the timing app and use it as the start list.

Remember that these time trials serve multiple purposes: a) a 5k effort is an excellent training session, boosting VO2max if done with enough intensity b) learning pace judgement; the Auldhouse TT route is up and down and requires a precise distribution of effort to maximise performance, as is the case in most road and cross-country races we do c) to monitor your progress in terms of fitness and strength over the summer. It is also fine just to cruise around the 5k route at a threshold level of effort and do the same effort each month. If you are getting fitter, then the same effort will result in faster times.

Alan