Club Training Thursday 19th May

Thursday's session is a threshold effort session. The efforts are 5 x 6 mins at threshold effort (1 hour race effort, 3 word effort, uncomfortable effort) with 2 mins jog recovery.

Do the session at Carron Place which gives a nice mix of uphill, downhill and flat on each rep. The important point about threshold sessions is that the effort (indicated by breathing and heart rate) remains constant but the pace goes up and down depending on terrain slope, headwind, tailwind, etc. Not only does the session promote physiological changes, it also teaches how to match effort to conditions. We rarely race on flat, windless courses.

Warm up via Murray Rd and Kelvin Rd. Cool down via Greenhills Rd and Strathaven Rd. 

Alan 

Club Training Monday 16th May

Monday's session is a split session with a light run for those recovering from ultras, WHW relay or other races and 400m reps for the seniors and juniors. The session is at Langlands Place with the usual warm up along Strathaven Rd and around by Sainsburys.

14 x 400m at 10k pace with 1 minute static (or jog around in circles) recovery

juniors 8 x 400m at 3k pace with 1 minute recoveries, finish with 4 x  fast strides from usual 400m rep starting point to first factory road entrance on the left (its less than 100m). Jog back to start recovery.

For those on a recovery run, use the same route as above but jog a few laps of the Sainsburys loop either until the others have finised their reps or you have had enough.

Alan

Club Training Thursday 12th May

Thursday's session is split session. Those who did Troon are doing the route as a recovery run, those who didn't are doing reps over the same route.

The session is 8 x 3 minutes at 10k effort with 2 minute jog recoveries (regroup to packs during the recovery, fast ones jogging back to the slower ones).

The route is through the Glen to the bridge at the Strathaven Rd. Climb up the bank, head to our so called Crutherland corner where we often start reps. Start the reps at the corner. Turn right on Leaburn Rd and then carry on until the road eventually turns right down the hill at the last farm. Right then left at the bottom of the hill and past the kennels to Shields Rd, back along Greenhills Rd to Strathaven Rd and the club.

Alan 

Club Training Monday 9th May

It's the fortnightly Chatelherault session on Monday. Refer to the previous posts from a few weeks ago for further details of the location. However, the basics are either go directly to the car parkat the very end  on the right of the main drive for a 7:30pm start, in which case on the registration form select  "Training Venue" or be at the Sports Club ready to share cars to the venue, in which case select "EKSC" on the registration form.

Chatelherault is a basic, aerobic training session that also builds strength. It is not a race (there is one of those later in the season). The main idea is that as your fitness improves, it should be possible to run the lap equally relaxed but slightly faster i.e. without putting any more effort in. There is a form on the left of the blog which we have maintained since pre-Strava days for recording lap time, effort level and any pertinent comments!

Alan

Club Training Thursday 5th May - Auldhouse 5k TT

This Thursday is the first Auldhouse 5k of the season. For those who are new to the club, this is a 5km individual time trial on the road starting part way down the steep hill beside Langlands golf course and following the loop in a clockwise direction past Park Farm, turning right onto Leaburn Rd, then right down the hill towards Auldhouse Cross, right at Auldhouse Cross and finishing about 10m before the T-junction just past Langlands GC Clubhouse.

Register for training as usual as the registration list will become the start list for the time trial. Warm-up to the start in your packs and we will start in reverse order of anticipated 5km time. Each runner will be set off individually at 30 second intervals.

Alan

Summer Pub Run

Eddie is organising a pub run on Friday 15th July, leaving the Sports Club at 6pm. Please be at the club ready to run at 5:45. Further details will be released in due course.

Alan 

Club Training Monday 2nd May

Monday's session is an unusual one. The purpose of the session is to train 5k pace judgement (seniors 5k pace, 3k pace for juniors) and to run every one of the reps at exactly the same pace i.e. to train not starting out at faster than race pace and then fading as most tend to do in races. The session is:

20 x 1 minute at 5k pace, jog back to the start point.

We will do the session at Langlands Place. The aim is to mark the point in the road where you get to on the first rep and then to get exactly to that same point on every rep thereafter; not further, not shorter and not accelerating or slowing down as you approach your marker to hit it but running absolutely even pace. This will seem easy for at least the first 10 reps but will get harder as we approach the 20 reps.

The juniors should do 12 x 1minute at 3k pace and jog back to the start point. For those seniors rehabbing, choose a pace slower than 5k pace but follow exactly the same rules; i.e. the point you get to on your first rep is the point you get to on every subsequent rep. If you are working too hard to hit the marker, stop the session and just jog at a comfortable pace until everyone is finished.

Before starting the session, do 5 x approx 100m accelerations with jog backs just to get the heart rate up otherwise the first rep will feel very flat.

Set your Garmin up for 20 x 1 minute intervals with an open (lap press) recovery. Press the lap button to start each rep at the end of the recovery. Be as accurate as you can be hitting your individual marker.

Alan