Our 8 week plan is written by our head-coach to improve running technique, endurance and speed.
There is also a weekly core training program for runners to follow.
Current plan
Our coaches will continue to update the plan throughout the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, as long as the UK Government continue to advise that solo outdoor exercise is advisable.
Runners are welcome to follow the plan by running solo, in their own time. We offer one coached training session each week.
| Date | Session |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 11 August | 1 minute x 10 1 minute recoveries then 1 minute x 10 30 second recoveries |
| Thursday 13 August | Hill training |
| Tuesday 18 August | Fartlek 90 seconds x 2 / 90 second recoveries then 60 seconds x 4 / 60 second recoveries then 30 seconds x 4 / 60 second recoveries then 15 seconds x 4 / 15 second recoveries Register to attend training |
| Thursday 20 August | 6 mile progression |
| Tuesday 25 August | Pyramid 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 minute(s) 1 minute recoveries |
| Thursday 27 August | 6 mile tempo |
| Tuesday 1 September | Paarlauf |
| Thursday 3 September | 1 kilometre x 5 (x 7 endurance group) 1 minute recoveries |
| Tuesday 8 September | 2 minutes x 10 1 minute recoveries |
| Thursday 10 September | 4 minutes, 2 minute x 3 1 minute recoveries |
| Tuesday 15 September | Pyramid 1, 2, 4, 8, 4, 2, 1 minute(s) 1 minute recoveries |
| Thursday 17 September | Hill training |
| Tuesday 22 September | 3, 2, 1 minute(s) x 3 1 minute recoveries |
| Thursday 24 September | 5 kilometre fartlek |
| Tuesday 29 September | 3 minutes x 3 2 minutes x 3 1 minute x 3 1 minute recoveries |
| Thursday 1 October | Winter 9 |
Don’t forget warm-up and cool down, and dynamics if you are being really good!
Catherine O’Connor – Lead coach
Glossary
Hill training
Always a firm favourite amongst our runners; hill training takes place on Radnor Cliff, Sandgate.
Runners will meet at Three Hills Sports Park as usual.
Winter 9 mile
The winter 9 is a hilly long run that should be tackled just below race pace.
Runners will meet at Three Hills Sports Park as usual.
The 3 kings
Comprising of 3 of Folkestone’s major hills (Remembrance, Hospital, and Hench), this 7.5 mile loop is definitely tough.
Fartlek
Fartlek is Swedish for ‘speed-play’.
It is an unstructured form of interval training with continuous movement.
“Unlike tempo and interval work, fartlek is unstructured and alternates between moderate to hard efforts with easy efforts throughout. After a warm-up, you play with speed by running at faster efforts for short periods of time (to that tree, to the sign) followed by easy-effort running to recover. The goal is to keep it free-flowing so you’re untethered to the watch or a plan, and to run at harder efforts but not a specific pace.”
From Runners World: What is the difference between fartlek, tempo, and interval runs.
Paarlauf
Paarlauf is a continuous relay involving two runners. (Paarlauf is german for ‘pairs’).
Two runners will run around a track in opposite directions: one running fast and the other running easy.
When they meet, they swap pace.
The fast runner begins their slow recovery jog and the easy runner begins their sprint.
This continues for a pre-set amount of time.
Beep test
The beep test is a short exercise to measure fitness and aerobic capacity.
Runners continually shuttle-run 10 metres from line to line before a timed beep: The time between beeps gets progressively shorter as the test goes on.
Once the runner can no longer reach the line before a beep they are ‘out’ and are given a score between 1 and 21, depending on how far they have progresses.
Read The Beep Test, A Comprehensive Guide from 5-a-side.com
Mountain run
The mountain run is not as scary as it sounds! It’s a social run from Three Hills Sports Park to Summerhouse Hill, and back.
Runners will set off in groups with the aim of reaching the summit to admire the view at the same time.
The social run group may take a different route to the summit.
Progression
“These workouts start at a comfortable speed, gradually get faster, and wrap up at marathon, threshold, or even interval pace. This kind of acceleration offers your body an opportunity to warm up, helps develop your sense of pacing, and trains you to hold onto your speed–even when you’re slightly tired.”
From Runners World – Fast forward your pace.
Tempo
“A tempo run—also known as an anaerobic threshold or lactate-threshold run—is a pace about 25 to 30 seconds per mile slower than your current 5K race pace…”