PUBLISHED 02/05/2008
You've got to admire Kate. She is taking her respectable half-marathon personal record of 1:37 and committing to trying for a 1:30. That's a big goal if you have four or five months to train, and a huge goal if you're trying to do it in 10 weeks, like Kate is. You'll see that her training program is intense, but she's got the fight and the self-motivation to do the work.
On Pace
When I first ran with Kate I realized she had one speed. It didn't matter if she was doing an easy run or a tempo run -- the pace was always the same. I had to explain to her that when I run with a super-duper-fast friend of mine (Lornah Kiplagat) her easy runs are 10-minute-per-mile pace, yet the next day she bangs out a tempo run at slightly over 5-minute pace. It's going to be important for Kate to spend time in the fast zone, learning to deal with lactic acid and what speed feels like, as well as spend some time recovering so her body can repair itself. If she can learn to pace herself and really push when she's doing her intervals, then race-day pace will feel easy. If she can learn to do some recovery runs then her body will be rested and injury-free come race day.
Quick Feet
Kate's an experienced runner, but her form needs some improvement. I noticed she runs in to the ground rather than on top of it, so my plan is to get her to think "quick feet." Her training program will have drills and strides that will help her develop a faster leg turnover and more reactive feet.
Defining Speed
Kate's speed will be broken down into three types: Speed A is her "mo fire" speed where she'll do her intervals. Ideally she'll hit 86 to 88 seconds per 400 meters (that's a 5:43 to 5:50 pace). Speed B is what I like to call the "sentence pace." This means if she was asked a question she could comfortably give a one-sentence reply, but not much beyond that. Speed C is what I like to call the "yapper's pace." In other words, she should be able to chat the entire time she's running. I want to emphasize that these are just guidelines; the most important thing Kate can do is listen to her body.
The Plan Check back every Friday to get the next week's plan
| WEEK |
M |
T |
W |
T |
F |
S |
S |
1 |
4-mile run at 8:30 to 9:00 pace |
(I)ntervals: 1-mile warm-up, 3 x 1200-meters at speed A, jog one lap recovery. Try to do each lap at 86-88 seconds, for a 4:18 to 4:24 repeat |
Rest day |
1-mile warm-up, 5-miles at 6:50 pace, 1-mile cool down at 8:00 pace |
Easy run of 4-5 miles |
90-minutes of running at 8:30 pace. After finishing, look for a gentle down sloping road and run 5 x 20 seconds focusing on fast leg turnover, walk back up the hill. |
Cross train (swim, bike, hike, etc.) |
2 |
5 miles, plus 5 downhill strides, practice picking up your feet as fast as possible and lengthening your stride |
I: 1-mile warm-up, 4 x 1200, try and hit 88's, one lap recovery |
Rest day |
1-mile warm-up, 5 miles at 6:45-6:50 pace, 1-mile cool down at 8:00 pace |
6 miles easy |
90-minute long run: speed C for 20-minutes, speed B for 40-minutes, and Speed C for 10- minutes, 20 minutes of easy running, do 5 strides to finish up |
Easy 5 mile trail run |
3 |
6 miles with 8 strides at the end |
I: 5 x 800 at 80 seconds per lap with 1 lap recovery |
Rest day |
2 mile warm-up, 6 miles at 6:50 pace, 2 mile cool down |
Easy 5 to 7 miles, on soft grass
|
40-minute long run |
Cross training for 70-minutes in the morning and then do a 20-minute easy run in the evening |
4 |
6-miles of trail running at speed C, focus on picking up your feet and moving forward
|
I: 7x800, at 88-seconds per lap with a one lap recovery; 2-mile repeat on the road at 6:25 pace. Jog at least a mile warm-up and cool down
|
Rest day; focus on saving energy |
The Mo Fire workout! 7-miles at 6:40 to 6:50 pace |
Easy 6-miles
|
100-minute long run; After 50-minutes kick into 10K race pace for 15-minutes; don't look at your watch, just run |
5-miles at 8:30 to 9:00 pace |
5 |
6 easy miles; 4 x 20-seconds fast strides with hot feet |
3 x 1-mile at 6:15 pace with 400m slow jog;10-minutes on the road "feeling pace;" all at speed A |
Rest day |
Warm up; 7miles @ 6:45 pace; cool down |
5-6 easy miles on flat grass |
100-minute run; after 60-minutes do15-mins at 10k race pace, 5-minutes easy jogging, and then 7-minutes at 5km race pace |
3 to 4-easy miles; 10 x 100m fast strides |
6 |
5-miles easy off road |
4 x 1-mile at 6:20 pace with 400m slow jog; 2 x 6-minutes out on the roads with 30-seconds jog before jogging 30-seconds back; race those last 6-minutes to get back past your starting point. ALL at speed A |
Rest day |
Warm-up; 8-miles @ 6:50 pace; cool down |
Easy 40-minutes of off road running |
40-minute run; After 20-minutes do10-minutes at 5km race pace, 5-minutes |
5-miles easy; 5x100m fast strides |
7 |
5-miles easy off road |
Warm up; 20x200m fast with a 200m recovery; 800m slow jog; 10-minutes at 6-min pace on the road
|
Rest day |
Warm-up; 9m @ 6:50 pace (race-pace miles); cool down |
5-miles off road, avoid the hills |
90-minute run; after 50-minutes do 10x 1-minute fast, 1-minute slow; 10-mins easy; last 10-mins at speed A |
Rest day or an easy 4-5-miles off road |
8 |
3-miles easy |
2x1-mile: 2x 800m at 86-secs per lap, 2x1200 at 88-secs per lap, 1 x 400m as fast as you can, 400m jog after everything
|
Walk for 30-minutes |
40-minute run at speed B |
Rest day |
8-9 mile run with no stopping or walk breaks |
Short hike |
9 |
4-miles easy off road |
3 x 1-mile at 6:15 pace with 400m slow jog;10-minutes on the road "feeling pace;" all at speed A
|
Rest day |
40-minute run at speed B |
Rest day |
6-mile run with no stopping |
Short hike (50-minutes max) |
10 |
3-miles easy |
4-miles at speed B
|
Easy 30-minute walk |
2-miles at speed B |
Rest day |
Race day! |
Rest day |
