10-WEEK PROGRAM: WEEK 8
March 28th - April 3rd
Training
Developed for participants entering the 14.38km course
- Monday: 65min walk/run (8km)
- Tuesday: rest
- Wednesday: 3km run/walk to the bottom of your chosen hill (200-300m of average gradient); 3-4 repetitions up the hill with a slow walkback down to the bottom in between; 3km run/walk back to home or work
- Thursday: rest
- Friday: 50min walk (5km)
- Saturday: 120min walk/run (14km)
- Sunday: rest
Training
Developed for participants entering the 5.2km course
- Monday: 20min walk (2km)
- Tuesday: rest
- Wednesday: 10min walk (1km) to base of hill (200 to 300m of average gradient); three to four repetitions up the hill, either power walking or running, with a slow walk back down to the bottom in between; 10min (1km) walk back to home or work
- Thursday: rest
- Friday: rest
- Saturday: 55min walk/run (6km)
- Sunday: rest
I ASSUME you were sore from the hill work I introduced last week.
This is quite normal and the very reason I got you to do it.
The training effect is to accustom your legs to the change in gradient, both up and down, so it is not foreign when you do it on race day.
It amazes me when I talk to people after an event and they say they had trouble with a part of the course. When I delve into their preparation, I find they did not train for that area.
We have covered two such areas, with our speed sessions helping us to complete the courses quicker or in a more comfortable fashion and the hills preparing us for the challenges of course elevations.
The final hurdle is to cover the race distance in training, and you will notice the only deviation to the training programs this week is the longer efforts on Saturday for the long and short courses.
Once we have completed this week, you will have ticked all the boxes for preparation and will head into the event full of confidence.
A word of caution, though -- experience tells me that this week is when people get sick or injured, so be conscious of getting lots of rest and not overdoing it. Expressed simply, you just need to get it done.
