Week 2 Newsletter
It's On!
We are underway
We are underway! We have had our first track and pace sessions and we are loving seeing you all together as a team working together and using each other to become better.
This week is about working on your consistency, developing the routine with your training, getting to know each other as we work through this programme towards Epic.
This week's Facebook question
Week 2 Sessions
MORNING GROUP
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Monday 8 June, 6.10am
Meeting Point: South Hagley Park
Map of Meeting Point: Netball Courts
Pace Session
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Wednesday 10 June, 6.10am
Meeting Point: South Hagley Park
Map of Meeting Point: Netball Courts
Track Session
EVENING GROUP
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Tuesday 9 June, 5.40pm
Meeting Point: South Hagley Park
Map of Meeting Point: Netball Courts
Track Session
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Thursday 11 June, 5.40pm
Meeting Point: South Hagley Park
Map of Meeting Point: Netball Courts
Pace Session
BOTH GROUPS
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Saturday 13 June, 7.30am
Meeting Point: Avonhead Park, off Hawthornden Road
Map of Run: Click here
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Course Description
Please run on the path at all times and keep left. Please don't run any more than 2 abreast and be responsible for your own safety.
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Start by running around the perimeter pathway of Avonhead Park (not the full perimeter - see course map).
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Continue along the pathway leading you out of Avonhead Park. Turn right. Run along Hawthornden Road to Kedelston Drive, turn right.
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Run around Kedelston Drive to Apsley Drive, turn right.
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Run up to the roundabout and cross over where we have indicated by cones - you will be lead onto Woodbury Street.
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Run up Woodbury St to Withells Road, turn left.
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Run up Withells Road all the way (crossing over Merrin St carefully) to Avonhead Road (Burnside Park will be straight ahead of you).
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Turn right and run along Avonhead Road to Merrin St. Turn right. The 6km maker is the furthest marker on this course and will be on Merrin St.
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This is an out and back course, turnaround at your half way maker and reverse the course back to the start/finish. KM Markers out: 1km, 3km, 6km
14km runners: Run to 6km marker and back then do out and back to 1km marker
18km runners: Run to 6km marker and back then do out and back to 3km marker
Saturday's Course: Click on image to enlarge
This weeks quick tip:
'Have a gear bag that stays in your car for those unexpected moments..vaseline, bandaids, warm clothes, a towel, emergency coffee money...be a good girl guide/boy scout and always be prepared!.' - Jennifer
Paces and Track Sessions
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Know your paces and tips for track sessions
VDot Calculator
Just a reminder to use the VDOT calculator to work out your minute/km paces for your Pace Sessions (refer to your programme). Remember that this isn't an exact science, if you have a GPS watch keep track of your min/km times and if you feel that these paces are too challenging or too easy use your breathing as a gauge.
Download the VDOT app:
Apple App
Android App
Enter in your 5km time and the app will calculate your paces for 10km, 5km, and race pace.
Swipe (right to left x 2) across to find your per min/km pace for each of these.
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If you don’t have a GPS watch, use “perceived exertion” with your paces - ie: how you feel:
Easy Running:
Easily hold a conversation, breathing easily - “gossip pace”.
Race Pace:
More difficult to hold a conversation but could still talk, slightly heavier breathing.
10km Pace:
Can’t hold conversation, concentrating and pushing self but not extremely hard.
5km Pace:
Can’t talk, heavy breathing, focused and really pushing yourself.
All Out:
Running as fast as you can.
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Technique Tips: Track Sessions
In the track sessions, there are a couple of things we need to think about:
The intensity gauge: As you are building your pace each set you want to look at your paces on your watch, stop your watch after each set and try to improve on your average pace each time.
Technique under intensity:
As we get tired, our form drops. So be mindful that when you start to get tired in these sessions think:
1. Posture (eyes up)
2. Chest lifted
3. Relaxed upper body
4. Cadence*
Using mental cues can help us be more efficient when things start to get a little tough. Remember, if you are new to intensity running then just take it easy in the first couple of weeks to figure this stuff out. *Check out the Education section below for more on this.
Education
The magic 180 cadence
Jack Daniels is one of the world's top running coaches and thinkers. Over the years he has trained many of the world's best athletes.
There's a story where he and his wife went to the running events at the 1984 Olympics, while everyone in the crowd were entertained by the runners competing, Jack and his wife spent their time counting how often the top runners feet would hit the ground every minute. This was a massive task but by the end of it they discovered a very interesting fact:
Just about all of the top runners had a turnover around of 180 foot falls a minute.
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This number of 180 is important for runners of all abilities. When we have this many foot falls per minute it encourages your body to move in a more efficient and safer way.
There's lots of detail that we could go into here but if you imagine your hips when you are running - they are making a zig zag motion up and down. As runners, we want to limit this up and down movement as much as possible as it causes more impact, which increases fatigue and slows down forward momentum.
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When runners hit 180 foot falls per minute they are naturally decreasing the up and down heights of their vertical displacement, this means they will be able to run faster with less energy.
So what does this mean for you?
Ultimately we should all be aiming for 180 steps/min. Use your stopwatch and count the number of footfalls you make in 30 secs - then double it. Once you have your number you can identify if you need to increase or decrease your foot falls, most people will need to increase.
At first, 180 may be a massive step up in turnover for you, if that's the case aim to improve it by around 5-10% for a couple weeks and then build from there. Ultimately all levels of runners should be aiming for that magical 180 steps per minute.
What does 180 bpm sound like?
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Tip: It's pretty fast! Try downloading music with a slight increase in beats per minute (bpm) you are aiming for and put on your ipod and practice running in time to this.
Other News
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On Time Starts
We always start on time! Please make sure you are at the sessions a few minutes early so you can "check in" and hear the session briefing. We don't wait!
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A reminder about the Club10k and RaceTeam private Facebook group - it’s a great place to connect with your team: Click here to request access (we will respond within 24hrs).
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Consistency is key team..get to the sessions.
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Well done in getting through the first week. You are doing great!
RaceTeam Epic starts 22 June!
If you want to do RaceTeam Epic but haven't registered yet, earlybird closes at 11.59pm, Monday 15 June.
Register now via the RaceTeam website: Click here
If you are an Extra Mile Runners Member, RaceTeam Epic is included in your membership (as long as your membership is valid for the duration of the 10 week programme.)
Members Register now: Click here
If you registered prior to the postponement of this Bridge programme you do not need to register for Epic again ;o)