This is a good time to remind yourself about the intensity scale that you have within yourself. 
 

1. When our body trains at a higher level of intensity it has a positive training effect on our physiology. With the heart and muscles working at a higher level your body has positive stresses put on it which causes it to create change to adapt. This intensity helps to deliver better results in many different areas. 
    

2. When you train with intensity you are developing your mental strength. Some people think mental strength is something that you are born - it's not. Like any skill, mental strength is a learned behaviour and it is something that is developed over time through experiencing and overcoming the correct level of adversity based on your current ability. Developing this strength has many benefits but one of the best ones is that it creates a strong belief in what you can achieve. 
    

So while intensity is great for you and your body, here are some reminders about intensity in your programme: 
 

• The track sessions are your main intensity sessions. Make this a focus.
   

• Work at the right intensity. The different groups are aiming for different levels but as you have done this before, you should have an idea of what your level is. In the first couple of weeks you may go too hard or not hard enough but try to figure out quickly the level you should be working.
   

• While you know the intensity sessions are more challenging you still need to achieve them. If you find you aren't - you need to back off your pace a little.
   

• Try to further 'learn yourself'. In these track sessions we want to help you learn strategies that will make you successful under adversity. Each time you are feeling outside your comfort zone think of what you are doing mentally and physically to create success and then try to duplicate and evolve your success formula. Intensity has so much value to it but we can't have it scaring you off from training.