Week 1 Newsletter
Welcome to RaceTeam Epic 2023
Your team is ready
Welcome to your first newsletter for Epic 2023, we are looking forward to getting the team together and working with you over the next 10 weeks to get you stronger both physically and mentally.
We have lots of familiar faces joining us and some new faces too so for those of you who have been with Extra Mile Runners for a while - we look to you guys to help lead the way within the group for our newer runners who may be feeling a little nervous and apprehensive.
Each Thursday afternoon you will get the newsletter for the following week. Please read these newsletters carefully, they outline the session details, educational content, inspiration and other important information that you need to know for that week.
Welcome to Week 1, your Epic team is ready to go!
Week 1 Sessions
Monday 3 July, 6.00am
Meeting Point: South Hagley Park netball courts
HIIT/Track Session
Wednesday 5 July, 6.00am
Meeting Point: Outside Zeroes Cafe, 81 Cashmere Road
Hill Repeat Session
Saturday 8 July, 7.30am
Meeting Point: Cashmere Road, opp. Crichton Tce
Map of Run: Click here
Saturday's Course Description:
The purpose of this session is to get your current 10km time so you can work out your paces (5km, 10km) using Vdot for the HIIT/Track session on Monday mornings and some Saturday sessions where pace work is involved (refer your programme - download below).
Saturday Safety Message:
All roads on this course are open. Please run on the footpath at all times and keep left, being mindful of others using the footpaths. Watch out for uneven surfaces and cars backing out of driveways. Your safety is your own responsibility.
This is a 10km race.
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Run towards Princess Margaret Hospital. Continue along past the Cashmere Road shops until Hoonhay Road. Turn right.
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Run up Hoonhay Road to Rose Street, Turn right.
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Run up Rose St to Barrington St. Turn right.
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Run up Barrington Street (towards the hills) and at Ashgrove Terrace. Turn right.
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Continue along Ashgrove Terrace, following the river all the way until the 5km turnaround marker.
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Out and back run for everyone, at the 5km marker, turnaround and reverse the course back to the start/finish.
Saturday's Course: Click on image to enlarge
Work out your paces:
Once you have your 10km time, use this VDOT App on your phone to work out your running paces. Here is a quick demo on how to use the app:
Download the VDOT App:
Apple App
Android App
If you don’t have a GPS watch which gives you your current pace, use perceived exertion:
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 .
3km pace: Close to ALL OUT but sustainable for the duration of time required in programme.
All Out: Running as fast as you can!
This week's quick tip:
'Approach one session at a time. Don't look ahead in the programme.
Just focus on the next session!'
- Sam
Download your programme
There are 2 different levels you can choose from: Intermediate and Advanced. The difference in levels relates to the solo runs you do each week. The group sessions are the same for both.
Please turn up to each session knowing what the session is and what is invloved.
Print off your programme and put it somewhere where you will see it each day - on the fridge, bathroom mirror, beside your desk. Tick off each session as you progress through the programme.
Education
How the sessions work
Roll Calls and On Time Starts
We always start on time, we don't wait!
Please check in with the coach taking the roll call at every session. On weekdays, the coach will have an app to check you in so please make sure you check in with them, on Saturday's the roll call will be on a table for you to check yourself in.
Extra Mile Runners Members: For those of you who have a 6mth or 12mth membership, you do not need to book into each session during the RaceTeam Epic programme.
Bring a watch & headlamp
You will need a watch with a GPS function as your Monday session in particular has pace work within it. If you don't have a GPS watch, please bring a watch with a stopwatch function. You will also need a headlamp as the mornings are very dark - you need to see but also to be seen by cyclists, cars and scooters!
Stretches
During the weekday sessions we will take you through stretches at the end of your session then you are free to go. On Saturday sessions we have all our groups together finishing at different times so we ask that you do your own stretches and then you can head off and start your day!
Key Bag
We have a key bag or box for your car keys and will look after these for you during the session.
Any other gear that you bring is your responsibility.
Session Outline
There are 3 group sessions each week, below is a description of each:
HIIT/Track Session
Monday 6.00am (60min session)
Location: Netball Courts, South Hagley Park
What to bring: Headlamp and Watch
(Optional: Bring a mat or a towel to this session as some of the HIIT circuit is on the ground)
This is a strength based interval session. Our coach will set up a track on the netball courts and guide you through the session. The HIIT component is at the start of the session with a 6 minute HIIT workout with exercises such as burpees, press ups and squats. You then move straight into the track session which also incorporates strength movements. Refer to your programme for more details on this session.
You don't need to remember this session as our coach will direct you through the session but it's a good idea to be familiar with the session before you begin.
Hill Repeat Session
Wednesday 6.00am (60min session)
Location: Meet outside Zeroes Cafe, 81 Cashmere Road
What to bring: Headlamp and Watch
The Hill Repeat session is your strength session.
We start with a flat warm up and then hit the hill. There will be a turnaround cone approx 250m up Hackthorne Road that you run up to, turnaround and come back to the start. Repeat. You do as many hill repeats as you can in the allocated time within that session (refer to your programme each week). From Week 5 we introduce some sprinting within the hill repeats. Please keep your own time within this session.
Endurance Session
Location: Various
Saturday morning 7.30am (varies between 60mins-135mins refer to your programme)
Note: There are 2 x 7am starts for the long runs within the Epic programme, these are marked on the programme: Weeks 6 and Week 7.
This is your long run/endurance session. Refer to your programme and weekly newsletters for each week's session.
These Saturday runs will cover the different sections of the Epic Half Marathon course so by the end of the programme you will be familiar with the entire course for race day.
Other News
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Make sure you bring a GPS watch to every session.
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Please bring a headlamp to every session.
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Optional: Bring a mat/towel to the Monday morning session.
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Good shoes! These are the tool of your trade for the next 10 weeks. If you haven't had new shoes for a while, make sure you go to a good shoe fitting retailer (we recommend Shoe Clinic at Westfield Riccarton and Northlands) and get yourself fitted into the right shoe. At the Shoe Clinic, mention you are from Extra Mile Runners and they will give you a discount (we don't receive any commission from any sales, we just believe these guys know what they are talking about when it comes to running shoes).
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Please bring warm gear for before and after your session and layers - it's winter and it will be cold, wet and possible sleety.
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There will be a lot of new people joining our team next week. If you have been a part of the team for a while make sure you give them a great Extra Mile Runners welcome.
Epic Half Marathon Course 2023
Below is the map of the Epic Half Marathon that you will do on Saturday 9 September. By the end of the 10 weeks training you will have done every section of this course so on race day you put it all together.
Note: This course is subject to change and will be confirmed closer to race day.
As we get closer to race day we will send you a full course briefing and description. This map above gives you an idea of what you are working towards over the next 10 weeks. Just remember - focus on one session at a time.
Epic 2023 Course: Click on image to enlarge