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Week 2 Newsletter

Work on consistency

Make it easy to get to the sessions

We are underway now with the programme. How can you make it as easy as possible for yourself to get to the sessions? 

Great planning, warm gear and the attitude to "just turn up" are all things that will help you with your consistency and therefore improve your running.

This week's Facebook question

Week 2 Sessions

MORNING GROUP

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  • Monday 3 August, 6.10am
    Meeting Point: North Hagley Park 

    Map of Meeting Point: Armagh St Bridge

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  • Wednesday 5 August, 6.10am
    Meeting Point: South Hagley Park

    Map of Meeting Point: Netball Courts

EVENING GROUP

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  • Tuesday 4 August, 5.40pm
    Meeting Point: South Hagley Park
    Map of Meeting Point: Netball Courts

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  • Thursday 6 August, 5.40pm
    Meeting Point: North Hagley Park
    Map of Meeting Point: Armagh St Bridge

BOTH GROUPS

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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.
 

  • Run up Lyttelton Street to Sparks Road, turn left. Follow along Sparks Road until the pathway that leads behind Centennial Park (on your left). Follow this pathway. 

  • Continue along this pathway coming out onto Rose St. Cross over Rose St where we have indicated with cones. Turn right. 

  • Run up to Hoonhay Road, turn left.

  • Continue along Hoonhay Road to Cashmere Rd, turn left. Run past the shops and towards Princess Margaret Hospital. 

  • At Ferniehurst St, turn left and take first right into Ashgrove Tce. You are now running beside the river (river is on your right).

  • Return programme: The 3.5km marker will be on Ashgrove Tce. 

Saturday's Course: Click on image to enlarge

This weeks quick tip: 

'Just focus on one week at a time and the programme will take care of you.'
– Julia

Education

Cadence

Cadence, or your turnover rate is how many steps you take when you run. Cadence has a massive effect on your efficiency and is something we want you to focus on in the coming weeks. 
 

The shorter your stride length and the quicker your stride rate, the faster and better you run. If you have a low cadence, you likely also have a long stride. Runners who overstride tend to lock their knees and slam their heels to the ground on every step. This slows you down, creates a choppy, bouncy gait, and puts extra pressure on muscles and bones, making you more susceptible to injury.
 

By increasing your cadence, you’re doing more than moving your feet faster; you’re changing the positioning of where your foot lands. Rather than having your foot land in front of your hips, with a higher cadence, it lands underneath you – in your centre of gravity. This naturally decreases your stride length and increases your turnover, which means you’re wasting less energy moving up and down (from the ground to the air and vice versa). Rather, your body is focused on moving forward, making you faster.
 

The optimum cadence is 180 steps per minute. This is quite quick! Have a listen to this metronome that is set at 180 beats per minute:

Your Task:
This week, time yourself running for 1 minute and count the number of steps you take (or count for 30secs and then double it!). You then have your current cadence. 


If you are sitting around the 140-160 steps per minute range you want to start to focus on take more steps and shortening your stride length. A good way to practice this is to download a playlist that has a beat per minute rate of around +10 above your current cadence (ie: if you are sitting at 150, download a playlist with a 160bpm) and try running in time to that beat.

Runners of all abilities, from beginner to advanced, can benefit from working on their cadence. While adjusting your stride might feel a little awkward and unnatural at first, if you stick with it, you’ll be on your way to becoming a faster, less-injury prone runner.

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Other News

  • Consistency is the key to improvement.
     

  • Remember that if you are feeling any soreness that you feel is beyond reasonable muscle fatigue - prevention is better than cure. Talk to us if you need any advice.
     

  • Please bring a headlamp to each session, it is so dark now and we need you to be safe and be seen!
     

  • The podiatry team at Feet n Motion have offered a free shoe check for you guys. If you would like to do this call 0800 668498. Let them know that you are from Get up to Five.
     

  • Four Paws Marathon 2020​
    The second edition of the 4 Paws Marathon is on Sunday the 20th of September at Bottle Lake Forest. With the choice of 2.4km (children), 5km, 10km, 15km, half marathon, and marathon distances, the 4 Paws is designed to cater for all levels of fitness.

    The focus of the event is on participation rather than winning and the event also hopes to promote ‘exercise as medicine’. This is a unique event as dogs are welcome to participate. However, participation without a dog is also welcome.

    The team at Four Paws Marathon would love for Extra Mile Runners to participate and have offered our team a 10% discount if you register before 5 August. 

    Use the code EXTRAMILE when you register to receive 10% discount off your entry fee:

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