Your team is ready

Over the next 10 weeks you are going to be challenged both mentally and physically, there will be tough days and days where you feel on top of the world, you will test yourself and find new levels. 
 

For some of you. you will be doing your very first half marathon and some of you will be looking to improve on a previous half marathon experience - well done for signing up, let's get ready to find that next level.

This is our first weekly newsletter. 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 RaceTeam is ready to go!

Week 1 Sessions

MORNING GROUP

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• Monday 23 March, 6.10am
  Meeting Point: South Hagley Park 
  Map of Meeting Point: Netball Courts
  5KM Time Trial
  The purpose of this session is to get your 5km time so you can work out your paces for the programme going forward. Please record your own time for this 5km.
  The course is 2 laps - out and back to a 1.25km marker within South Hagley Park.

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• Wednesday 25 March, 6.10am
  Meeting Point: South Hagley Park
  Map of Meeting Point: Netball Courts
  Track Session

EVENING GROUP

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• Tuesday 24 March, 5.40pm
  Meeting Point: South Hagley Park
  Map of Meeting Point: Netball Courts
  Track Session

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• Thursday 26 March, 5.40pm
  Meeting Point: South Hagley Park
  Map of Meeting Point: Netball Courts
  5KM Time Trial
  The purpose of this session is to get your 5km time so you can work out your paces for the programme going forward. Please record your own time for this 5km.The course is 2 laps - out and back to a 1.25km marker within South Hagley Park.

BOTH GROUPS

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• Saturday 28 March, 7.30am
  Meeting Point: McCormacks Bay Reserve, McCormacks Bay Road
  Map of Run: Click here
  This map is for all of our running groups, you will be doing a portion of this course.

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. 
 

1. Starting at McCormacks Bay Reserve, cross over safely at the start, start your watches once you are across the road.

2. Run around McCormacks Bay Road towards Ferrymead.

3. At Main Road turn left and run towards Ferrymead to the pedestrian lights.

4. Cross over using the pedestrian lights and turn right onto the Coastal Pathway.

5. Continue along the Coastal Pathway that will lead you around Beachville Road following the water all the way towards Sumner.

6. Turnaround and your half way marker and reverse the course back to the start.

7. KM Markers out for RaceTeam: 1km*, 5km, 7km (refer to your programme for your distance)

8. At your half way marker, turn around and reverse the course back to the finish. 
   
   *16km Runners: (Advanced programme)
   Do and out and back to 7km marker first, then out and back to 1km marker at the end of your run. 

Saturday's Course: Click on image to enlarge

This weeks quick tip: 

'Keep the chart on the fridge. Tick off each day as you achieve.
Be proud to tell people.' 
- Pauline Sullivan

Download your programme

MORNING GROUP

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• Download the programme (.xlsx file)

• Download the programme (.pdf file)

EVENING GROUP

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• Download the programme (.xlsx file)

• Download the programme (.pdf file)

There are 3 different levels you can choose from: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced.

You choose which level you do, if you are unsure, we suggest you start at a level where you think is achievable but also provides a challenge.
 

To access the different levels in the excel spreadsheet - click on the tabs with titles at the bottom of the spreadsheet.

Before you come to your first session, know which programme you will be doing, if you are unsure, have a chat to our coaches at the session. 

Education

How the sessions work

Roll Calls and On Time Starts

We always start on time, we don't wait!
Please self-check in at the Group Programme Tablet stand at each session. 
(Extra Mile Runners Members - you don't need to book into each session during the RaceTeam programme). 

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Bring a watch & headlamp

You will need a watch with a GPS function as most of your runs have pace work within them. If you don't have a GPS watch, please bring a watch with a stopwatch function. You will also need a headlamp as the morning are dark and the evenings will start to get dark from now on, we need you 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 for your car keys and will look after these for you during the session. Any other gear that you bring is your responsibility, we haven't had anything go missing yet (touch wood!) but just so you are aware. 

Session Outline

There are 3 group sessions each week. When you registered you nominated whether you will be doing morning or evening sessions. Below is a description of each of the group sessions. 

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Track Session

Location: Netball Courts, South Hagley Park
Morning Group: Wednesday 6.10am
Evening Group: Tuesday 5.40pm

Before your Track Session our coach will take you through a 10min strength warm up, you will do 10 exercises (1 minute per exercise), please refer to your programme. This warm up involves the use of resistance bands for some of the movements - these will be provided at each session. You will then start your Track Session. 
 

Refer to your programme for the track session intervals, you don't need to remember them as the coach will direct you at the session but it is a good idea to be familiar with the session before you begin. 
 

Pace Session

Location: Netball Courts, South Hagley Park
Morning group: Monday 6.10am (There are 3 x 6.00am starts in Week 5,6 & 7 - refer to your programme)
Evening Group: Thursday 5.40pm
 

The pace session is a time-based session where you will be running at difference paces during the session. Eg: 50minute session:

• 20mins easy running (gossip pace) (10mins out and back)

• 10mins 10km pace (5mins out and back)

• 20mins at race pace (10mins out and back)
   

The purpose of this session is to practice your race pace when you start to get fatigued, it will increase your race fitness and conditioning (as well as help improve mental toughness in those hard moments). Refer to your programme for details on this session. 
 

Your very first Pace Session with RaceTeam is a 5km time trial (refer to your programme). The purpose of this session is to you have your real and current 5km time to work out your different paces for the pace sessions and track sessions. Please make sure you time yourself for this 5km time trial. 
 

Once you have your 5km 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:
 

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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.
Refer to your programme cover page for this scale.
 

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Endurance Session

Saturday morning 7.30am (There are 3 x 7.00am starts in Week 5,6 & 7 - refer to your programme)
Location: Various

This is your long run session. You will see on your programme that the distances increase each week until we get to the longest run in Week 7.  Refer to your programme and weekly newsletters for each week's session.

Other News

• If you feel unwell or have been overseas recently and returned home - please do not come to the group. Practice good hygiene before, during and after the sessions and stay healthy!
   

• Make sure you bring a watch (ideally GPS - but not compulsory) to every session.
   

• Please read this newsletter each week!
   

• 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 or 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).
   

• 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.