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Tips for the Week
of 04-21-2008
Tips for the Week
of 04-14-2008
Tips for the Week
of 04-07-2008
Tips for the Week
of 03-31-2008
Tips for the Week
of 03-24-2008
Tips for the Week
of 03-17-2008
Tips for the Week
of 03-10-2008
Tips for the Week
of 03-03-2008
Tips for the Week
of 02-25-2008
Tips for the Week
of 02-18-2008
Tips for the Week of
This is the final week of the 12–week training program. The race is finally here. Good Luck to all. The hard work is over. Get some extra rest and run a smart race.
Novices
As a beginning runner, you’ve trained at a slow comfortable pace. Stick with that pace, no matter how much adrenaline is flowing through your veins. You can’t expect to run fast, for very far, if you didn’t train at a faster pace. And, if you used the run/walk method during your training runs, it’s perfectly okay to do that during the race also.
Experienced Runners
Since they’ve been through the routine before, the biggest concern for the experienced runner is selecting a pace. A key to running a successful race, no matter what the distance (quarter-mile to the marathon), is picking the right pace. A fairly consistent pace is optimal. You don’t want to take it out too fast and then have to slow down significantly. But you also don’t want to finish the race thinking you could have pushed it a little harder. Use your splits from recent workouts to determine a target pace for the race.
Suggested Weekly
Training Schedule
Below are suggested workout schedules for the five levels runners for this week. The schedules are flexible. You can move the workouts around to different days. But make sure to allow some rest days after the harder workouts.
|
Week 12 |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
|
|
Type of
Runner |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
Weekly Miles |
|
Novice Runner |
2 Miles Easy and/or Core Strength |
Rest |
2 Miles Easy |
2 Miles Easy or Cross Train |
Rest |
Rest |
Universal Sole Lakefront 10 Miler |
12 – 14 |
|
Casual Runner |
2-3 Miles Easy and Core Strength |
Rest |
4 Miles Easy |
2 Miles Easy or Cross Train |
Rest |
Rest |
Universal Sole Lakefront 10 Miler |
14 to 19 |
|
Occasional Race |
2-3 Miles Easy and Core Strength |
4 Miles Tempo |
Rest |
4 Miles Easy |
2-3 Miles Easy |
Rest |
Universal Sole Lakefront 10 Miler |
20 to 22 |
|
Experienced Racer |
3-4 Miles Easy and Core Strength |
4 Miles Tempo |
Rest |
5 Miles Easy |
2-3 Miles Easy |
Rest |
Universal Sole Lakefront 10 Miler |
24 to 26 |
|
Veteran Racer |
4-5 Miles Easy and Core Strength |
4 Miles Tempo |
Rest |
6 Miles Easy |
2-3 Miles Easy |
Rest |
Universal Sole Lakefront 10 Miler |
26 to 28 |
Speed Workout for the
Week (No Novices Please)
The speed workout for this week is a 4 mile Tempo Run. Practice that 10-mile race pace.
Tips for the Week of
This is week 11 of the 12–week training program. Two weeks to go.
Congratulations to all who “weathered” the long run last Saturday. The forecast for this coming Saturday is for temperatures in the 60’s. But, it may rain.
It’s time to start tapering and resting up for the race. Every level of runner is scheduled to do a 6 mile run this weekend. We’re done with the longer distances. Any hard workouts in the last ten days are likely to do more harm than good. So take it easy.
The next training program from Illinois Runs will be for the Universal Sole She’s
Got Sole Women's Only 8K race to be held on
https://www.signmeup.com/site/reg/register.aspx?fid=L92VCK7
You can register for the Illinois Runs program at: http://illinoisruns.org/shesgotsole.htm
Here’s the basic information.
Training Program
Clinic Date and Location
Chicago – Universal Sole, 3052 N. Lincoln Ave.,
Chicago, IL 60657
Saturday, April 26, 2008 - Informational clinics will start
promptly at 9:00am through 12:00 Noon
Weekend Training Runs
Group runs on the Lakefront Running Path from the Waveland
Clock
Tower
For the next three weeks, Universal Sole is offering a 10% percent discount to Illinois Runs participants.
It’s worth repeating: If you are planning on running the
Bank of America Chicago Marathon, you need to register now. As expected, the 45,000 cap will be reached
sometime this spring, may be even this week.
If you’re running
Illinois Runs speed training workouts have begun. These workouts are open to any level of
runner, except the novices. The group
meets on Tuesdays, at
Suggested Weekly
Training Schedule
Below are suggested workout schedules for the five levels runners for this week. The schedules are flexible. You can move the workouts around to different days. But make sure to allow some rest days after the harder workouts.
|
Week 11 |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
|
|
Type of
Runner |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
Weekly Miles |
|
Novice Runner |
2 Miles Easy and/or Core Strength |
Rest |
2 Miles Easy |
2 Miles Easy or Cross Train |
Rest |
6 Miles Easy |
Rest or Cross Train |
12 – 14 |
|
Casual Runner |
2-3 Miles Easy and Core Strength |
Rest |
4 Miles Easy |
3 Miles Easy or Cross Train |
Rest |
6 Miles Easy |
Rest or Cross Train |
14 to 19 |
|
Occasional Race |
2-3 Miles Easy and Core Strength |
6 Miles Tempo |
Rest |
4 Miles Easy |
Strength and/or 2-3 Miles Easy |
6 Miles Easy |
Rest or Cross Train |
18 to 22 |
|
Experienced Racer |
3-4 Miles Easy and Core Strength |
7 Miles Tempo |
Rest |
5 Miles Easy |
Strength & 2-3 Miles Easy |
6 Miles Easy |
Rest, Cross Train, or 3 Miles Easy |
23 to 28 |
|
Veteran Racer |
4-5 Miles Easy and Core Strength |
8 Miles Tempo |
Rest |
6 Miles Easy |
Strength & 2-3 Miles Easy |
6 Miles Easy |
Rest, Cross Train, or 6 Miles Easy |
26 to 32 |
Speed Workout for the
Week (No Novices Please)
The speed workout for this week is a 6 to 8 mile Tempo Run. Most of the run should be done at your Lactate Threshold pace. Although, you may consider doing a mile or two at your 10K pace.
As on previous tempo runs, use the first mile as a slow, easy warm-up. Pick up the pace by 15 – 20 seconds each mile, until you’ve reached your LT or 10K pace. Maintain that pace until the last mile. Use the last mile as a cool down.
Tips for the Week of
This is week 10 of the 12–week training program. Hopefully, you took full advantage of the rest week. Sunday’s weather was perfect for a cross-training bicycle ride.
It’s the last build week, with the highest mileage yet. Coming off a rest week, you need to make time for all of the workouts. The weekend long run is the most important long run. Unfortunately, the forecast is for a return to cooler temperatures. After this week, there will be a two week taper leading into the 10-mile race.
By slowly and steadily increasing your mileage, you have laid down a strong base for the rest of the year. With that in mind, you should be plotting out the rest of your running year.
If you are planning on running the Bank of America Chicago
Marathon, you need to register now. As
expected, the 45,000 cap will be reached sometime this spring. If you’re running
If you’re not quite up to running the marathon, there are
several half-marathons coming up later this spring, summer, and fall, including
Universal Sole’s Oak Brook 50th Anniversary Half
With the switch to daylight savings time and warmer weather
(hopefully), the Illinois Runs speed training workouts have begun. These workouts are open to any level of
runner, except the novices. The group
meets on Tuesdays, at
Suggested Weekly
Training Schedule
Below are suggested workout schedules for the five levels runners for this week. The schedules are flexible. You can move the workouts around to different days. But make sure to allow some rest days after the harder workouts.
|
Week 10 |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
|
|
Type of
Runner |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
Weekly Miles |
|
Novice Runner |
2 Miles Easy and/or Core Strength |
Rest |
2 Miles Easy |
2 Miles Easy or Cross Train |
Rest |
9 Miles Easy |
Rest or Cross Train |
15 – 20 |
|
Casual Runner |
1-3 Miles Easy and Core Strength |
Rest |
4 Miles Easy |
3 Miles Easy or Cross Train |
Rest |
11 Miles Easy |
Rest or Cross Train |
20 to 25 |
|
Occasional Race |
2-3 Miles Easy and Core Strength |
8 x 200 Meter Hill |
Rest |
7 Miles Easy |
Strength and/or 2-3 Miles Easy |
11 - 13 Miles Easy |
Rest or Cross Train |
26 to 30 |
|
Experienced Racer |
3-4 Miles Easy and Core Strength |
12 x 200 Meter Hill |
Rest |
8 Miles Easy |
Strength & 2-3 Miles Easy |
13 Miles Easy |
Rest, Cross Train, or 3 Miles Easy |
31 to 36 |
|
Veteran Racer |
4-5 Miles Easy and Core Strength |
16 x 200 Meter Hill |
Rest |
9 Miles Easy |
Strength & 2-3 Miles Easy |
13 Miles Easy |
Rest, Cross Train, or 6 Miles Easy |
34 to 42 |
Speed Workout for the
Week (No Novices Please)
The speed workout for this week is 8 to 16 times a 200-meter hill. Run them in sets of 4. Each set is a continuous run. Push the uphill portion at 5K pace and jog the downhill portion. At the bottom of the hill, go right into the next hill repeat. Take a three minute break between sets to get water.
You should also be concentrating on your Lactate Threshold or 10-mile race pace. Run a portion of your mid-week or weekend runs at this pace.
Tips for the Week of
This is week 9 of the 12–week training program. It’s a rest week.
Your body needs rest to recover from your training. In addition to taking days off, rest can also include cutting back on the distance of runs, scaling back the intensity, and switching to low-impact cross-training for some workouts.
Much of your body’s repair takes place while you’re sleeping. Developing a good sleep routine can play a significant role in the success of your training program. The following blog contains a pretty good check list for helping you sleep well. Although by reading some of the comments, you’ll see that what works for some runners, doesn’t work for others.
http://completerunning.com/archives/2007/03/14/sleep-on-this/
The tips are presented by level of runner, but some of them may be appropriate for anybody. So, take the time to read all of them.
Novice Runner
The training schedule for this program establishes a consistent workout regimen for runners. A key component of the program is also scheduled rest. In order to stay on schedule and be rested for the next workout, one of the changes that novice runners find necessary after they have started their training is getting to bed earlier. This usually means curtailing some of their night-life activities like late-night dinners and drinking.
Casual Runner
Listen to your body. It’s usually right. Stiffness and small aches are the result of the increased mileage. Stretching and cross training will alleviate some of these problems. However, if you’re feeling “run down” from the increase in mileage or intensity, don’t feel guilty about taking some extra rest days.
Occasional Racer
Now that you’ve decided to ramp up your race schedule, don’t overdo it. Pick and choose the events that you really want to do and that fit your training goals and schedule for the year. Also, you don’t have to run all of the races all out. Use some of them as training runs at slower paces. Many of the larger races are more enjoyable anyway if you slow down and aren’t constantly fighting the crowds as you try to maintain that race pace.
Experienced Racer
It’s very easy for runners who are looking for that extra edge, to get carried away. These runners especially need sleep in order to maintain their heavy training schedule. However, it appears that too much intensity can result in insomnia. Pete Pfitzinger notes that “a change in sleeping habits is an early sign of over-training.” Read more about this anomaly is the following article.
http://www.pfitzinger.com/labreports/sleep.shtml
Veteran Racer
Some of the runners in this category are now running more than 40 miles per week. Higher weekly mileage can be both a boon and a bust. The extra miles will increase leg strength and aerobic conditioning, which can translate into a Personal Record. But too much mileage can also lead to burnout and injury. Sometimes, an extra day of rest can be more beneficial than extra workout.
Suggested Weekly
Training Schedule
Below are suggested workout schedules for the five levels runners for this week. The schedules are flexible. You can move the workouts around to different days. But make sure to allow some rest days after the harder workouts.
|
Week 9 |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
Sunday |
|
|
Type of
Runner |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total We |