Well, I want to say that it has been an interesting 2 years for our sport. I hope you enjoyed running The Tely 10 in October. WE are back to the traditional time of July for this year's event!

Due to the nature of this kind of training, please consult your physician before taking on this program. This program is more demanding on the cardiovascular system than the beginner program. So let's make sure that we are clear to training at a more intense level. Make sure to stick with the MAX Heart rate formula (Max HR = 220 – (Age)) to ensure that you are training within your abilities.

If you have been running for a few years, and have done a few races, this program is for you. This program is shaped and developed for people who have a few years of training experience and want to run a better Tely 10. With new training comes new things to consider. You want to get used to listening to your body. There are alot of devices, smart watches, HR monitors and things to help track your health. But if you don’t know what to look for exactly, then you may not see what your body is trying to tell you. So make sure you are getting plenty of rest. Sleep is very important as it's during this time that your body repairs itself from the days activities. Hydration and nutrition are equally important as well. Food helps fuel you for your runs, and water helps to transport the vitamins and minerals throughout the body, as well as, keep your muscles moving like they are designed to.

The workouts are not complicated. They are very effective in getting you to run at a faster pace for a longer duration. They are, for the most part, pretty easy to read and to understand what is being asked of the session. After some of the easy runs, I have you doing either hill sprints or regular sprints. These little sessions at the end of an easy run prove to be a HUGE factor in improving one’s running. The short hill sprints work on your leg power, running form and strength. While the short sprints also work form but give you a little speed work without the stress of a full-speed session. I don’t have actual hill workouts in the program. But make sure you run your long runs with hills in mind.

You are doing speed workouts right from the start. Week one has you doing a ladder workout. You start at 1200m done at a 10k race pace and get quicker with each segment. Week 4 speed session has become one of my favourites as it involves long intervals geared to get you moving at a goal pace or slightly faster. You do a 3k interval at goal Tely 10 pace, the 2k interval at 10k race pace and the 1 k at 5k race pace. The 200m reps at the end are to help with turn over over the shorter interval distance. These help with strength and form after running longer intervals. It helps to get your body, and mind use to running at a fast pace with some fatigue. As you move into the longer sessions, say week 5 3x2 mile, do them at more like 8k-10k race pace. Pay attention to the rest intervals as you don’t want to take too long of a break and have your heart rate drop. You will see that some of the long runs are workouts. Take week 5’s long run of 16k. You run the first 8 kilometres at an easy pace, run kilometres 9-14 at Tely pace, then finish with some easy kilometres. It's great running Tely pace with some fatigue in the legs. There is a similar long-run workout in week 7. Great confidence boosters for race day.

The Long runs on Sundays are a very important part of training for a long distance event. These get your mind and body ready for the distance you will enter. Some weeks there will be tempo efforts on the long runs. Tempo pace runs are done at goal race pace or slightly slower to get the feel of the pace you are planning on running. They build speed endurance and build confidence heading into the event.

As you make your way through the program, track your progress. Keep track of your routes, the running shoes you were wearing, the conditions you ran in even the time of day. All of these things can help you track your progress over the next few weeks. There is nothing better than seeing a run you did a few weeks ago, and noting that you were faster today than when you did it before.

As always, leave the headphones at home!

So please still be respectful of people's space. Things are getting back to normal but not everyone may be comfortable being really close to you or your group. Everyone is there to have fun and to be safe.

Best of luck this training season! Hope the weather cooperates with your training!

And if I don’t see you on race day, Good luck! Smile for your friends and family, and have a safe race.

Jason White
Personal Trainer

Definitions

Maximum Heart Rate (Max HR) = 220 – (Age):

This formula is used to help determine your effort level based on how fast your heart is beating. Example: 30 year old runner: 220 – (30) = 190. Therefore, 190 x (0.65) = 123 beats per minute (bpm) is where your heart rate should be.

Cross Training:

Other cardio activities that will use other muscles that will help to prevent injuries during training. Examples are swimming laps, going for a bike ride or weight training.

Rest Days:

These days play an important role in your training program. They are designed to give your body a break from training and allow you to remain healthy, prevent injuries, achieve physiological gains and help you concentrate on your overall goal.

Hilly Repeats:

These days are designed to help build your running strength in your legs. Pick a hill that isn’t too steep. Increase pace up the hill (MAX HR of 80-85% on hills). After you have completed the hill, jog to the bottom at a steady pace (65-75% of Max HR) and repeat.

Hill Workouts:

These days are designed to help build your running strength in your legs. The Hill shouldn’t too steep. But steep enough to be a challenge when you increase your pace. (MAX HR of 75-85% on hills). After you have completed the hill, jog back down to the bottom at a steady pace (65-75% of Max HR). Repeat for a number of repetitions suggested.

Speed Work:

These workouts are key to improving your running. Each workout will increase your ability to run at an increased pace for longer. (MAX HR of 80-85%).

Easy Runs:

Doesn’t require a lot of effort to maintain the pace. Conversation with a running partner is easily maintained.

Tempo Run:

This run is done at or very close to your goal race pace. (MAX HR of 75-80%).

Tapering:

This week you don’t want to do anything out of the ordinary. You have worked hard over the last 11 weeks. So, rest up your legs but keep them fresh for race day. You have worked hard over the last 11 weeks.