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 People run in The Sun-Herald City2Surf for a multitude of reasons: to have fun; for personal health and fitness; to raise money for a good cause or just to set themselves a challenge and overcome it. Whatever your reason for running in the City2Surf, Run 4 Your Life Magazine has designed a training program for you. Our programs cater for all runners, from the beginner looking to complete the distance all the way to the elite runner looking to break 50 mins and finish in the top 100. Follow along with our 11 week programs and be ready to achieve your best result in Sydney on Sunday, August 9. The Sun-Herald City2Surf Training Programs will help you get the most out of the event, designed by Run 4 Your Life, these programs are your essential preparation tools for The Sun-Herald City2Surf. Make sure you pick up your copy of Run 4 Your Life Magazine to read more about these great training programs. On sale May 27. FINISHER PROGRAM Click here for the Finisher Training Program This program is for runners new to the sport and are looking to complete the 14km course. INTERMEDIATE PROGRAM Click here for the Intermediate Training Program This program is for runners who have some running history and are lookign to run about a 70-90 minute time in the City2Surf. ADVANCED PROGRAM Click here for the Advanced Training Program This program is for individuals who have several years running experience and are looking at a finishing time in the range of 50-70 minutes. View the full printed program in Run 4 Your Life Magazine here. Training Program Philosophy The most important part of any training program is the build-up of training mileage in order to adequately prepare the runner to complete the race distance. The Finisher program focuses on a gradual mileage increase to avoid injury and safely complete the 14km distance. The Intermediate and Advanced programs are more specific in that they offer key training sessions with target times to maximise race performance. These programs focus on speed sessions (5km pace and faster) and threshold sessions near race pace to facilitate training adaptations specific to the race distance. The interval sessions work on 5km and mile race pace in order to maximise performance indicators like VO2max, lactate tolerance, muscular adaptations and running economy. The threshold sessions work on the runner’s anaerobic threshold, a key performance predicator for races in the 10km – marathon range. There is also a gradual increase in the weekly mileage and length of the long run to prepare the runner for the 14km race distance. What to do if you miss some training: If you look after your body, eat correctly, get adequate sleep and recovery, there is a good chance you will make it all of the way through this 11 week training program without any hiccups and hit the start line in great shape. However running is a very arduous sport and it will not be uncommon for people to suffer some small (or large) hiccup during the build up, whether it is an injury, illness, or work taking control of your life. So what do you do if you miss some of the prescribed program? The most important thing to consider here is that you don’t increase your work load too quickly. If you have only missed a few days (between 1 and 5), you should be fine to just pick up the program as prescribed from the day that you are able to start running again. That is, just forget about the days that you have missed and start with the day on the program corresponding with today’s date. If you begin to have several small breaks (totalling 8-14 days over a period of less than 4 weeks) or a small problem (5-14 days), you may have to start modifying the program to make sure that you don’t overdo it. In this case, start with the current day of the program but take 20% off the distance or repetitions for the first week you start back. Then 10% off the 2nd week of your return and 5% off the 3rd week, after this you should be ok to follow the program again from here on in. Session Types: R4YL’s City2Surf training programs use the following sessions: Fartlek: Fartlek is introductory speed work in these programs. Simply pick up the pace a little faster than regular running speed to get used to working a little harder than normal. Recovery is as long as you need and the surges can be built into a run of 30 – 40 mins in length. For example, “Fartlek 1', 2', 2', 1'” means you pick up the pace for 1 minute, followed by a period of jog recovery and then another 2 mins of faster running with another recovery, finishing of with 2 mins, recovery and a final 1 minute of faster running. FF (Fast Finish): Simply an easy run with a faster finish of strong aerobic running. For example “30 inc 5FF” means a 30 minute run picking up the pace in the last 5 minutes to a strong aerobic effort (best explained by the oxymoron sounding ‘comfortably hard’). SAE (Strong Aerobic Effort): As with the FF, this is a comfortably hard pace close to a runner’s anaerobic threshold. Breathing rate should just start increasing to the point where it is now difficult to have a conversation and pace maintenance requires concentration. SAE surges are not maximal efforts and should only require a recovery of around 2 mins. A 10 – 15 mins warm up and 3 – 4 strides plus a 10 - 15 mins warm down is recommended. RP (Race Pace): Sessions at race goal pace for the City2Surf. For some runners Race Pace and SAE will be very similar. The focus is different for the two sessions though, in SAE the focus is on running effort regardless of pace while in RP the focus is on running at or near race pace. RP surges are controlled efforts and should only require a recovery of around 2 mins. As with the SAE sessions, a warm up and warm down is recommended. Interval Session: The interval sessions are based around corresponding 5km performances for the runner’s City2Surf time goal. The 200s at the end of the session are to be run fast but not all out. The pace for the 200s should be at least two seconds faster per 200m than 5km pace. Recoveries should be half the interval length up to a maximum of 400m and jogged at an easy pace. However, a 200m jog recovery is suggested for the 200s. For example in the Advanced program for the 60 mins runner, the session written 4 x 1000, 4 x 200 would be completed as follows: 4 x 1000m in 4 mins (96 sec/lap) with a 400 jog recovery, 4 x 200 in around 40 - 42 seconds with a 200m jog recovery. A 10 - 15 minute warm up and 3 – 4 strides are suggested before each session as well as a 10 – 15 minute warm down. Hill Sessions: The rule of specificity applies to training. To maximise performance on a hilly course like the City2Surf it is necessary to complete some runs on rolling terrain or include hill sessions in the program. Where no hill sessions are indicated it would be wise to include at least one run per week on a hilly course. For example ‘10min Hill’ refers to 10 mins of hill repeats, it can either be 10 mins of running up and down a hill of 15 – 60 seconds in length or 10 mins of running hard up hills on a hilly course with a steady run in between each consecutive hill. It comes down to individual preference and the topography of the training location. Easy Runs and Long Runs: The weekly recovery runs and Sunday long run should be completed at a comfortably controlled pace where it is possible to have a conversation – at least on the flat segments! The time length of these runs is more important than pace. These runs can be completed according to how the runner feels on the day. Do not be afraid to jog slowly when tired. Strides: Strides are relaxed sprints of 80m -120m and are completed at a fast pace but without straining. Build up your speed gradually during each progressive stride.   Share your training tips and chat to other participants on our City2Surf Facebook Group.  You can also stay up to date with all the recent additions and City2Surf news by following us on Twitter.  |
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