Warm up Jog 

It’s a bad idea to start stretching from cold. You need to get the blood pumping, so doing a light jog is recommended first. Ideally your heart rate should be up to 120 bpm for a couple of minutes, you should just be starting to sweat (that’s your bodies cooling system kicking in), then you are ready for stretching. 

Stretching 

Stretching prepares the muscles for the activity ahead and prevents injury or at least decreases the risk of incurring any. It increases the elasticity of the muscle. Stretching can be broken into two categories. These are dynamic and static, both of which will be explained here. There are different approaches to warm up stretching but a combination of this type of stretch work well together to get you warmed up but predominantly dynamic stretching.

Dynamic stretching involves moving a muscle group through a range of motion and repeating this motion a set number of times. An example of this is performing a squat (down and up and repeating); this works most of the muscles in the legs and buttocks. By doing this you are using the motion of your body to get the specific muscle groups prepared to the activity ahead. There are numerous dynamic stretches which are specific to running and these are outlined on the following pages, just follow this link .

Static stretching involves isolating a specific muscle and holding it in the stretch position for up to 15 seconds. This is generally repeated three times and the stretch should be pushed a small bit further each time. When stretching it is best to start from the top of the body and work your way down. Examples of static stretches are outlines in the stretching techniques pages on this link .

You don’t have to do every stretch listed but do focus on the areas that are going to be used during your sport related activity.  

Sport related activity  

There are countless variations and it is easy to pick ones suited to your goals. When embarking on a training schedule you should use a cycle of a certain period of time. For example pick a period of four weeks. The work level should increase from week to week until the fourth, thus completing the cycle. The new cycle begins then (week five) but it should only have the intensity of the second week of the previous cycle (week two). The following weeks in the second cycle gradually progress up to week eight and then the new cycle begins. And so on. Here are some examples of training sessions.

Tempo Run

A tempo run is 20 minutes or longer of running at threshold pace. Threshold pace is the effort level just below which the body’s ability to clear lactate, a by-product of carbohydrate metabolism, can no longer keep up with lactate production. This pace is, for most people, about 25 to 30 seconds per mile slower than current 5K race pace. 20 minutes is ideal but it can be longer to suit your training. This type of running, often described as comfortably hard, improves your lactate threshold without overloading muscles.

Fartlek

The technique here is to introduce into your normal runs some short periods of slightly higher pace. Maintain these for a short period, say 200-400m (aim for a bend in the road, power pole or some other landmark up ahead). Then drop your pace back below your normal running pace, or slow to a jog, until you have fully recovered and your breathing has returned to normal. Then return to running at your normal pace, and put in another slightly fast interval later in the run. In this way you are putting a slight extra stress on your system which will, in time, lead to an improvement in your speed and in your anaerobic threshold.

Speedwork

The general principles for improved speed are as follows:

• Choose a reasonable goal for your event, and then work on running at velocities which are actually faster than your goal over short work intervals
• Train at goal pace in order to enhance your neuromuscular coordination, confidence and stamina at your desired speed
• At first, utilise long recoveries, but as you get fitter and faster shorten the recovery periods between work intervals to make your training more specific and realistic to racing. Also move on to longer work intervals, as you are able
• Work on your aerobic capacity and lactate threshold, conduct some easy pace runs to burn calories and permit recovery from the speed sessions
• Work on your mobility to develop a range of movement (range of motion at your hips will effect speed) and assist in the prevention of injury

Interval Training

Broadly defined as repetitions of high-speed/intensity work followed by periods of rest or low activity. This is a great way to help cardiovascular buildup. it can refer to any cardiovascular workout (e.g. stationary biking, running, rowing, etc.) that involves brief bouts at near-maximum exertion interspersed with periods of lower-intensity activity. One popular workout that incorporates this methodology is so-called "walk-back sprinting," in which one sprints a short distance (anywhere from 100 to 800 meters), then changes directions and walks back to the starting point (the recovery period) to do it again. To add challenge to the workout, each of these sprints may start at a predetermined time interval, e.g. 200M sprint, walk back, and sprint again every 3 minutes. The time interval provides just enough recovery. You can make up any kind of intervals to suit your own training. 

Hill Training

Hill sessions force the muscles in your hips, legs, ankles and feet to contract in a coordinated fashion while supporting your full body weight, just as they have to during normal running. In addition, on uphill sections your muscles contract more powerfully than usual because they are forced to overcome gravity to move you up the hill. The result is more power, which in turn leads to longer, faster running strides.

• As you start uphill, shorten your stride. Don't try to maintain the pace you were running on the flat.
• You are aiming for equal effort going up as well as down, not equal pace. Trying to maintain the pace you were running on the flat will leave you exhausted later in the race or session.
• Take 'baby steps' if necessary and try to keep the same turnover rhythm that you had on the flat ground.
• Your posture should be upright - don't lean forward or back - your head, shoulders and back should form a straight line over the feet. Keep your feet low to the ground.
• If your breathing begins to quicken it means that you're either going too fast, over-striding or bounding too far off the ground as you run.
• Use a light, ankle-flicking push-off with each step, not an explosive motion, which will waste energy. If the hill is long or the gradient increases, keep shortening your stride to maintain a smooth and efficient breathing pattern. If the gradient decreases, extend your stride again. Try to maintain the same steady effort and breathing throughout.
• In a race, or when you're training on a undulating course, run through the top of the hill. Don't crest the hill and immediately slow down or pull back on your effort.
• Accelerate gradually into the downhill.
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Running hills is like doing speedwork, in effort if not in outright speed. It is hard on your body, so don't do more than one of the following sessions per week.

Hill Intervals

This is the most basic and yet one of the most beneficial of sessions. Warm up with a 10- to 15-minute run and then do a set of intervals on a steep slope - it can be anywhere from 30 to 250 metres long. On the uphill section try to run at an intensity that is slightly harder than your best 5K race pace. Jog back to the foot of the hill and, when you've recovered, run hard up the hill again. Start with four or five intervals and gradually build up. You can increase the severity of this session by increasing the number of intervals and/or reducing the recovery time.
Benefit Boosts leg-muscle power, giving you quicker, longer strides.

Hard Hills

For this session you need an undulating loop which includes a variety of climbs and descents, rather than a single slope. After a warm-up, start to run continuously over the rolling terrain at slightly less than 10K pace. Try to attack the hills on the climbs, building gradually to 10K race pace. Stay relaxed, balanced and under control on the downhill sections. Even if you have to loop around and double back on the same hills, try to find a route where you are constantly climbing or descending. Benefit Increases leg-muscle power, improves the fatigue-resistance of your muscles and prepares your legs for harder sessions and races.

Speed Agility and Quickness (SAQ) Training

This improves running technique and develops strength and flexibility. It involves drills using rope ladders, cones and hurdles. Repetition and overloading of muscles are the main factors here which help condition the body.

Cool Down

After the training session it is important to get the heart rate back down gradually. This can be achieved by doing a slow jog or walking. Once the heart rate is down the muscles should be stretched. The same static stretches as used during the warm up may be used but they should be a gentler stretch and held for a longer period (approx 25-30 seconds). This helps prevent the build up of lactic acid and reduces the painful effects of training on the body.