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Week 3 - March 2nd thru 8th

Monday 2nd                No Run - Cross Training Day

                                 Lift Weights/Pilates (Mat or Reformer)/Yoga – 45 to 60 minutes

Tuesday 3rd                Easy/Light Run 45 minutes

                                 Include 6 x 30 sec light strides/60 sec easy within run

Wednesday 4th           Fartlek Workout

                                 Meet @ East Boulder Rec - 6:30 am

                                                      OR

                                 Meet @ Potts Field - 5:30 pm

                                 Warm Up 15-20 min/Stretch/4 x 30 sec strides

                                 Start 4 x 30 sec fast turnover with 60 sec easy

                                 Then 5 x 3 min steady with 90 sec easy

                                 End 4 min steady/controlled

                                 Take 2 min Easy between Each Set

                                 Cool Down 5-10 minutes

Thursday 5th              Easy Recovery Run 45 minutes

                                 Plyo’s Class @ CAC-Flatirons – 6:00 pm

Friday 6th                   No Run - Day Off

                                 Lift Weights/Pilates/Yoga/Core Strength Work – 45 to 60 minutes

Saturday 7th               Hill/Tempo Workout from South Boulder Rec – 7:30 am

                                 Warm Up 15-20 min/Stretch/4 x 25 sec strides

                                 Start 5 min on the Flats…Out/Back @ half marathon pace

                                 Take 2 min Active Rest

                                 Then 4 x 75 sec short hills with easy down recovery

                                 Then 5 min on the Flats…Out/Back @ half marathon pace

                                 Take 2 min Active Rest

                                 End 4 x 75 sec short hills with easy down recovery

                                 Cool Down 5-10 minutes

                                 Functional Strength Work – Bring a Change of Clothes/Yoga Mat

Sunday 8th                 Easy Long Run 60-70 minutes

                                 Relaxed Effort-Pace/Hydrate on the Run

                                 Easy 5 min Walk Cool Down

Terminology

Easy/Light/Recovery - Conversational Pace/Time on Legs/Relaxed Effort

Long - 60 to 90 sec slower than goal pace for marathon

Fartlek - Playing with Fast/Slow Speed

Tempo - Run between 70-75% Effort of Max

Hills - Work on Form (drive with arms/get up on toes/quick turnover/mid-foot strike on downs)

Meeting Places

East Boulder Rec - follow Baseline east to 55th St. Take a right on 55th and follow the road until the sharp left turn and go past the first parking lot and tennis courts towards the Rec Center. Park on the West Side of the Rec Center Parking Lot.

Potts Field – CU Outdoor Track between Foothills Parkway and 30th off of Colorado Avenue

South Boulder Rec – follow Broadway south past Table Mesa Drive. Take a right on Grinnell Road and follow Grinnell until Gillaspie Drive. Take a left on Gillaspie and go past the rec center and park in the overflow parking south of the rec center.

Coach's Notes

How Fit Are You??? There are 9 Tests that identify your strengths and weaknesses...over the next 2 weeks we'll discuss these tests and then pair them with exercises and drills that will help improve your scores.

As a Runner, you are already in Good Shape; however, if you want to perform at your full potential, you need to take a comprehensive approach to your training. That means targeting areas of fitness you may not normally pay attention to, like flexibility, balance, and mobility.

1) Core Strength - the muscles in your abdominals, back, and glutes give you stability, power, and endurance. If your core muscles cannot support your pelvis, it will drop, causing your hips, knees, and ankles to lose proper alignment. When this happens, you can't absorb forces appropriately, and your muscles fatigue quicker.

Test It - Plank Position: form a straight line from your head to ankles and see how long you can maintain perfect form. Anything under 90 seconds is not good.

Improve It - lie on your back with your hands at your sides, legs straight out in front of you and feet 6 inches off the ground. Start sitting up while elevating your left arm with the elbow bent. At the peak of the sit-up, bring your right knee toward your chest. Return to the start position, keeping your legs raised and repeat with the opposite side. Work for 20 reps.

2) Upper Body Strength - a strong upper body makes it easier to hold good form, which can improve running economy. The more economical you are, the less oxygen you use and the longer you can sustain a given pace.

Test It - Push-Ups: complete as many standard push-ups as possible maintaining good form. Depending on your age, the range for "fair" is 8 to 16.

Improve It - get in a push-up position with your shins on a stability ball. Complete a push-up, then pull the ball toward your chest. Return to the start position and repeat. Do 2-3 sets of 10-20 reps, resting 30 seconds between sets.

3) Lower-body Strength - the repetitive motion of running, using the same muscles over and over again, can strengthen some more than others. An imbalance between opposing muscle groups, such as the quadriceps and hamstrings, can lead to muscle pulls and knee pain.

Test It - squat down until your glutes graze the seat of a chair. Return to standing and repeat as many times as possible. Depending on your age, "fair is 9 to 30.

Improve It - by doing walking lunges holding dumbbells. Step forward with your right leg and lower into a lunge. Return to standing as you step forward with your left leg and repeat 8 times. Do 2-3 sets, resting 60 seconds between sets. Make sure your lunging knee does not protrude over the front of the toes.

4) Flexibility - a flexible body is more efficient, sees more gains in strength and endurance, enjoys more range of motion, and recovers quicker. When your muscles are long and pliable, blood flows more freely. This means your muscles, ligaments, and tendons are better nourished and able to rebound better after a workout.

Test It - bend your left knee, and draw your thigh in. Loop a strap around the arch of your left foot, and hold an end of the strap in each hand. Straighten the leg as much as possible. Walk your hands up the strap until the elbows are straight. Gently bring your leg as close to your head as possible. Note the angle. Anything less than 45 degrees is "fair".

Improve It - stand with your glutes against a wall and your feet 6-12 inches from the wall's base. Bend forward and work to place your palms on the floor. Do this stretch post-run and hold stretch for 10-15 seconds. Repeat 3-4 times with 30 seconds rest.

5) Balance - running is an intricate one-foot balancing act. To stay steady on your feet, nerve endings in your joints and muscles (called proprioceptors) sense changes in your body position. Improving your balance can enhance the ability of these proprioceptors to anticipate movement changes so your runs are smoother and faster.

Test It - place your right foot against your left leg and time yourself in this position until you lose balance. "Fair" is less than 25 seconds.

Improve It - by doing one-legged squats. Place a stability ball between your lower back and a wall. Lift your right foot off the ground and lower down into a squat. Push back to start, but don't lower your right foot. Do 8 reps and then switch to the other leg.

Next Week we’ll discuss Speed, Endurance, Joint Mobility, and Cardiovascular Strength.

Enjoy Week 3 of Base Training!!!