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Week 3 - November 4th thru 10th

Monday 4th                 No Run - Optional Cross Training Day

                                Do ONE of the Following after Warm Up:

                                Warm Up 10 minutes on the Stationary Bike - THEN

                                Lift Weights/Pilates (Mat or Reformer)/Yoga/Core Strength Work

                                Cool Down 5-10 minutes on Stationary Bike

Tuesday 5th                Easy/Light Run 35-40 minutes

                                Include 5-7 x 30 sec light strides/60 sec easy within run

Wednesday 6th           Light Fartlek Workout 

                                Meet @ East Boulder Rec - 6:30 am OR 5:30 pm

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

                                3 x (90 sec/3 min/90 sec) as follows:

                                Run 90 sec @ 80% effort of max with 60 sec easy

                                Run 3 min @ 70-75% effort of max with 90 sec easy

                                Take 2 min Easy between Sets

                                Cool Down 5-10 minutes

Thursday 7th               Easy Recovery Run 35-40 minutes

Friday 8th                    No Run - Optional Cross Training Day

                                Do ONE of the Following after Warm Up:

                                Warm Up 10 minutes on the Stationary Bike - THEN

                                Lift Weights/Pilates (Mat or Reformer)/Yoga/Core Strength Work

                                Cool Down 5-10 minutes on Stationary Bike

Saturday 9th                Light Tempo Workout - Meet @ Tom Watson Park - 7:30 am

                                 Light Drills - 10 to 15 minutes

                                 Warm Up 10-15 min/Stretch/4 x 25 sec strides

                                 3 x 9 min with 3 min active rest to re-group

                                 Run Pick-Ups Steady/Controlled @ 70-75% Effort of Max

        Cool Down 5-10 minutes

Sunday 10th                Optional Easy Shake-Out Run 35-40 minutes

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

Fartlek/Tempo - Run between 70-80% effort of Max

Long Run – Between 60-90 sec slower than your half/full marathon goal pace

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.

Tom Watson Park - follow the Diagonal Highway to 63rd St. Go north on 63rd for about a half mile and look for the sign saying Tom Watson Park on your right. Parking Lot is opposite Coot Lake on east side of 63rd. DO NOT park @ Coot Lake.

Coach's Notes

For years runners have been warned to forgo working out too close to bedtime because exercise interferes with ones sleep. The American Academy of Sleep Medicines advises avoiding strenuous exercise for as long as 6 hours before hitting the sack. The idea they say is to prevent the body from producing endorphins and other stimulants that can disturb sleep or lead to waking in the middle of the night.

However, recent research done at the University of South Carolina suggests that this is a misleading generalization. In two studies conducted at the University, subjects exercised at a moderately high intensity for 1 – 3 hours in the evening and had no trouble nodding off a mere half hour later, proving evening exercise does not disrupt sleep in all people and actually could improve sleep quality following exercise.

If you do have to choose between staying up late to run and setting the alarm for a pre-dawn rise, some experts say you should hit the hay. At the end of a long day, you’re likely to be less coordinated and more prone to falling. Besides, running can enhance mood and productivity, so a morning run could help you function better during the day. The problem is, few runners have the luxury of running whenever they want, so night running becomes a necessity if they want to get out and train during the winter months.

Here’s some Basic Advise from the Experts on Running in the Dark:

(i) it takes time to get accustomed to running in the dark, so keep initial outings short

(ii) wear reflective apparel, leave the i-pod at home and carry your cell phone

(iii) a group makes you visible to approaching pedestrians and cyclists

(iv) when using your headlamp, focusing on the circle of light can cause tunnel vision and

feelings of nausea, so try taking your eyes off the light for brief periods

This WINTER during the evening runs, wear our headlamps, reflective tops, watch for other runners and cyclists using the bike paths and have fun with your workouts.