I thought I would use pictures of two pillars of the Club in the past to bracket the sessions today.
This week I have split the Interval session into three groups aligned to the usual Tuesday evening groups.
Tony Curry
Sessions
Session Guidance
There are two sessions described for endurance runners for each week. It is assumed that this will be supplemented by a 90 minute or so long run, run at easy pace, plus all other runs at easy pace.
No more than 20% of your time (not distance) running should be done at speed, so if you are only running for less than 2 hours a week, only do one of the two sessions and do the “Tempo Run”.
If you are also training in other sports, such as cycling and/or swimming, ensure that you are getting sufficient recovery between your intense activities. The speed sessions described here only give you any training benefit if done at the right quality. A slower than planned tempo run might as well be an easy run for the physical capability benefit in speed endurance gained.
For Health and Safety advice, see below.
"Interval Session"
Purpose of session : to improve your running fitness
Warm up : run for 15 minutes to get properly warm in this cold weather. Include 3 sets of strides (30 seconds).
Efforts :
6 to 8 reps of 5 minutes' efforts at 5 to 10k pace; 1 to 2 minutes jog recovery
Efforts :
5 reps of 5 minutes' efforts at 5k pace; 2 minutes jog recovery
Efforts :
4 reps of 5 minutes' efforts at 5k pace with 3 minutes jog recovery
Cool down : run at steady pace for at least 5 minutes and do some static stretching "in the warm".
"Tempo Session"
Purpose of session : to improve your stamina
Warm up : at least 10 minutes steady running - throw in a couple sets of strides
Efforts :
4 to 6 efforts of 5 minutes at 10k race pace with 3 minutes recovery at your Marathon pace, so quicker than "Easy".
Cool down : run at steady pace for at least 5 minutes and do some static stretching "in the warm".
Enjoy the sessions,
Dave Wright
Important Information :
Your Health and Safety
Many are still dying from Covid19, so please ensure you adhere to the Government guidance associated with exercising, including the travelling, i.e. “you can continue to exercise alone, with one other person or with your household or support bubble. This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area. You should maintain social distancing". Government guidance can be found at
There are other health and safety concerns with running at this time of year:
· Slippery surfaces from ice, especially if it’s melting
· Visibility as light levels are lower than you think, so do not dress like a Ninja Warrior but wear Hi Vis clothing and ensure have sufficient clothing to keep warm, in particular a hat, as the majority of body heat is lost through your head.
· If running early or late in the day, have a headtorch to help you see what you’re running on/in and to be more visible.
· Carry water with you if running a reasonable distance – you can lose as much moisture in cold weather as hot, but you are less likely to notice it in cold weather.
If you are new to running have a look at the Health Questionnaire on our Senior’s training page on our website, to ensure you do not make yourself unwell or injured (link to the page, questionnaire is underscored: https://www.cirencesterac.com/seniors). NB You do not need to fill it in.
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