For those who are unaware the City2Surf race is a mid-winter staple. What better way to get out and exercise than to join the mass pilgrimage from Hyde park to Bondi Beach and explore this beautiful city through another means of transportation. Be it running, walking or otherwise it is a great event to be had by one and all.
To help you prepare for this seasons edition I have come up with a 12 week training program to help you get over Heartbreak Hill and cross the finish line.
As you are aware there are 3 main hills in the run, 2 short and steep, one long and steady. As part of training we need to include hills that mimic these. There are many small undulations to consider. And lastly how to navigate the crowds through the run.
Here is a snapshot of a training program I have devised for someone who has a little bit of running under the belt but has let the running shoes collect their fair share of dust more recently.
To explain how the training schedule works I have used 3 differing styles of running. These are to help bring a bit of variety in to the program and both keep you motivated during the cooler weeks, and to help prepare you for the different sections of the run. These are as follows.
Long run. This is your endurance run, or the run that will get your legs ready for the duration of time you will run. These are designed to be at a steady pace. For the heart rate monitor runner, you should be at about 65% of your heart rate max. For those who don’t have a heart rate monitor you should be able to hold a sentence while running at this pace. Think of it as semi relaxed running.
Tempo. This is where we ramp things up a little. The tempo runs are shorter but snappier, this is where you get your legs used to running a little faster. You should be working at around 75% HRmax here. Or getting a sweat up but able to maintain that pace. The idea of tempo runs is to inadvertently make your long runs a little faster and therefore easier.
Intervals. These are ones I enjoy the most. You are working in short stints which are usually a lot harder, but the good news is you get a rest in between. The intervals in this program are hill based. These are to introduce the legs to the hills but not to put you off. Heartbreak Hill is approximately 2km, but we will not be doing a 2km interval at effort. More like 200-1000m efforts.
This training program works on the idea of 3 runs per week with a day in between to allow for recovery. You could add your own extra light run here and there but make sure you have a day to recover post long run.
This program lets you decide which days to run on and where to run. You choose where to do your long run, tempo or intervals. Sydney is a great city that offers plenty of open spaces to enjoy the outdoors. You have the freedom to choose which circuit suits you. And we are never too far from a hill.
If you are thinking of entering for the first time and are not sure where to start, come in and see us for a Running Assessment where we look at your kinematics and offer advice to help you run easier.
