Sub 30 minute 10k training

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UK 10,000m Championships and Olympic Trials

Updated 15/06/08 report and results

A few days ago I received my invite for this years championships and trials on 14th June at Watford then today the start lists were published which really starts to focus the mind.

I'm really excited to be lining up for my first track 10,000m for a decade. One of the benefits of being a marathon runner is that 25 laps doesn't build the mental barriers that it used to. When you do sessions like 20km alternating 'fast' (3.05) and 'slow' (3.25) on the track as part the marathon build up then 10km stright seems perfectly manageable. Sure the speed is going to be a shock to the system but that's why i'm doing it !

With just over 2 weeks to go I will put in a couple more workouts at race tempo and then start to back off the volume a bit which has been consistently in the 105-115mpw range for the last couple of months. Hopefully that will leave me lining up with fresher legs to keep up with the strong field that is entered.

Canova Hill Sprints

The last few weeks I have been back on the track doing some specific training sessions to prepare for the 10,000m trials on the 14th June. One of the things I've noticed is that despite having done very little traditional 'speedwork' I have still got plenty of speed (by my standards) and was able to run a series of 200s in 29 secs the first time out.

I'm sure that retaining the ability to run at close to my maximum speed has got something to do with the hill sprints that I have been doing for the last year. I started them as part of my build up for the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 2007 and have kept them going weekly during the winter. The idea has been popularised by Italian coach Renato Canova who is currently head coach for Qatar and the personal coach to athletes such as steeplechase world record holder Stephen Cherono (aka Said Saeef Shaheen) and Mubarak Shami (formerly Richard Yatich) who won Marathon silver at Osaka's World Championships.

The idea behind the hill sprints is quite simple. As long distance runners we spend a lot of time exercising the slow twitch and intermediate fibres in our muscles but relatively little time on the few fast twitch fibres that we have. However these fast twitch fibres are needed at the end of the race when all the others are exhausted or to produce a sprint finish. So to train them effectively we need to provide a training stimulus which activates them and the quickly overloads them. Hill sprints are how we do it. I tend to do these workouts in flexible shoe such as the Saucony Type A or Grid Tangent as there is a lot of foot flexion required to maintain a good running action when sprinting uphill.

The precise gradient of the hill is not that important but it needs to be steep and long enough for a 10-12 second maximum effort. After a good warm up you are ready to go.
1. Sprint for 10-12 seconds uphill at maximum speed. Why 10-12 seconds ? Well after that the effort is starting to be lactic-anaerobic and the speed will start to decrease. Remember we are looking for a maximum effort to recruit the fast twitch fibres.
2. Walk back down the hill taking as long as required to recover. 2 minutes is probably the minimum recovery time.
3. Repeat until the legs are exhausted. You will tell when they are because they feel like jelly and the speed starts to drop off ! As soon as you can no longer maintain the speed then stop.

Adaptation to this type of training is surprisingly fast. The first time you try it you may only be able to manage 3 or 4 efforts but can add one effort each subsequent session.

Remember though, its all about maximum speed and full recovery !

1st July 2009 COMING SOON - photos and video clip

Easing down for Bristol 10k

After a hard block of training I can't wait to race again on fresh legs. One of the most difficult balancing acts of an athlete is training hard enough while still racing regularly. The temptation is to back off the training before every race but if you are racing every few weeks you quickly find a that a few days easy before a race followed by a couple of recovery days after means that training quickly gets compromised. So the alternative is racing on tired legs and accepting that performances could be variable.

Fortunately I've had 3 solid races during my most recent training block, the half marathon win in Switzerland and a couple of strong relay efforts over about 9k. It certainly helps being a marathon runner. The extra training miles means that I recover more quickly from races and also racing on tired legs is the essence of the last 10k of a marathon so you learn to love that sensation of pushing hard when your body is telling you it is time to sleep !

It always surprises me just how tired I feel after a couple of easy days. I can keep knocking out 30km training days and feel OK but a couple of days of less than 20k and I feel knackered. It just goes to show the cumulative effect of hard training and reinforces the need for a proper taper to get fully refreshed for a big race. Hopefully a couple more easy days will see me starting to feel good again and ready to go in Bristol on monday.

5 weeks to London - what to do now ?

Last week I had coffee with one of my team mates who is aiming to break 2.40 for the first time and we talked about his plan for the last hard block of training. While we made a complete plan at the start of his build up we were able to review his progress after 7 weeks and make a couple of small adjustments for the next couple of weeks which should benefit him come race day.

So what do you need to do before now and the taper which starts after the easter weekend ? Clearly it depends on how your training has gone and your race plans so here are some things to think about.

If you are doing a half marathon this weekend then make sure you have a strategy for the race. Are you going into the race tired and running it at target marathon pace ? Or are you having a couple of easy days before hand and really going for it ? There is no ‘right’ answer to these questions. Just keep in mind that you are tired from the marathon training and running a big PB is probably unrealistic. So just be honest with yourself about your goal for the half marathon and stick to the plan. Remember that 13^th April is what really matters !

After the half you need to make sure that you have a couple of very easy afterwards to recover. Your glycogen levels will be low and your immune system vulnerable so eat well, drink plenty of fluids and grab some extra sleep. You will then be in great shape to put in your last long run over the easter weekend.

If you are not racing and feeling that you would benefit from some extra stamina in this last period of hard training then you can sensibly do a long run this weekend and next paying special attention to refuel in that vital first hour after the end of your long run.

On the other hand if you are confident in your stamina because you have done the long runs and a good overall volume of training then you can use these last two weeks to stretch the length of runs you are doing at marathon pace. The key here is extending the distance at MP. The temptation to run faster than marathon pace is powerful and you need to resist. If you are feeling good then just go further at marathon speed. Remember that the marathon is a game of fuel efficiency rather than speed !

Good luck with these two weeks and at easter I will post some thoughts on the taper and a race week checklist.

12 weeks until London ... what's your plan ?

This sunday is 12 weeks to go until the 2008 Flora London Marathon. While the elite field is looking as loaded as ever with Paul Tergat, Stefano Baldini, Martin Lel, Sammy Wanjiru and Ryan Hall leading the way for the men and a Paula Radcliffe v Gete Wami rematch headling the women's race for most people the focus will be on beating their personal best or just getting round if its the first attempt.

You have got your acceptance letter or been successful in the club ballot and the clock is ticking. So what now ? The good news is that 12 weeks is a long time in terms of improving fitness and by following a few basic rules of planning you can achieve your goals whether you are aiming for 2.04 or 4.02 !

When preparing a big race its always wise to work backwards in your planning. Why ? Because the date of the race won't move and every training session you carry out needs to be a function of your current fitness and how far you are from the target race. Its amazing how many people start planning forward from today and then get to race day and find that they missed some crucial aspects of their training.

So starting at the end your first task is to set a realistic but stretching goal for the race. Take some quiet time to do this. Lie down if it helps and close you eyes. Imagine yourself running towards the finish line. See the sights you want to see, hear the noise of the crowd in your ears and notice just how you feel as you head towards the line achieving your goal. Make the image as powerful as possible. As you cross the line have a good look at the clock and get that big yellow number fixed in your mind. Top athletes are forever rehearsing their performance in their minds in just this way. By repeating this imagery frequently it becomes second nature and your chances of success go up !

Your goal is crystal clear so now the 12 week plan. A nice way to think about it is 4 blocks of 3 weeks. These are short enough to keep you focused and long enough to see progress from one block to the next.

So working backwards the first 3 week block is the taper (this will start on monday 24th march). Whether you are looking for 2.04 or 4.02 you have to taper. This is when you body repairs itself after the training that has come before and stocks up on vital glycogen for race day. Trying to make up for lost time during the taper is always counter-productive. You have been warned ! I will write a bit more about the taper nearer the race. For now you just need to know that those last 3 weeks are for the taper only.

The next 3 week block is the 3rd-23rd March. This is going to be the hardest block: the most miles, the longest long runs and 9 weeks of cumulative fatigue by the end of it. This is the time to minimise other commitments and work out how you are going to get some extra sleep to help you recover. Make sure that those close to you know about this now, then they will be prepared for when you decline that big night out or weekend away during March.

The final 2 blocks are all about getting you ready for March in a progressive way that allows you to stay healthy. 11th Feb-2nd March is going to be fairly hard in its own right while 21st Jan-10th Feb is when you get your legs used to long runs again and lay some solid foundations.

Every athlete's individual training is going to be different and there are some great books available to help you plan your build up with detailed schedules. I've listed some of the best in the Recommended Books section on this website. The most crucial training elements for most club runners are going to be the long run and rehearsing marathon pace. Again working backwards its wise to identify what your longest run is going to be. I prefer to work on time rather than distance as its easier to measure even with modern handheld GPS. Lets say your marathon goal is 2:58 and your longest run is going to be 2:40 but your long runs are currently only an hour and half. Well that means adding 10 minutes per week until you hit the longest run 4 weeks before the race. Not so bad after all !

As for marathon pace, i'm certainly not advocating club runners attempting 25km tempo runs like the elite do. However having a good sense of race pace is crucial so that you start off at the correct speed. The biggest mistake in marathons is starting too fast and in a few miles undoing months of good work in preparation. And especially in london with a downhill third mile you can roll through 10k feeling great and then pay later. I've been there and trust me it gets ugly. 32mins at Cutty Sark in 2006 (2.15 pace) ended up with a death march down the mall and a disappointing 2.20. By getting your race pace really grooved in you can start sensibly. You only need to do a few miles at race pace to start off with and you can add more later on if required. Use a track or measured road course to know that your pacing is accurate. Of course these runs have the additional benefit that as you get fitter your race pace runs will feel easier, especially during the taper.

So go and find that quiet space and create yourself a powerful and motivating image of success !

Training in the rain: the value of training partners

While my Wells team mates Andy Baker (12th, U23 men) and Frank Tickner (37th, Senior Men) were in Spain for the European Cross Country Championships I was putting in some long reps through Nine Springs in the freezing rain with Frank's elder brother Ben. In fact this was the second time in three days that I had company for a hard effort in poor conditions, for on thursday I did a one hour progression run with Rob Whalley and Ewen Malloch. Both days gave me a timely reminder of the value of having good training partners to run with.

Its no coincidence that much of the success of east african running is built on a strong group culture (more in a future post from Kenya) and the recent revival in US distance running owes much to squads such as the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, Nike Oregon Project and Team Running USA Mammoth to name but a few.

Saturday was just the kind of day when you look out of the window in the morning and think "time to put the kettle on and hope this weather clears up later". But of course it doesn't and you end up with compromised training. With Ben scheduled to appear at 10am there was nothing to it but to get the session done. I cant pretend it was fun. A few minutes into the warm up we were soaked through to the skin but with each other pushing the pace on there was no chance of turning back. And as we warmed down (OK, so legged it back to the house for that hot cup of tea) there was the satisfaction of having got the long reps done on a day when we could so easily have cut training short.

Whether you are Paul Tergat or just preparing for your first London Marathon there will be days this winter when you feel tired or de-motivated and this is where training partners are like gold dust. So if there is one running resolution you are going to make this year, make sure it is to get a training partner or two. Why not start now, by pencilling in a couple of runs with them over the christmas break when you know your resolve is going to be tested !