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Workouts that create Calm when there is a Storm

7/5/2011

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In the middle to latter part of  workouts or competitions, if you find yourself losing focus start attacking and refocusing on your goal. Keep thinking of the pain during the workout as short term. Tiredness is a short term feeling compared to the hours that you do training and working out. When you know during a race that the opposition is usually better than you, don't worry about it or have negative thoughts but instead use a mind workout to get the best out of yourself and your performance.

 If you can stay with your opposition for as long as possible you will have a better chance of doing well as they can motivate you. Control your thoughts to concentrate on your technique; be relaxed from head to toe, including facial expression, bottom jaw, shoulders down, chest up, abdominals in, hips held high, push off the ball of the foot and relax the arms. If you focus on your arms and legs and get them to move efficiently it will distract from the fatigue at the end of the race. In the final part of the workout or competition in the last few seconds whether it is 30 seconds or 3 seconds, use your will power to give 100% of what energy and mental strength you have left. Say to yourself I'm going to run as fast as I can and give 100% too achieve the best workout you possibly can on that day. Balance your body and mind in your workouts. Remember that 60% of a competition is mental preparation. So don’t just concentrate on workouts for the body, workout your mind.

Keep your eye on your goal perhaps it's the prize, or your time is important, you're finishing place or the prize in your category that you want to do well in. Keep thinking positive thoughts and don't allow yourself to have one negative thought. This can be helped by visualizing your run into the final stretch of a race being fast, strong and powerful with perfect technique and style, and all of this with an air of confidence and self-belief. Having confidence is the key, so remind yourself of all the training sessions you have done before in training. Think of the hill Workouts, the workouts in the gym, the sprint drills, the technique practices and the long endurance runs.  All of this will remind you that you deserve to have the best competition workouts ever. Practice doesn't make it perfect but it does make it permanent. So when it comes to doing your speed drills and technique training why not create excellence, it's not an act but a habit. Athletes we learn that we become what we repeatedly do.

Workouts improve flexibility and range of movement. Workouts increase strength, improve cardiovascular function and thus burn calories. Workouts reduce stress levels and provide a feeling of well-being. Particular workouts like Pilate’s Yoga, warm-ups and cool down exercises improve flexibility and freedom of joint movement. Workouts create calmness and a great sense of achievement. Workouts increase self confidence and boost endorphin levels which in turn make you feel good and have been known to help reduce feelings of depression. By participating in regular workouts this can improve your lung capacity which can help people suffering with asthma and breathing problems.

Athletics Ireland supports all levels of participation in sport. There are local athletic clubs all over Ireland who offer Fit  4 Life Group sessions offering something for everyone.  This is for people wishing to improve their lifestyle meet new friends and improve on their personal best performance.


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How to Train for a Half Marathon - A Primer- By: Geraldine Finegan

5/5/2011

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Summary

Geflex running training camps are both Winter and warm weather training camps where we develop running training schedules| Coaching athletics ireland, All year round athletics coaching ireland



The distance is 2 x 5K at an increasing pace.
Pace: Keep a 10K pace for the first two miles, a 5K pace for the third mile, and a sprint pace for the final 0.1 miles. Repeat the entire process after resting for three minutes.
5K Long Run Progression
Long Runs are not exclusive to marathon training. Given below is a long progressive run for a 5K. The training involves running for 12 miles at increasing pace.
Pace: Keep an easy pace this is known as stamina 1 pace, for the first eight miles. Increase your speed to 10K pace this is known as stamina 2 pace for the following two miles. Then speed up to 5K pace this is known as stamina 3 pace, for 1.5 miles and complete with 0.5 miles at 3K speed or around 10 to 15 seconds per mile faster compared to your 5K pace. The recovery time is none except for hydration breaks.
5K Speed Progression
The 5K requires speed and toughness. This is a training that improves both . The training includes running 5K at increasing pace.
Pace: Keep a 10K pace for the first mile. Then increase your speed in a gradual manner during the last 2.1 miles from 10K speed to 800 meter speed. The recovery time is none for this routine.
To be successful in 5K running, you should have the ability to run negative splits and accelerate to near sprint speed in the last 400 meters when you really feel exhausted. Progressive training runs are a very effective in training for negative splits and running strong when you are a feeling exhausted. Given below are a few progressive training runs designed for a 5K.
Classic 5K Progressive Training Run
This is a simple progressive run that is based on the classic progression use for every race distance. It involves running for 6 miles or 10K and steadily increasing pace during the run.
Pace: Start with an easy pace. After warming up, increase your pace in a gradual but steady manner throughout the remaining run so that you are at 5K speed for the last mile. No recovery time is required with this run.
5K Negative Split Progression
This is a good option to training yourself for negative splits (running the second half of a race faster than the first) without risking over training. It involves running for 4 miles at an increasing pace.
"When Ronaldo da Costa broke the marathon world record at Berlin in September 1998, he justified a racing tactic I've promoted for a long time. Da Costa ran negative splits, which
means he finished the second half of the race faster than the first half--a full 3 minutes faster, in fact."
Pace: For the first two miles, run at 10K pace, then increase speed to 5K pace for the last two miles. The recovery time is none for this run.
5K Race Simulator Compound Set
This 5k progressive training run combines negative splits and a fast finish for simulating an actual 5K race. The distance is 2 x 5K at an increasing pace.
Pace: Keep a 10K pace for the first two miles, a 5K pace for the third mile, and a sprint pace for the final 0.1 miles. Repeat the entire process after resting for three minutes.
5K Long Run Progression
Long Runs are not exclusive to marathon training. Given below is a long progressive run for a 5K. The training involves running for 12 miles at increasing pace.
Hill Runs
Speed and Power Hills "this includes". short, fast runs up steep hills with ample recovery between reps to promote explosive speed
Downhill Sprinting or Strides - short, very fast runs down a moderately sloping hill to promote fast leg rhythm
Stamina Hills - longer, steady paced runs over moderately steep hills to promote endurance and strength
You need a long hill for this workout. If you don't have an appropriate hill in your neighborhood you can do this one on your treadmill.
Description: 3 miles or 5K at increasing pace on a moderate to steep hill or a treadmill at up to 10% incline
Pace: Begin this run at an easy pace. Gradually increase your speed to 5K pace so that you are running the final 800 meters at 5K pace. Jog down the hill as a cool down.
The problem with the way many people do Stamina Hills is that too much recovery is taken between reps.
If you run up a hill hard and jog down it, then you are going to be doing a 1:1 work/rest ratio at best (and probably more like 1:1.25 or 1.5.) This is too much rest.
A better way to do hills to build stamina is to have about a 1:0.5 work/rest ratio.
So how do you do this short work/rest thing.You could get a lift in a car back to the bottom of the hill. Note, the key is running in a staggered (zigzag) incline. This is done by
finding a hill that will take you about a 1 to 2 minutes to climb.
Run hard for 30 seconds in a direction 45 degrees from the up hill, then turn left and run up the hill, then turn right and run 30 seconds at the top of the hill.
Now jog down the hill back to the start. This should result in about a 2 to 3 minute hill rep with about a 90 second recovery between reps.
Recovery: None except for the easy run down the hill. This can be repeated 8 times or more if necesary dependant on the race and time of year.
When Hill running should be done:
Marathon Training - From Week 12 to Week 7 in a 16-week marathon program.
Cross Country - During the entire cross country running season with the exception of the last two or three weeks.
Track or Road Racing - For 6 to 12 weeks in the late base or pre-competition phase of training


Four Times World Champion, European Masters Champion and National Senior Champion.



 

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