8 week plan

Our 8 week plan is written by our head-coach to improve running technique, endurance and speed.

Speed session

DateSession
Tuesday 4 January3 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute x3
1 minute recoveries
Thursday 6 JanuaryHill training
Tuesday 11 January5 minutes x5
1 minute recoveries
Thursday 13 January90 seconds x15
30 second recoveries
Tuesday 18 JanuaryWinter 9
Thursday 20 January2 minutes x10
1 minute recoveries
Tuesday 25 JanuaryWinter handicap #4
Thursday 27 JanuaryFartlek
Tuesday 1 FebruaryPyramid
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 minutes
1 minute recoveries
Thursday 3 FebruaryHill training
Tuesday 8 February4 minutes, 2 minutes x3
1 minute recoveries
Thursday 10 FebruaryParlaauf
Tuesday 15 FebruaryWinter handicap #5
Thursday 17 February1, 2, 3 minutes x3
1 minute recoveries
Tuesday 22 February1 minute x10
1 minute recoveries
then
1 minutes x10
30 second recoveries
Thursday 24 February1 kilometre x5 (endurance group x6)
1 minute recoveries

Fartlek

Fartlek is Swedish for ‘speed-play’.

It is an unstructured form of interval training with continuous movement.

“Unlike tempo and interval work, fartlek is unstructured and alternates between moderate to hard efforts with easy efforts throughout. After a warm-up, you play with speed by running at faster efforts for short periods of time (to that tree, to the sign) followed by easy-effort running to recover. The goal is to keep it free-flowing so you’re untethered to the watch or a plan, and to run at harder efforts but not a specific pace.”

Parlaauf

Parlaauf is a continuous relay involving two runners. (Parlaauf is german for ‘pairs’).

Two runners will run around a track in opposite directions: one running fast and the other running easy.

When they meet, they swap pace.
The fast runner begins their slow recovery jog and the easy runner begins their sprint.

This continues for a pre-set amount of time.


Progression

“These workouts start at a comfortable speed, gradually get faster, and wrap up at marathon, threshold, or even interval pace. This kind of acceleration offers your body an opportunity to warm up, helps develop your sense of pacing, and trains you to hold onto your speed–even when you’re slightly tired.”