Well, here we are, the last week of peak training ahead of the Central Health Derby 10K. The plan this week involves ramping up the distance one last time before tapering things down next week ready for race day.
Hopefully you’ve come through the last couple of weeks well and are in good shape to take on this week’s sessions. However, if for any reason you’re not, please follow the advice we gave last week. Don’t worry if you need to miss a session or replace it with some lower impact exercise (e.g. cycling, swimming or power walking). What you have done over the past 3 months is much more important than this week alone.
The first session of the week is similar to last week’s, with some speed work included. However, this time we recommend that you continue jogging at a very easy pace rather than walking between the running segments. This doesn’t need to be much faster than a walking pace, but maintaining a running motion will help psychologically.
Sessions 2 and 3 include a high proportion of continuous running at an even pace. These are an opportunity to test anything that you intend to wear or use on race day. It’s advisable not to use any new kit for the first time during the race. Practice with it beforehand so you know it won’t cause you any problems.
Week 12 Recommended Training Sessions
- Session 1
Warm Up
5 minutes brisk walking
Main Session
Run 5 mins, easy jog 2 mins
Run 20 mins with fast finish, easy jog 2 mins: twice
Run 10 mins
Total running time = 55 mins
Cool Down
5 minutes walking, gradually reducing pace
Total Time 71 mins
- Session 2
Warm Up
5 minutes brisk walking
Main Session
Run 5 mins, walk 2 mins
Run 40 mins
Total running time = 45 mins
Cool Down
5 minutes walking, gradually reducing pace
Total Time 57 mins
- Session 3
Warm Up
½ mile (800m) minutes brisk walking
Main Session
Run 1 mile (1600m), walk ¼ mile (400m)
Run 5 miles (8k)
Total running distance = 6 miles
Cool Down
½ mile (800m) minutes brisk walking, gradually reducing pace
Total Distance 7.25 miles
