Basecamp-Week 4

QUALITY

HILL REPEATS

So this is the session that most Base Building plans will not include in a training cycle because they will try to limit the hard running you do when you build your base. It is my opinion that hills are so critical & crucial in any running program that we can’t avoid getting acquainted with them in any plan. How we fold them into the program is all about understanding what hill running is trying to accomplish. 

Why we run hills: 

• Endurance (Aerobic)
• Speed
• Power
• Economy
• Overall Strength/Resilience
• Oh, & to be better at hills! 

The workout specifics: Find a hill. Not too short, not too long. Not too steep, but also not flat. Don’t worry too much about the hill you choose being a perfect hill. All hills have their special qualities & challenges so you will definitely get the work that you need for this session. In general, you want one that is 200-400 meters long, or that would take 1-3 minutes to get to the top of. It can be undulating or an even grade. It can be a little longer or a little shorter. One key thing is that you do not want the hill to be too steep. You want it to be pretty gradual. If you don’t have hills near you or you can’t get out on one for whatever reason, use a treadmill. 

We are doing hill repeats. That means you are running to the top of the hill & then walking or jogging back down the hill to do a few repetitions. You simply run to the top of the hill & then walk or jog back down. Simple, but not easy! Do a warm-up up of 1 mile before you get to your hill & a 1 mile cool-down after. 
How to run the hill: 

• Relax
• Keep running but slow down!
• If you can’t keep running, walk to the top. 
• Did I say, Relax ?!?!
• We are not trying to run fast up the hill. We are simply running up it. 
• Try to keep as loose & smooth as you can. Don't lean forward or back. Just try to keep you normal running mechanics.  

You want to run a total of 2 mile of total up & down. So that will be about 1 mile of up & 1 mile of down total. Again, you just want to run up the hill, not run up it hard. In Week 8 we’ll do some harder hill reps. For now, we just want to experience running up the hill. 

PAY ATTENTION: Pay special attention to your body’s signals when you run up hills. It is crucial to listen to your breathing, to know when you are pushing too hard, to know how your arms & legs operate differently when you run uphill. Also pay attention to how your body handles running easily downhill. Does it feel like a lot of pounding? Are you recovered by the time you reach the bottom of the hill from the exertion? All of these are very important to pay attention to in this workout. Share your experiences on the Facebook page. 

SPEED ECONOMY

2 x 1M of Straights & Curves (S&C)

Straights & Curves are a bread & butter workout for Telos. These are very similar to strides but are implemented differently. Run an easy 15-20 min warm-up to a track. This workout is best implemented on a track but it can be accommodated to a flat road by setting your smart watch to beep every 100m. On a track you start off on a curve & jog very, very easily the whole turn. I call this a pitter-pat jog. The as the track straightens out, you stride on the straight. Take your foot off the gas pedal as you approach the curve & return to a very easy, pitter-pat jog. The stride the next straight. Repeat this for 4 laps or 1M/1600m. As a reminder: A stride is a fast run of very short duration. You want to be quick & sprightly but still very relaxed in the face, neck, shoulders & arms. THIS IS NOT A SPRINT. If a sprint were 100% effort (all out), a stride would be 85-90% effort. Fast but relaxed. Concentrate on beautiful form. How will you know what beautiful form is? Just picture a galloping horse & hold that in your mind. Strong, fast & relaxed. 

LONG RUN
30-40 mpw: 6-8M Easy LR

40-50 mpw: 8M Easy LR

50-60 mpw: 10M Easy LR

FUNDAMENTAL TOPIC: EASY RUNNING

It may seem that we don't need to discuss easy running as a topic. It is pretty self-evident, right? Not necessarily. I already mentioned how you tell if you are running easy enough with your breath but I want to reiterate & ensure that you are paying close attention to your efforts when running & continuing to keep the majority of your running at easy, relaxed paces. Most of the problems that occur in building mileage comes from running too fast & too far. While it is hard to say exactly what “too fast” is at this point in this format, too far is going further than you. 

This discussion covers:

• Pay Attention
• Rate Of Perceived Exertion (RPE)
• What is your effort level in percentage? 
• Intend to Pay Attention
• Co-Create