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Week 2 - February 23rd thru March 1st

Monday 23rd               No Run - Cross Training Day

                                 Lift Weights/Pilates (Mat or Reformer)/Yoga – 45 to 60 minutes

Tuesday 24th               Easy/Light Run 40 minutes

                                 Include 6 x 30 sec light strides/60 sec easy within run

Wednesday 25th           Fartlek Workout

                                 Meet @ East Boulder Rec - 6:30 am

                                                      OR

                                 Meet @ Potts Field - 5:30 pm

                                 Warm Up 10-15 min/Stretch/4 x 30 sec strides

                                 Start 4 x 75 sec steady/hard with 60 sec easy

                                 Then 4 x 2 min 30 sec steady with 90 sec easy

                                 End 4 x 75 sec steady/hard with 60 sec easy

                                 Take 2 min Easy between Each Set

                                 Cool Down 5-10 minutes

Thursday 26th             Easy Recovery Run 40 minutes

                                 Plyo’s Class @ CAC-Flatirons – 6:00 pm

Friday 27th                  No Run - Day Off

                                 Lift Weights/Pilates/Yoga/Core Strength Work – 45 to 60 minutes

Saturday 28th              Tempo Workout from Tom Watson Park – 7:30 am

                                 Warm Up 15-20 min/Stretch/4 x 25 sec strides

                                 Start 10 min @ half marathon effort with 3 min easy

                                 End 2 x 5 min @ half marathon effort with 2 min easy                    

                                 Cool Down 5-10 minutes

Sunday 1st                  Easy Long Run 60-65 minutes

                                 Relaxed Effort-Pace/Hydrate on the Run

                                 Easy 5 min Walk Cool Down

Easy/Light/Recovery - Conversational Pace/Time on Legs/Relaxed Effort

Long - 60 to 90 sec slower than goal pace for marathon

Fartlek - Playing with Fast/Slow Speed

Tempo - Run between 70-75% Effort of Max

Meeting Places

East Boulder Rec - follow Baseline east to 55th St. Take a right on 55th and follow the road until the sharp left turn and go past the first parking lot and tennis courts towards the Rec Center. Park on the West Side of the Rec Center Parking Lot.

Potts Field – CU Outdoor Track between Foothills Parkway and 30th off of Colorado Avenue

Tom Watson Park - follow the Diagonal Highway to 63rd Street. Go north on 63rd for about a half mile and look for the sign saying Tom Watson Park on your right. Parking Lot is opposite Coot Lake on east side of 63rd Street. DO NOT park @ Coot Lake.

Coach's Notes

Runners Cross-Train to prevent injuries, so it's ironic, to get injured while cross-training. Pilates and Alternative forms of exercise can improve your fitness, prevent and re-habilitate injuries, promote recovery, and revive a stale routine, just approach them as a Runner.

Runners have their obvious strengths: power, endurance, tenacity, however, within those strengths lays the potential for weakness: quads that overpower the hamstrings, neglected upper bodies, and poor flexibility - qualities that could lead to problems. Understanding the 3 most common problems runners experience will help you cross-train safely and benefit you.

Weak Hamstrings - quads are larger and have more muscle than hamstrings, so generate more power. Running increases this imbalance because it's such a quad-dominated activity. You cannot expect to get your hamstrings to 100 percent of the strength of your quads, so work to do 50 percent of what the quads do.

Weak Upper Body - a strong upper body helps process oxygen more efficiently, which allows you to run faster with less effort. Adding upper-body work to your routine will also help maintain form in the later stages of a race when it deteriorates. Runners new to strength training tend to get injured either from lifting too much or lifting with incorrect posture. Lift at 50-75 percent of your max weight and try doing your exercises in front of a mirror to keep proper form.

Tight Legs - yoga and pilates build core strength, mental focus, balance, and flexibility. However, in an attempt to loosen ones hamstrings, calves, and hips, one may push too far and end up with a strained muscle or joint. Start with a Beginners Class and build from that.

You have the Option to Cross Train on Mon/Fri and I would encourage you to get into a regular routine of lifting and doing core-work. Cross Training BENEFITS your Running!!!