Run Strong
Week 8
Detailed Advice
Woo hoooo!
You’ve found your rhythm at your comfortable “talking" pace where you are NOT huffin’ and puffin’ and you are relaxed when you run. You have learned to take your pace up a notch to what we call “brisk". This is a personal pace you are in control of… and it’s just a little bit faster than your talking pace. You are now able to adjust this pace according to what you are feeling, and according to how long the interval is.
This “brisk” pace ultimately allows your “talking” pace to feel more comfortable. Caution: There can be a tendency to be over-confident! Be careful – it’s so easy to add more time or to run a little too fast for yourself. Stay with the program, okay? After this week, you can progress to the next program if you’d like to Run Stronger. You can also repeat this program and enjoy how good it feels. That will be your decision NEXT week!
This week, your interval session will feel easy and fun: Just nice 1-minute brisk intervals to remind you how you’ve learned to pump those arms and turn those legs over more quickly. Careful not to go too fast for yourself – it’s not a sprint. There is only 1-minute of walking recovery – enjoy it! These 1 min. intervals will help your legs with a nice brisk turnover and leave them fresh for completing a 5K (virtual) event if you’d like to test yourself this week.
5k Event Day
I encourage you to mark out a nice 5K for yourself – you'll be amazed how far you've come! Give it a go and establish your "benchmark" – a time for yourself that you can be proud of and use as a basis of comparison for events you may do in the future.
Careful not to start too fast, okay? Download a GPS app if you’d like to measure exactly 5K. I like RunGo, but there are many – Strava, Map My Run, RunKeeper... These apps keep track of distance, pace, route and more. It's fun!
Your goal: Simply to find the rhythm you have been able to find in your workouts. You are ready to safely and comfortably complete your 5K, either running it steady, or with personal combinations of walking and running as you feel! You should have great confidence in your preparation.
The hard work is done and it’s time for a little tester. It’s all personal and you are prepared, knowing you have made amazing strides in improving your fitness.
Bonus video – Arms are Everything!