Base Training

The foundations for any runner should begin with base training – put simply, steady aerobic miles. It is the first and most important phase of a training cycle. This is what prepares runners for the more challenging, race-specific workouts that come later.

The main objective of base training is to increase endurance, or a runner’s aerobic capacity—because endurance takes extended time to develop and the benefits are long-lasting.

Incremental Increase In Mileage is Key

The main priority of base training is to gradually and steadily increase your running mileage. The total volume of a runner’s workload is one of the best metrics for success. Simply put, the more you’re able to run, the faster you’re likely to race. To build a strong aerobic engine, gradually increasing mileage during the base phase of training is necessary. This is why base training has to start months before any goal races. The end result should be a gradual, progressive increase in mileage that will help build endurance, injury resistance and economy. If you stay consistent, you’ll develop the strength you need to handle the miles by doing the miles—so that after a few months of gradual increases what used to be a peak week becomes your comfortable, default mileage. For example, I have been in the ‘base phase’ of my training now for 12 weeks, increasing my total weekly mileage by roughly 15% each week. I am now up to 30 miles per week, which is the point in which I believe I am ready to start some tune up sessions. In addition to this, I’ve been regularly doing strength conditioning and core work, to prevent injury and prime my body for the faster workouts ahead.

Inject small doses of ‘pace’ into your legs

However, base training isn’t just easy miles. It could incorporate some short strides into runs i.e 6 x 20-30seconds to increase leg turnover and improve form. You could also throw in some drills to work on your technique. Possibly try a light fartlek session, pick-ups/surges, or a cheeky progression run here and there. Without including faster sessions into base training, runners won’t develop nearly as much neuromuscular fitness, improvements to running economy, and preparedness for the harder and more race-specific workouts that are undoubtedly coming during the later stages of training.

Avoid Lactate Sessions during base phase

What you want to avoid doing too much of during this phase are extended workouts at V02 Max (roughly 5K pace) or faster, such as 400m to mile repeats. These anaerobic workouts raise the acidy of cells, which can damage the mitochondria and aerobic enzymes you’re working to build. Save most of these intense, specific workouts for the final phase of training when you’re sharpening for a race. You can do a moderate interval workout once every 3–6 weeks during your base to keep your body in touch with these paces and other priorities of the introductory period include establishing a foundation of neuromuscular fitness with very small doses of maximal-intensity running and beginning the long process of developing efficiency and fatigue-resistance at race pace with small doses of running in the race-pace range.

3 basic phases of a training cycle: Base, strength & speed.

Many athletes have is that they think these three phases are mutually exclusive. But you always do a little of all of those things. There’s never a time of year when you’re just running mileage or you’re just doing speed. You’re always doing all of it, it’s just a matter of to what degree. Also, this phase of training is defined by what you are focusing on during that phases and what your long term goals are.

The base period should include three components: Gradually increasing mileage, the critical long run, and at least one faster workout per week.

Focus on three metrics:

  1. Increasing the long run by about a mile every 1–2 weeks
  2. Adding 1–2 more runs per week
  3. Adding 1–3 miles to weekday runs every 1–3 weeks

Thank you for reading, please subscribe to this blog if you enjoyed the read 🙂

Any questions please email me at s.street.hall@gmail.com or drop me a message on Instagram (link below)

Suzy

https://www.instagram.com/suzy.streetrunner/

StreetRUNNING

www.strava.com/clubs/streetrunning

I am so thrilled to see that the StreetRUNNING Strava group now has almost 400 members. The fb group has over 200 now abs is continuing to grow by the day. I am so proud of my running crew which I have grown from scratch, and now it’s reaching all areas of the world!

The Power of Downhill Running Strides

Whilst I’ve been in the base phase of my training cycle, I have chosen to incorporate some downhill strides into my schedule to get some power back in the legs whilst not taking too much out the body. I try to do this at least twice a week, usually in the middle of my runs to ensure i’m sufficiently warmed up and the legs are fresh. I will do my downhill running strides on along a straight piece of path of moderate gradient and perform each stride for anywhere between 20-30seconds in duration. The focus is on relaxed running whilst gradually building up pace and focusing on form.

I’ve been doing the strides for six weeks now, and can honestly say it’s made massive improvements to my running.

Here’s how:

Biomechanics – It has helped me to adopt a better running gait and posture, which has prevented me from over-striding which can lead to injury.

Technique – Downhill Strides have helped me to adopt better form through exaggerated running action and arm movements. I have become lighter on my feet, working on that mid-foot landing.

More explosive energy – Due to less ‘leakage’ (coach term for loss of energy through poor form/technique) I have noticed that my muscles are becoming a lot more responsive, and much improved transfer of energy from each foot strike into propulsive running stride.

Faster Leg Turnover – Downhill Strides has improved my running cadence from roughly 160 to 180spm.

Less Muscle Tightless – Downhill Strides really help to stretch out the legs – in particular for me, the hamstrings. I find that is an effortless way to loosen the legs and prepare them for the next run/workout as you let gravity and momentum do the hard work.

In short, downhill running strides help to become a faster, stronger and more efficient runner. I will be keeping these up for sure, even once I’m ready to move onto doing bigger sessions but right now during my base phase whilst increasing mileage, this is a way of injecting some pace into runs without accumulating lactate.

The great thing about strides is that they only take a few minutes to complete – so can easily be thrown into a warm up routine or in the middle of a steady run. One thing distance runners can lack is power, and this is a quick way of injecting some oomph into the pins – give them a go, and perform them regularly to reap the benefits.

6-8 x 20-30sec on a gentle gradient (nothing too steep) Grass will be softer on the joints – but I prefer to use tarmac due to ankle issues.

Hope you found this helpful, please subscribe to my blog for more running related articles. Thanks for reading!

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You can Follow me on Instagram @suzy.streetrunner

The Benefits of Virtual Races

So who’s heard? there’s a new trend in the running community – ‘Virtual Racing’. With parts of the world still in partial lockdown, many of us runners are taking to their own start line as more and more athletes are signing up for virtual challenges to keep up us motivated during these unprecedented times of 2020.

Granted, it’s not quite the same as good old-fashioned ‘real life race’ where we travel to events, soak up the atmosphere and use the crowds to lift us. Virtual races are run solo, and just you against the clock. But it’s interesting to see what happens when you’ve got no one else pushing you on and you’re forced to use your own discipline and pace judgment.

So, what are the benefits of this new online running trend?

  • Convenience – With no set route you can perform a virtual race anywhere in the world! simply choose their own start line – whether it’s on the pavement, park, or treadmill. There are many people who would love to participate in physical races but are unable to for one reason or another. Therefore, a virtual race is a great option for those pushed for time or those who simply want convenience.
  • Flexibility– You get to finish your race within a longer period of time or at times that suits your schedule.
  • Easy – Simply run your distance (using a tracking app such as Strava) Upload your time and compare with others!
  • Motivation – provides a focus, gives us something to train for, and focused on a goal. It gives us a sense of accomplishment after we’ve crossed the virtual ‘finish line’ as we check off one of our goals and can feel positive.
  • Fitness – keeps us ‘race fit’ and continues to improve or sustain fitness levels as we continue to progress.
  • Connect with friends, family and the running community – The great thing about virtual runs is that anyone can join in! you can connect with family or friends that live far away, creating joint running goals and even participate in the same virtual run. Virtual runs provide a sense of a running community, even if they live in urban or rural locations.
  • Perfect for Beginners – Race events can be intimidating for beginners. Noisy crowds, knowing that your run will be timed, being surrounded by more experienced runners can be intimidating and cause unwanted stress and pressure. Virtual racing is a great way to ease yourself onto the racing circuit, join the running community and encourage you to push yourself to the next level.
  • Medals – Who doesn’t appreciate some nice new running bling? Let’s be honest, earning medals is fun. When you participate in virtual runs you can earn a medal or prize with every race. Each medal is unique to the race, and acts as a reward to mark your individual accomplishment – keeping us thirsty for more competition.

So whilst we find ourselves missing races and park runs the next best alternative appears to be virtual races to stay competitive, and ‘race fit’. It is clear that there are numerous benefits – so what are you waiting for?

Take part in the StreetRUNNINGVirtual5K it’s FREE, FUN, and you have the FREEDOM to run it anywhere you choose! All abilities are welcome to take part in this challenge, all you have to do is run 5K, screenshot your STRAVA ‘elapsed time’ and post on the StreetRUNNING facebook group page. Join a social running community, and support fellow runners to continue achieving.

For more information email: s.street.hall@gmail.com

The Benefits of Virtual Races

So who’s heard? there’s a new trend in the running community – ‘Virtual Racing’. With parts of the world still in partial lockdown, many of us runners are taking to their own start line as more and more athletes are signing up for virtual challenges to keep up us motivated during these unprecedented times of 2020.

Granted, it’s not quite the same as good old-fashioned ‘real life race’ where we travel to events, soak up the atmosphere and use the crowds to lift us. Virtual races are run solo, and just you against the clock. But it’s interesting to see what happens when you’ve got no one else pushing you on and you’re forced to use your own discipline and pace judgment.

So, what are the benefits of this new online running trend?

  • Convenience – With no set route you can perform a virtual race anywhere in the world! simply choose their own start line – whether it’s on the pavement, park, or treadmill. There are many people who would love to participate in physical races but are unable to for one reason or another. Therefore, a virtual race is a great option for those pushed for time or those who simply want convenience.
  • Flexibility– You get to finish your race within a longer period of time or at times that suits your schedule.
  • Easy – Simply run your distance (using a tracking app such as Strava) Upload your time and compare with others!
  • Motivation – provides a focus, gives us something to train for, and focused on a goal. It gives us a sense of accomplishment after we’ve crossed the virtual ‘finish line’ as we check off one of our goals and can feel positive.
  • Fitness – keeps us ‘race fit’ and continues to improve or sustain fitness levels as we continue to progress.
  • Connect with friends, family and the running community – The great thing about virtual runs is that anyone can join in! you can connect with family or friends that live far away, creating joint running goals and even participate in the same virtual run. Virtual runs provide a sense of a running community, even if they live in urban or rural locations.
  • Perfect for Beginners – Race events can be intimidating for beginners. Noisy crowds, knowing that your run will be timed, being surrounded by more experienced runners can be intimidating and cause unwanted stress and pressure. Virtual racing is a great way to ease yourself onto the racing circuit, join the running community and encourage you to push yourself to the next level.
  • Medals – Who doesn’t appreciate some nice new running bling? Let’s be honest, earning medals is fun. When you participate in virtual runs you can earn a medal or prize with every race. Each medal is unique to the race, and acts as a reward to mark your individual accomplishment – keeping us thirsty for more competition.

So whilst we find ourselves missing races and park runs the next best alternative appears to be virtual races to stay competitive, and ‘race fit’. It is clear that there are numerous benefits – so what are you waiting for?

Take part in the StreetRUNNINGVirtual5K it’s FREE, FUN, and you have the FREEDOM to run it anywhere you choose! All abilities are welcome to take part in this challenge, all you have to do is run 5K, screenshot your STRAVA ‘elapsed time’ and post on the StreetRUNNING facebook group page. Join a social running community, and support fellow runners to continue achieving.

For more information email: s.street.hall@gmail.com

The Benefits Of Doing Running Strides

What are Strides?

Strides are short accelerations for around 20 to 30 seconds at roughly 85 to 90% effort. It should feel like a controlled fast pace rather than a sprint. Strides are often used as part of the warm-up process to help get the blood flowing to your legs and your heart rate elevated. Typically, they are assigned to a running schedule before or after a big workout or race. However, Strides can also be thrown in to the middle of a steady run to encourage the legs to tick over a bit quicker, and also into an easy recovery run to allow the legs to stretch out.

How to do Strides:

  • Strides can be performed before or after your run, once you are sufficiently warmed up.
  • Pick a length of straight path (road or track) ideally on flat terrain, and approximately 100m in length.
  • Begin your stride by easing into a faster pace over the first 5 seconds. It is important to ease into the pace, and not explode out of the gait to prevent injury.
  • After 5 seconds, you should have reached full speed. Begin to focus on staying relaxed and letting your body do the work. Try to keep relaxed, maintaining good form and upright posture throughout. Work on landing on your midfoot (closer to your toes), not your heel. Continue to stay relaxed at your top end speed and gradually, over the last 5 seconds slow yourself to a stop.
  • Take a full recovery between each stride, which should be about 2 minutes. You can stop to catch your breath, walk, or slowly jog in place. The purpose of strides is not to get in a hard workout or to have you breathing hard. Strides are designed to work on speed and mechanics, so starting your next stride winded or before you are fully recovered is detrimental to the training adaptations.
  • Perform around 4-6 strides each time.
Keep each stride nice and controlled.

What are the benefits of Strides?

Strides have many benefits and they can be a useful training tool to incorporate into your running schedule no matter what your racing distance.

1. Strides help you work on your form and running mechanics in short bouts. It allows you to focus on form as you’re only running for 20 to 30 seconds and you’re not overly tired. Not only does it help you create mental cues to stay on your toes and feel relaxed, but it makes the process more natural for the body during the race.

2. Distance runners often spend most of our time running at slower speeds to build the aerobic systems or work on our threshold. Strides offer you a great way to inject some speed work into your training plan without having to sacrifice a whole day of training. Just a few strides a couple of days a week will inject some “get down speed” into your legs.

3. Strides are a great pre-curser to faster, more rigorous training and they can be assigned for many beginner runners before they start doing any structured workouts. Strides are a gentle introduction for the body and help you get used to the feeling of running faster.

4. Finally, strides can serve as a great way to stretch out the legs after an easy session. Often times, especially in marathon training, the legs can get stale with the mileage and tempo runs. Strides help break up the monotony and add a little spice to the training and your legs. A few stride sessions are usually enough to get your marathon weary legs feeling fresh again.

5. The ultimate goal of running strides is to increase your stride length while maintaining a quick turnover, or cadence. Although they may sound tricky or complicated, they really aren’t. In layman’s terms, running strides is like going from running easy to increasing your speed by lengthening your stride for about 15 seconds and then slowing your speed and walking back to recover and catch your breath.

I would suggest incorporating strides into your running routine at least once or twice a week to reap the benefits of these drills.

Thanks for reading and hope you found this blog useful!

Suzy.

Find me on Instagram @suzy.streetrunner

Hamstring Injuries

Anything more frustrating than an injury rearing it’s ugly head, just as your’e getting some fitness back? Well this time, I’m determined to get my rehab and recovery right in order to stay on top of this hamstring injury.

I’ve been running easy now for almost twelve months, because every time I try to do something up tempo – pop goes my hammy! Despite being a responsible athlete by warming up/cooling down correctly before and after sessions, I still keep suffering with this niggle when I try to push harder. Undoubtedly, stretching helps. Strength conditioning also helps. However, I do think I’m lacking something in the rehab department. So, I am taking advice and therapy from @gelpacksdirect – recovery products for runners, design by runners! Hopefully, this will help allow me to run faster by supporting my recovery and help me to perform better in the long term.

Watch out hamstrings – i’m coming at you hard.

ParkRun Progress

15th February 2020

Wet & Windy At Walsall Arboretum ParkRun 🏃🏼‍♀️ ⛈

Mega frustrated at park run today, as I crossed the line with immense disappointment at my finish time of 22:13. However, at this point, I’d only got my Garmin’s word for it. Prior to the start when I pointed out my previous parkrun time, Dave said I wouldn’t run that today with the inclement weather as storm Dennis beckons. But I was determined to run close to it or perhaps even beat my time by a fraction. Also, I put in quite a tremendous sprint finish, in the hope to make up some ground and finish in a respectable time. So, running a second slower would just be crushing.

I felt so deflated on my cool down, as I took the time to reflect on my run. I’ve been training so hard and today it felt like such hard work – so much harder than it should’ve been. Heavy legged, and sluggish, I was determined to brave the storm to get some tempo in. My upcoming races are the goals which are motivating me massively at the moment, and I must prepare for them as the work isn’t going to do itself.

I ran a conservative first lap, mainly because I hadn’t done much of a warm up and it took a while to get my legs going. Ive been really struggling with tight hamstrings all week, despite all the stretching. Perhaps the stresses of the last week have had an impact on my running, perhaps overloaded the gym work, or maybe i’m not getting the recovery right?

Anyway, on the way home I had a mild panic attack in the car. An overwhelming feeling of despair washed over me, saturating me faster than the wet clothes on my back. As I frantically stripped to get all my drenched gear off, negative thoughts filled my head and just consumed me. I couldn’t help but ask myself why i’m still doing this…why am I even trying to still succeed in this sport. Whats the point?

5 hours later….

Following my afternoon nap, I checked the official results and realised i’d actually ran a season’s best of 22:13. Not the 20mins benchmark I’m working towards but having compared this to my previous park run on 25th January just 3 weeks ago i’d actually ran 8 seconds faster today 😊 I had in my mind I ran 22.12 last time, but in actual fact it was 22.21. so over the moon with an eight second improvement!

Therefore, that’s the point right there. It’s progress, and all my efforts are paying off. Note to self: Stay POSITIVE!!! Good things come to those who wait.

“Hurry Slowly” is the moto of my former coach, and there’s so much truth in this. #trustintheprocess.

@suzystreetrunner #theroadback

European Biathle Championships Setúbal, 2013 – A bittersweet experience.

So this was the second time in twelve months I’d been selected to run for GB in a European Championship. Looking back, I was probably at the peak of my running career, and running some of my fastest times. So I decided to focus on the shorter distances, and also throw some swimming into the mix for a bit of fun.

For those of you who are unsure of what biathle is, it’s a run-swim-run competition. A bit like Triathlon without the cycling, perhaps more like an Aquathon but the biathle is a sandwiched two 1500m runs before and after the swim.

You’d think competing for your country would be a exciting experience wouldn’t you? Well maybe it would’ve been, had everything gone swimmingly (no pun intended). However, it seemed that luck wasn’t on my side that day and I think i’ll always bear the physical and emotional scars from Setúbal.

So the day of the competition i’m sat on the beach sipping my morning coffee, when a bee decides to viciously attack me by stinging my right hand without any apparent motive. I’d already been struggling with a dodgy right shoulder, so the last thing I needed was more pain in that arm. I was already dreading the swim because of my injury. It was the first time i’d ever been stung by a flying insect so I freaked a little, not knowing if I was allergic or how I’d react to it. Turns out, the Portuguese are a dab hand at dealing with bee stings with the use of a copper coin. Luckily I was promptly sorted, my hand was fine and ready to race.

The gun goes off, and there I am living the dream. Competing for GB, second time around this time in a brand new sport, and I’m determined to get it right. Less than a minute into my first 1500m, I accidentally clipped the heels of one of my teammates. I cannot begin to explain the horror of seeing her go down, and the subsequent extent of her injuries. Blood was strewn everywhere as she landed face down on the curb, instantly breaking her jaw and splitting open her sternum as it hit the concrete. I came out of the stumble relatively unscathed with just scuffed knees and elbows, and proceeded to carry on with the race.

Transition went smoothly, but my next challenging encounter was trying to navigate around all the jellyfish (literally hundreds!) at the swim entry point to the sea. No wetsuits are allowed in Biathle, and it was so cold – the Atlantic is not exactly swimming pool temperature! as we embarked upon the swim, it became evident to me that the jellyfish were the least of my worries. I very quickly became aware of the more dangerous matter of strong riptides. I was competing alongside olympic swimmers who were being dragged way off course due to the under current that day. It didn’t matter how strong a swimmer you were, you’d still be using twice the amount of effort as usual to get around those buoys.

It got to the stage where it was more about survival than competition, as I was being swept further and further off course and I was just exhausted. I did what I thought I’d never do, and put my arm up. An arm up in a Biathle comp signals that you’re out. I’d never quit at anything, nor had I dropped out of a race before this so it was a tough call for me, but sometimes you’ve gotta know when to throw the towel in. I could’ve probably finished the race in a respectable position, but I knew I was out of the medals and that’s what I’d gone there for. This was not a proud moment for me, my second time competing for GB resulting in a DNF.

Not the result I was hoping for, but looking back this whole experience has ultimately made me a stronger athlete. I’ve learnt to expose myself to more, train harder and get tougher. I’ve learnt to be patient, and have more discipline. I’ve learnt that it’s not always your day, you can’t always finish on that podium. I’ve learnt that it is not sensible to compete with injury! I’ve learnt how to control anxiety a lot better, to accept defeat graciously, but not before you’ve give it your all. I’ve learnt to enjoy every single moment of running, good or bad – they are all valuable experiences.

So other than the bloodbath of a start, narrowly avoiding the worlds most deadly jellyfish known to man (Portuguese Man o’war), surviving my cunning and ruthless bee sting, fierce riptides, a panic attack in the airport, you could say it was quite an eventful day. I’ll never forget the experience of competing for GB, it’s always an honour to represent your country, and I would relish the opportunity compete at international level again. Maybe tiddlywinks next time.

Thanks for reading!

#throwbackthursday #streetrunner #blog

Instagram: @suzy.streetrunner

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