CITY 2 SURF TRAINING PROGRAMME
WEEK TWO: Starting out
In week 2 you will extend the time of your sessions by a fraction. The challenge is to keep the intensity
controlled. There is no need to get really puffed and tired. Remember the talk test. If you exercise with
others the talk test comes automatically. If it is just you, talk to yourself but perhaps not too loud!….We can
divide what we call the submaximal pace up in 3 zones.
1. Easy: this is a pace where you are not too puffed and the talk test is not even a test. At this stage this
is the zone you spent most of your time in as it will give you some initial conditioning without the risk of
soreness or muscle strain
2. Steady: this is slightly faster than easy; it can also be called a “firm” pace. It takes a bit more effort to
talk but you can still form sentences without having to take an extra breath
3. Moderately hard: this is the pace where you need that extra breath to finish your sentence. You can still
talk and jog at the same time but it becomes more laborious so you tend to shut up and concentrate more
on your rhythm and holding your pace
We will not discuss the 2 hard zones called hard and very hard. In these zones you can definitely not talk
and you will not be able to keep this pace for very long unless you are a seasoned athlete. In the coming
weeks the beginners group will graduate to being able to jog at a steady pace for a continuous period of
time while the intermediate group will also incorporate a sprinkling of moderately hard work in some of
the sessions
Level
MON
WED
FRI
SAT OR SUN
Beginner
14km Jog Run
20 min
(3 min walk/2
min jog) x4
30 min
(2 min walk/2
min jog) x6
40-50 min walk
30 min
(3 min walk/
2 min run) x6
Intermediate
14km
30-40 min easy
jog
30-40 min easy
jog
20 min easy jog
40-50 min
easy jog
Walk 6km
15min (light)
15min (mod)
20min (mod)
30min (light)
Walk 14km
40min (light)
30min (light)
40min (light)
60min (light)
To achieve this goal you need to
develop some awareness around the
basic requirements of exercising for
health and fitness. First and foremost
this has to do with 3 key principles:
1. How often do you train? To improve
your level of health and fitness you will
need to aim for 4 sessions per week. 2
or 3 sessions per week will only maintain
what you have and 1 session per week is
definitely not sufficient.
2. How long are your sessions? The
duration of your sessions will generally
build towards between 30 and 50 minutes
with one longer session of 60-80 minutes.
3. What is the right intensity to train at?
The good thing about the programme
is that all your runs will be done at
submaximal pace, also called conversation
pace. That means a pace where you can
still talk. If you can’t talk you are going
too fast and you are likely to come to a
grinding halt sooner or later.
This programme and accompanying information are
written as a guide only. If you are concerned about
your health at any stage please undergo a health
check with your GP.
TIP OF THE WEEK
Make sure you have comfortable
footwear. This will help your enjoyment
and prevent injury. There are a few
specialised sport shoe wear shops in
Christchurch where the sales people are
trained in assisting you to make the right
choice. Comfort is an important part of
your choice and only you can feel that. If
you have issues with your feet you might
decide to consult a podiatrist to get more
professional advice regarding the best
footwear for you.
On behalf of the team at SportsMed
www.sportsmed.co.nz
Dr John Hellemans, SportsMedicine
Practitioner/Coach