14
WEEK
TRAINING PLAN WEEK 14 | PAGE 1
TRAINING PLAN
By Vhi Fitness Support
Louise Heraghty
DOWNLOAD THE
NEW APP NOW
WALKER
Welcome to Week 14 of your Vhi 2015 Women’s Mini Marathon
training plan. You should have done your first 10km walk last
week and hopefully got through it comfortably. From this
week, you’ll be reducing the distances you walk but the aim is
to keep you exercising regularly.
_____________________________________________________
PACE
Your pace should still be at a level that you are comfortable with but you should definitely feel like
you have had a workout. You should have a good idea of what pace you can maintain based on your
10km walk last week so stick to that for the next few weeks. If you are feeling fit and well you could
always aim to increase your pace but the key piece of advice is to aim for consistency i.e. a pace you
can maintain from the start until the end of each walk.
TIP OF THE WEEK
Brisk walking: Your aim for the 2015 Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon may be to walk the 10km, cross the
finish line and not be concerned with how long it takes you. This in itself is a great goal but for many
of you regular walkers, you may want to push yourself more and record a faster time than previous
years.
Brisk walking is often reported to have benefits for fitness and to reduce health risks compared to
walking at an easy pace. But what is it and how fast do you have to walk for it to be considered a
brisk walking pace? Brisk walking actually refers to your exertion. For your walking pace to be brisk,
you need to be breathing harder than usual. While you should be able to speak in full sentences, you
shouldn’t be able to sing!
7 DAY PLAN
Day 1:
Day 2:
Day 3:
Day 4:
Day 5:
Day 6:
Day 7:
50 mins walk - moderate pace
Rest
60 mins walk - moderate pace
Rest
50 mins walk - moderate pace
Rest or cross train - cycle/swim/walk
8km walk – aim for race day pace and record
your time
TRAINING PLAN WEEK 14 | PAGE 2
DOWNLOAD THE
NEW APP NOW
BEGINNER
Welcome to Week 14 of your 2015 Vhi Women’s Mini
Marathon training programme. This week you’ll notice that I
haven’t suggested you increase your mid-week runs - in fact
there is a slight reduction in the session times. This is to
allow your body time to prepare for this week’s long run
which I’ve suggested be 9km or a continuous 55 minute run
(we’ll be aiming for a run of 10km by week 15 so you will be
well prepared for June 1st).
________________________________________
WARM UP
Your warm-up should be a minimum of 3-5 minutes but at this stage you should be used to getting
your body ready, so if you need to take longer to warm up then do. It can be a brisk walk or a walk
with dynamic exercises like arm swings, side skips and high knee runs on the spot.
PACE
This will be the first time you will be running a distance of up to 9km so make sure you aim to keep a
pace that you can maintain for the duration. You can continue to do cross training like cycling or
swimming on the days you are not running but, as we get closer to June 1st, recovery is becoming
even more important, so it is crucial that you get at least one rest day with no exercise at all.
TIP OF THE WEEK
Now that you are running regularly you may have mastered the breathing technique that works for
you but breathlessness can be a common problem for beginners. It would be a shame to let it impact
on your first 10km so concentrate on getting this area of your training right over the next few weeks.
Breathing deeply through the mouth is the most efficient way to get oxygen to the body and that is
your ultimate goal. Above all however, you need to be comfortable, so find a method that feels right
for you. If you feel too breathless, slow your pace or have a walk-break. Keep moving and start
running again when you have caught your breath. Good luck with your long run and enjoy this
week’s plan!
7 DAY PLAN
Day 1:
Day 2:
Day 3:
Day 4:
Day 5:
Day 6:
Day 7:
Run 30 mins, walk 5mins, and run 10 mins. Total 45 mins
Rest
Run 40 mins, walk 5. Total 45 mins
Rest
Run 9km (or 55 mins)
Cycle/swim/walk
Rest
TRAINING PLAN WEEK 14 | PAGE 3
DOWNLOAD THE
NEW APP NOW
IMPROVER
Welcome to Week 14 of your 2015 Vhi Women’s Mini
Marathon plan. You did your first 10km run last week so this
week we will aim for you to do a run of 8km concentrating on
the pace rather than distance. We will then aim for you to do
your last 10km training run in week 15
____________________________________________________
WARM UP
Continue with your regular warm up routine – I’d suggest a 5-minute brisk walk/slow jog or a 3-5
minute on the spot warm-up - high knees, fast fit, hip flexor rotations etc.
PACE
Aim for your race day pace on the 8km long run this week and keep it consistent. There is always a
temptation to start a run quickly and this is a mistake many people make at races such as the Vhi
Women’s Mini Marathon. However, consistency is ‘key’ and learning to start and finish a run at a
consistent pace is a great way of ensuring you perform at your best, every time you lace up your
runners.
TIP OF THE WEEK
Beware of running fads: One of the reasons I love running is that all you really need is a good pair of
trainers. Of course there are plenty of things out there targeting runners – compression socks,
headbands, expensive running gear etc. – and if you want to splash out on a few new items then go
for it. However nothing will impact your performance more than good, consistent training and if you
have put the work in over the past few months you can be confident that you will have a great run on
June 1st. For a distance of 10km you don’t need energy gels, energy bars or sugary drinks. A good
breakfast, water and plenty of rest the days beforehand and you are good to go. Check out David’s
advice for good breakfast options that work well for runners. Enjoy your training this week and
remember, you don’t have long to go until race day!
7 DAY PLAN
Day 1:
Day 2:
Day 3:
Day 4:
Day 5:
Day 6:
Day 7:
Run 7km
Rest
Run 40 mins – include 5-10 x 100 metre sprints – gradually build from easy pace to
maximum effort. Make sure to run for at least 10 minutes before introducing sprints
Rest
Run 8 km – race day pace
Rest
Cycle/swim/walk
TRAINING PLAN WEEK 14 | PAGE 4
DOWNLOAD THE
NEW APP NOW