For those still preparing for an upcoming goal race, the last part of any training plan should be about maintaining and sustaining hard-earned fitness; not necessarily increasing it further. Building fitness, including strength, speed and endurance, is about what you consistently accomplish over days, weeks and months. It cannot be drastically changed by one killer workout or long run. That said, late-season workouts and long runs should be considered opportunities to practice and perfect the fitness you already have. It’s also important to reduce the risk of injury and ensure you make it to the start line healthy. To do this, practice running at a pace you are already familiar with (preferably goal race pace), rather than trying to run at a faster speed. This type of race specific training will help you feel more comfortable with race pace (and which we promise will feel much easier on race day). Begin each workout with a short warm-up of light jogging and a few strides or dynamic stretches. Proceed to run the repeats at or around goal race pace and finish with a short cool down of easy jogging. 5K: Warm-up then run 400m – 800m – 1200m – 1600m at goal 5K pace with 400m easy between. 10K: Warm- up then run 500m – 1K – 1.5K – 2K at goal 10K pace with 500m easy between. Half: Warm-up then run 1K – 2K – 3K – 4K at goal half marathon pace with 1K easy between. Marathon: Warm-up then run 1K – 2K – 3K – 4K – 5K at goal marathon pace with 1K easy between.
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