This weekly message keeps active members informed of the Dashing Whippets training activities for the next seven days.

Most runners who raced the NYC Half at all-out effort can ease back into regular training this week. But if you are feeling tired, sore or at risk of injury, there’s no harm in taking another week to do short easy running, or rest completely. It’s a long season ahead, and you have plenty of time to build back up.

Dashing Whippets Training Plan for the Week

This is week 15 of a training plan for Boston marathoners, week 13 of a training plan for New Jersey marathoners, and week 4 of a 5-week training plan for 10K racers. A training plan for runners whose spring goal race is the Brooklyn Half starts soon.

Please click on the links below to RSVP if you are planning to come out to one of these training events!

Note: Almost all training paces, such as 5K, 10K, half marathon, should be your estimated pace if you ran the race today — not your goal or PR pace. (Exception: Marathon pace is your goal pace or best guess of your well-trained marathon speed.) You can use the Daniels VDOT calculator to estimate your pace from a recent result.

Monday 3/23: Easy day

• Spring marathoners should run 55-70 minutes easy, optionally followed by 4-6 strides of 150m each
• Getting in shape for the Brooklyn Half? Jog 30-45 minutes easy
• Everyone else should rest or run 30 minutes easy
• Monday Morning Mileage (Central Park) option: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/221133195/

Tuesday 3/24: Long speedwork day: Warm up 1-1.5 easy mile, then…

• Spring marathoners: 70-75 minutes at marathon pace, followed by 1-1.5 miles of easy jogging to cool down.
• Short distance (5K-15K) specialists (with a solid base of speedwork): Lactate alternation run (long version): 5-7 mile continuous run, alternating for a half mile at half marathon pace, then a half mile at 15 seconds/mile SLOWER than half marathon pace, with no rest between pace changes. Finish with 1-1.5 miles of easy jogging to cool down.
• Brooklyn Half competitors (with a solid base of speedwork): 40-50 minutes of steady running at marathon pace. Finish with 1-1.5 miles of easy cooldown jogging.
• Runners who are building a base (not much recent speedwork): Lactate alternation run (shorter version): 3-4 mile continuous run, alternating for a half mile at half marathon pace, then a half mile at 15 seconds/mile SLOWER than half marathon pace, with no rest between pace changes. Finish with a 1-1.5-mile cooldown.
• Manhattan group workout in Central Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/220893509/
• Brooklyn group workout in Prospect Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/220675004/

Wednesday 3/25: Recovery day

• Spring marathoners and half marathoners should do 45-65 minutes of easy running followed by 4 x 100m strides
• Other runners should do 25-35 minutes of easy running or aerobic system cross training
• Morning group run, Central Park: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/221133178/

Thursday, 3/26: Short speedwork day: 15-minute warmup, including jogging/drills/strides, then…

• Short distance (5K-15K) specialists (with solid base of speedwork): 3-4 repeats of 2000m faster than 15K pace, with just 2:00 of jogging recovery after each. Discipline yourself to start at 15K pace, and slightly speed up for each successive repeat. Finish with 15-20 minutes of easy jogging to cool down.
• Brooklyn Half competitors (with a solid base of speedwork): 6 repeats of 1200m at 10K pace with 1:30 jog recovery after each. Finish with a 15-minute cooldown.
• Spring marathoners and Runners who are building a base: 50-65 minutes of running, mostly at easy pace, but do the middle 25 minutes at marathon pace. Cooldown is optional.
• Morning group workout in Central Park: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/bnqfdlytfbjc/
• Evening Manhattan group workout in East River Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/221119607/
• Evening Brooklyn group workout in Prospect Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/220675008/

Friday 3/27: Very easy day

• Optionally, advanced marathoners and half marathoners may do 55 minutes of easy running, followed by 6 x 150m strides
• Everyone else should rest, or do the Monday or Wednesday workout today if you missed it

Saturday and Sunday, 3/28-29: On one day, do 40-65 minutes of easy running plus 4 x 100m strides. On the other day, do a long run…

• Boston and NJ marathoners: 18 miles at 5% slower than marathon pace
• Short distance (5K-15K) specialists, as well as Runners getting ready for the Brooklyn Half: 1:45+ (up to 2:00) of running at long run pace
• Runners who are building a base: 1:15 of running at long run pace
• Long run pace is 45-60 seconds per mile slower than marathon pace — a little faster than easy pace, but still not challenging.
• There are weekly team long runs around the city. To see all options for weekend training runs with the Whippets, please view the calendar: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/

Training Calendars

• Training plan for the Boston Marathon (18 weeks): http://files.meetup.com/1454408/DWRT%202015%20Boston%20Marathon%20Plan.pdf
• Training plan for New Jersey Marathon (17 weeks): http://files.meetup.com/1454408/DWRT%202015%20NJ%20Marathon%20Plan.pdf
• Training plan for Scotland Run 10K race (5 weeks — see page 2): http://files.meetup.com/1454408/DWRT_TrainingPlan_Winter2015_5K10K.pdf
• Training plan for Brooklyn Half — coming VERY SOON