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

Dashing Whippets Training Plan for the Week

This is week 7 of a training plan for the Brooklyn Half. If you ran a marathon in the second half of April, this is still a recovery period. If you are training for shorter races like 5K-15K, or are looking ahead to a fall marathon, join us for modified workouts that will help you build and maintain fitness.

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 5/04: Easy day

• Brooklyn half marathoners should run 45-60 minutes easy, optionally followed by 4 strides of 100m each
• Everyone else should rest or run 30 minutes easy
• Monday Morning Mileage (Central Park) option: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/221833962/

Tuesday 5/05: Long speedwork day: Warm up 1-1.5 easy mile, then…

• Brooklyn Half competitors (with a solid base of speedwork): 4 repeats of 2000m at 15K pace with just 2:00 recovery after each. Finish by jogging 1-1.5 miles to cool down.
• Short distance (5K-15K) specialists (with a solid base of speedwork) and runners who are building a base (not much recent speedwork): 8-12 repeats of 200m uphill at faster than 5K pace. Jog/walk back downhill after each, and finish with a 1-1.5-mile cooldown.
• Recent marathoners (NJ, Boston): Rest, or just do 30-45 minutes of easy running.
• Manhattan group workout in Central Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/221874958/
• Brooklyn group workout in Prospect Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/219925155/

Wednesday 5/06: Recovery day

• Boston and NJ marathoners should rest
• Half marathoners and shorter distance specialists should do 25-50 minutes of easy running or aerobic system cross training
• Morning group run, Central Park: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/wpqbdlythbjb/

Thursday, 5/07: Short speedwork day: 15-minute warmup, including jogging/drills/strides, then…

• Brooklyn Half competitors and short distance (5K-15K) specialists (with solid base of speedwork): 2 repeats of 1200m at 10K pace (2:30 recovery jog after each), 3 repeats of 800m at 5K pace (2:00 recovery jog), 4 repeats of 400m at faster than 5K pace (1:30 recovery jog). Finish with 15 minutes of jogging and stretching to cool down.
• Runners who are building a base (not much recent speedwork): 3-4 repeats of 800m at 10K pace, with a 400m jog after each. Finish with a 15-minute cooldown.
• Recent marathoners: Do 45 minutes of running: go easy for the first and last 15 minutes; for the middle 15 minutes, speed up to marathon pace. No cooldown is required.
• Morning group workout in Central Park: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/bnqfdlythbkb/
• Evening Manhattan group workout in East River Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/221940573/
• Evening Brooklyn group workout in Prospect Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/221407659/

Friday 5/08: Very easy day

• Optionally, advanced Brooklyn half marathoners may do 30-35 minutes of easy running, followed by 4 x 100m strides
• Everyone else should rest, or do the Monday or Wednesday workout today if you missed it

Saturday and Sunday, 5/09-10: On one day, do 40-65 minutes of easy running plus 4 x 100m strides. On the other day, do a long run…

• Brooklyn Half competitors: 2:00-2:10 of running at long run pace
• Recent marathoners (Boston/NJ), Short distance (5K-15K) specialists and runners who are building a base: 1:00-1:30 of running at easy or 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 Brooklyn Half (7-8 weeks): http://files.meetup.com/1454408/Brooklyn_Half_Training_2015.pdf
• Starting May 18: training plan for short summer races and a base-building period for fall marathoners