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 week 7 of a training plan for Boston and New Jersey marathoners, and week 6 of training plans for competitors in the NYC Half or Washington Heights 5K.

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 2/08: Easy day

• Spring marathoners and half marathoners should run 50-70 minutes easy, followed by 5 x 100m strides
• Everyone else should run 30-40 minutes easy, or optionally rest
• Monday Morning Mileage (Central Park) option: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/228525421/
• Monday Evening Easy (East Village) option: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/228507667/

Tuesday 2/09: Long speedwork day: Warm up 1.5-2 miles. Then…

• Spring marathoners, NYC Half competitors and Short distance (5K-15K) specialists (with a solid base of speedwork): Lactate alternation run of 4-6 miles. This is a continuous run alternating every half mile between slightly faster (10-15 seconds/mile) than half marathon pace and slightly slower than half marathon pace. There is no rest between pace changes. Finish with a generous cooldown jog of at least 2 miles.
• Runners who are building a base (not much recent speedwork): 4 miles at estimated marathon pace, followed by a 1-mile cooldown jog.
• Manhattan group workout in Central Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/228459384/
• Brooklyn group workout in Prospect Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/228492690/

Wednesday 2/10: Recovery day

• Spring marathoners and half marathoners should run 40-55 minutes easy with 4 x 100m strides, or optionally rest
• Everyone else should do 20-30 minutes of easy running or aerobic system cross training
• Morning group run, Central Park: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/228252969/

Thursday, 2/11: Short speedwork day: 20-minute warmup, including jogging/drills/strides, then…

• Short distance (5K-15K) specialists (with a solid base of speedwork): Descending ladder workout. 2 repeats of 1200m at 10K pace, 2:30 recovery jog after each. 3 repeats of 800m at 5K pace, 2:00recovery. 4 repeats of 400m at faster than 5K pace, 2:00 recovery. Optionally, add 2 x 200m @ mile pace, walk 200m between them. Finish with a generous cooldown jog of at least 20 minutes.
• Spring marathoners and NYC Half competitors: 4 repeats of 2000m/1.25 miles at 15K pace on a course that contains a long steady hill. Jog 2:00 between them. Finish with 15-20 minutes of easy jogging to cool down.
• Runners who are building a base (not much recent speedwork): 2 repeats fo 2000m/1.25 miles at half marathon pace. Finish with a cooldown jog of at least 20 minutes.
• Alternative for indoor track specialists (who have done speedwork regularly): Do an extra long warmup. Then do 6-8 repeats of 200m at estimated 800m pace, with 200m jog between them. Finish with a 15-20-minute cooldown.
• Lower Manhattan group workout in East River Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/228348425/
• Brooklyn group workout in Prospect Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/qqwwglyvdbpb/
• Upper Manhattan group workout in Riverbank State Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/pnwznlyvdbpb/

Friday 2/12: Very easy day

• Most runners should rest, or do the Monday or Wednesday workout today if you missed it
• Optionally, advanced marathoners may run 40 minutes easy, followed by 4 x 100m strides

Saturday and Sunday, 2/13-14: On one day, do 35-55 minutes of easy running followed by 4 repeats of 100m strides. On the other day, do a long run…

• Boston marathoners and New Jersey marathoners: 2:30-2:45 at long run pace
• NYC Half competitors: 1:50-2:00 at progression run pace
• Short distance specialists (5K-15K + indoor track runners) with a solid base: 1:20-1:40 at progression run pace
• Runners who are building a base: 1:15+ 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. Progression run pace starts at long run pace for the first half — but the second half gradually accelerates to half marathon pace (or marathon pace for marathoners) — and do the last 10 minutes at an easy pace.
• 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

• Boston Marathon training plan: http://files.meetup.com/1454408/2016%20Boston%20marathon%20training%20plan.pdf
• New Jersey Marathon training plan: http://files.meetup.com/1454408/2016_NJ_Marathon_Plan.pdf
• NYC Half training plan (11 weeks): http://files.meetup.com/1454408/DWRT_TrainingPlan_Winter2016_NYCHalf.pdf
• Washington Heights 5K (9 weeks): http://files.meetup.com/1454408/DWRT_TrainingPlan_Winter2016_5K10K.pdf