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 9 of a training plan for Boston and New Jersey marathoners, and week 8 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 2/22: 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/228548968/
• Monday Evening Easy (East Village) option: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/hpfzklyvdbdc/

Tuesday 2/23: 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): 3 repeats of 2 miles at 15K pace, with 3:00 jog recovery between them. Finish with 1-2 miles of easy jogging to cool down.
• Runners who are building a base (not much recent speedwork): 2 repeats of 2 miles at half marathon pace, with 3:00 jog recovery between them, and finish with a 1-mile cooldown.
• Manhattan group workout in Central Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/228688793/
• Brooklyn group workout in Prospect Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/228492704/

Wednesday 2/24: Recovery day

• Spring marathoners and half marathoners should run 50-70 minutes easy with 4 x 100m strides, or optionally rest
• Everyone else should do 25-40 minutes of easy running or aerobic system cross training
• Morning group run, Central Park: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/228559765/

Thursday, 2/25: Short speedwork day: 20-minute warmup, including jogging/drills/strides, then…

• Short distance (5K-15K) specialists (with a solid base of speedwork): 3-4 repeats of 1200(10K)400(5K) supersets, which is 1200m at 10K pace immediately followed by 400m at 5K pace, with no rest. Jog 400m between supersets, and finish with 15-20 minutes of easy jogging to cool down.
• Spring marathoners and NYC Half competitors: 4-6 repeats of 1600m at 15K pace, with 1:30jogging recovery between them. Finish with a 20-minute cooldown.
• Alternative for indoor track specialists (who have done speedwork regularly): 3-4 repeats of 600m at one-mile race pace, with a 400m jog between them. Finish with a generous cooldown.
• Runners who are building a base (not much recent speedwork): 3-4 repeats of 1200m at 15K pace, with 400m jogging recovery between them. Finish with a 15-minute cooldown.
• Lower Manhattan group workout in East River Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/228717285/
• Brooklyn group workout in Prospect Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/228492706/
• Upper Manhattan group workout in Riverbank State Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/pnwznlyvdbhc/

Friday 2/26: 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, 2/27-28: 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: 20-22 miles at long run pace
• New Jersey marathoners: 2:35-2:50 at long run pace
• NYC Half competitors: 2:15 at long run pace
• Short distance specialists (5K-15K) with a solid base: 1:30-1:45 at progression pace
• Runners who are building a base: 1:15-1:30 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