Dashing Whippets Training Plan, January 26 – February 1, 2015

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

Note: Normally the Dashing Whippets keep our runs on schedule even if the face of ugly weather — we don’t usually cancel due to rain or extreme cold or heat. However, when running conditions are truly unworkable, we may take some of our events off the calendar.  Keep an eye on one or more of these places for schedule updates in response to the heavy snow anticipated early this week…

Dashing Whippets Facebook group (for announcements): https://www.facebook.com/groups/dashingwhippets/
Dashing Whippets Meetup calendar (to confirm an event is still on schedule): http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/

Also, if you have RSVPed for a specific event at the Meetup calendar, we can use it to email you to tell if a run is being cancelled. Thanks!
Dashing Whippets Training Plan for the Week

This is week 7 of a training plan for Boston marathoners, week 5 of a training plan for NYC Half and New Jersey Marathon competitors, and week 4 of a training plan for 5K/10K racers.

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 1/26: Easy day

• Spring marathoners and NYC Half competitors should run 40-65 minutes easy (closer to 40-50 if training for the half, closer to 55-65 if training for the full), optionally followed by 4-6 strides of 150m each.
• Everyone else should rest or run 30 minutes easy
• Monday Morning Mileage (Central Park) option: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/219638325/

Tuesday 1/27: Long speedwork day: Warm up 1 easy mile, then…

• NYC Half competitors and anyone who raced a half marathon this past weekend: Run 60-75 minutes at easy pace or, at the very fastest, a minute slower than marathon pace. No cooldown required.
• Spring marathoners (who didn’t race a half marathon recently): Run 45-50 minutes at your targeted marathon pace, and choose a route with two or more solid uphills. Finish with 1-1.5 easy miles of running.
• Short distance (5K-15K) specialists (with a solid base of speedwork): 6-9 x 400m uphill @ 10K pace. Jog/walk back downhill to recover after each, and finish with a 1-1.5 mile cooldown.
• Runners who are building a base (not much recent speedwork): Run 60 minutes at between 30 and 60 seconds/mile slower than marathon pace.
• Group workouts in the evening: Check the DWRT Meetup Calendar Tuesday afternoon for details

Wednesday 1/28: Recovery day

• Spring marathoners and NYC half competitors should do 30-50 minutes of easy running followed by 4 x 100m strides, or rest
• Other runners should do 20-30 minutes of easy running or aerobic system cross training
• Morning group run: Check the DWRT Meetup Calendar Tuesday night for details

Thursday, 1/29: Short speedwork day: 15-minute warmup, including jogging/drills/strides, then…

• Short distance (5K-15K) specialists (with a solid base of speedwork): 5-7 x 800m at 5K pace with a 400m recovery jog after each. After your last one, jog an extra 400m, then add 4 x 200m at one-mile race pace, with 200m of jogging between them. Finish with 15 minutes of easy jogging to cool down.
• NYC Half competitors and Spring marathoners: 8-12 K’s worth of Canova Ks, which is a constant run alternating every 1000m between half marathon pace and marathon pace, with no rest between pace changes. Finish with a 15-minute cooldown.
• Runners who are building a base (not much recent speedwork): 3-4 x 800m at 5K pace with a 400m recovery jog after each. Finish with a 15-minute cooldown.
• Morning group workout in Central Park: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/bnqfdlytcbmc/
• Evening Manhattan group workout in East River Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/219413041/
• Evening Brooklyn group workout in Prospect Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/219727636/

Friday 1/30: Very easy day

• Optionally, advanced marathoners and half marathoners may do 30-55 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, 1/31-2/01: 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: 16 miles at 5% slower than marathon pace (start and end a little slower than that)
• NYC Half competitors: 2:00-2:10 of running at long run pace
• Short distance specialists (with a solid base): Do a race this weekend of any distance between 5K and 5 miles; make sure to do a generous warmup and an extra-long cooldown (30-45 minutes easy)
• Runners who are building a base: 1:00-1:15 of running at long run pace
• Paces: 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 NYC Half (11 weeks): http://files.meetup.com/1454408/NYC%20Half%20Training%20Plan.pdf
• Training plan for March Washington Heights 5K race (8 weeks): http://files.meetup.com/1454408/DWRT_TrainingPlan_Winter2015_5K10K.pdf