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

We wish the best to the many Dashing Whippets who are competing in the New Jersey Marathon on Sunday!

Last minute reminder for Saturday’s Dashing Whippets track meet: we need just a couple of more volunteers. RSVP here if you can help:  http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/229788367/

Dashing Whippets Training Plan for the Week

This the final week of a training plan for New Jersey marathoners, week 5 of a training plan for the Brooklyn Half, and a short recovery period for Boston marathoners. If you are aiming for a shorter distance race his summer, follow the “Short Distance Specialists” workouts to maintain your fitness during this period.

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 4/25: Easy day

• New Jersey marathoners should run 30-35 minutes easy with 4x100m strides
• Brooklyn Half competitors should run 50-60 minutes easy with 4x100m strides
• Everyone else should run 30-40 minutes easy, or optionally rest
• Monday Evening Easy (Downtown/Tribeca) option: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/229646070/

Tuesday 4/26: Long speedwork day: Warm up 1.5-2 miles. Then…

• Brooklyn Half competitors and Short distance (5K-15K) specialists (with a solid base of speedwork): 8-10 repeats of 400m uphill at faster than 10K pace. Jog back downhill after each to recover, and finish with 1-2 mile cooldown jog.
• New Jersey marathoners, Boston marathoners and Runners who are building a base (not much recent speedwork): 40 minutes running, mostly easy, but do the middle two miles at marathon pace. No cooldown required.
• Manhattan group workout in Central Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/230006557/
• Brooklyn group workout in Prospect Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/230334373/

Wednesday 4/27: Recovery day

• Brooklyn half marathoners should run 45-50 minutes easy with 4x100m strides, or optionally rest
• Boston and New Jersey marathoners should take this Wednesday off
• Everyone else should do 25-40 minutes of easy running or aerobic system cross training

Thursday, 4/28: Short speedwork day: 20-minute warmup, including jogging/drills/strides, then…

• New Jersey marathoners: 30 minutes of easy running, with no cooldown.
• Brooklyn Half competitors and Short Distance (5K-15K) Specialists (with a solid base of speedwork): 10-12 Ks of Canova Ks. This is a continuous run, alternating every 1000m between half marathon pace and marathon pace, with no rest between pace changes. Finish with with a 15+minute cooldown jog.
• Boston marathoners and Runners who are building a base (not much recent speedwork): Do 6K of Canova Ks, as described above, and add an extra long cooldown of at least 20 minutes.
• Lower Manhattan group workout in East River Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/230334422/
• Brooklyn group workout in Prospect Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/230334407/
• Upper Manhattan group workout in Riverbank State Park at 7pm: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/230070523/

Friday 4/29: Very easy day

• New Jersey marathoners should take the day off
• Most other runners should rest, or do the Monday or Wednesday workout today if you missed it
• Optionally, advanced half marathoners may run 30 minutes easy, followed by 4 x 100m strides

Saturday and Sunday, 4/30-5/01:

• Best wishes, New Jersey marathoners!  On Saturday, rest or do a short shakeout run of 15 minutes easy.
• Good luck, Dashing Whippets Track Meet competitors! Go hard on Saturday, and rest on Sunday
• Everyone else: 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…
• Brooklyn Half competitors and Short distance specialists (5K-15K) with a solid base: 2:00-2:10 of running at progression pace
• Boston Marathoners and Runners who are building a base: 1:00-1:15 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. 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

• Brooklyn Half training plan:  http://files.meetup.com/1454408/Brooklyn_Half_Plan_2016.pdf
• New Jersey Marathon training plan: http://files.meetup.com/1454408/2016_NJ_Marathon_Plan.pdf
• Coming soon: Summer short race program