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 training plans for the Boston and New Jersey marathons, and week 6 of training plans for spring 5K/10K races and the NYC Half.

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 various online race pace calculators to estimate your pace from a recent result.

Monday 2/05: Easy day

• Spring marathoners and half marathoners should run 40-60 minutes easy (advanced marathoners should add 3-5 x 100m strides after)
• Everyone else should run 30-45 minutes easy, or optionally rest
• Monday Evening Downtown group run at 7pm:

Tuesday 2/06: Long speedwork day: Warm up 1.5-2 miles. Then…

• All healthy runners (Spring marathoners and half marathoners, as well as short-distance specialists): After warming up, do a 3-6 mile Lactate Alternation Run. A Lactate Alternation Run is a continuous run alternating every half mile between 15 seconds/mile FASTER than half marathon pace and 15 seconds/mile SLOWER than half marathon pace, with no rest between pace changes. Those new to speedwork should stop at 3 miles; seasoned runners should aim for 4-5 miles; top-shape marathoners can go for 6 miles. Finish with 1-2 easy miles to cool down.
• Runners in recovery mode (focusing on injury rehab, or coming back after time off): After warming up, add 3 miles at marathon pace or slower, then 1 easy mile to cool down.
• Manhattan group workout in Central Park at 7pm: RSVP here
• Brooklyn group workout in Prospect Park at 7pm: RSVP here

Wednesday 2/07: Recovery day

• Everyone should do 20-40 minutes of easy running or aerobic system cross training, or optionally rest
• Wednesday morning run in Central Park: RSVP here
• Wednesday evening run in Brooklyn: RSVP here

Thursday, 2/08: Short speedwork day: 20-minute warmup, including jogging/drills/strides, then…

• Short-distance (5K-15K) specialists (with a solid base): After warming up, do 3 repeats of 1 mile @ 10K pace, with just 400m (or 2:30-3:00) of jogging after each. Optionally, add 2 repeats of 200m at one mile race pace (200m jog after each). Finish with at least 15 minutes of easy jogging to cool down.
• Runners who are building a base (not much recent speedwork, or coming back after time off): Same workout as “Short-distance specialist” workout, but do the one-mile repeats at 15K to half marathon speed.
• Boston marathoners, Advanced New Jersey marathoners, and NYC Half specialists: After warming up, do 4 repeats of 2000m at 15K pace, with 2:00 of jogging between them. Finish with a 15+-minute cooldown.
• Intermediate New Jersey marathoners: Do a total of 65-75 minutes of easy running (including warm-up), with strides & drills. (No cooldown required.)
• Lower Manhattan group workout at 7pm (East Side Esplanade): RSVP here
• Brooklyn group workout at 7pm (Prospect Park): RSVP here
• Upper Manhattan group workout at 7pm (Central Park): RSVP here

Friday 2/09: Very easy day

• Most runners should rest, or do the Monday or Wednesday workout today if you missed it
• Optionally, advanced marathoners and half marathoners may run easy for up to 40 minutes, or do aerobic cross-training today

Saturday and Sunday, 2/10-11: On one day, do 35-55 minutes of easy running followed by 3-4 repeats of 100m strides. On the other day, do a long run…

• Boston marathoners: 19 miles at 5% slower than marathon pace (i.e. a little faster than long run pace, but slower than your goal race pace)
• New Jersey marathoners: 2:30-2:45 of running at long run pace
• NYC Half specialists: 15 miles at long run pace
• Short-distance specialists with a solid base, and Runners who are building a base: 1:20-1:40 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 weekend team long runs in Manhattan and Brooklyn. To see all options for weekend training runs with the Whippets, please view the calendar: http://www.meetup.com/dashing-whippets/events/

NEXT Monday 2/12: Easy day

• Same workout as most Mondays: Run 30-60 minutes easy, or optionally rest

Training Calendars

• Boston Marathon plan: http://dwrt.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-Boston-Plan.pdf
• New Jersey Marathon plan (advanced): http://dwrt.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-NJ-Plan-Advanced.pdf
• New Jersey Marathon plan (intermediate): http://dwrt.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-NJ-Plan-Intermediate.pdf
• NYC Half training plan: http://dwrt.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-NYC-Half-Plan.pdf
• Winter 5K/10K training plan: http://dwrt.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-Winter-Short-Distance-Plan.pdf