Rock n Road Runners – Thursday Intervals – HILL REPEATS

This is a 60 minute coached session suitable for runners of all abilities, focused on building strength, stamina, power and speed through interval-based training. Basically, they can help you to improve your running.

The session is lead by fully-qualified run coaches Dan, George and/or Rik and the 60 minutes includes a thorough warm up consisting of easy running, mobilisation work, dynamic stretching, drills and strides. This warm up also focuses on improving various aspects of your run technique, biomechanics and efficiency. Not only will interval training improve your performance at all distances but it’s a really fun and social way to train. Anyone and everyone can benefit from interval-training regardless of experience level or goals and the coaches are always on hand to answer any questions.

The main set is usually interval-based, meaning that there is some faster-paced running for a set time or distance, interspersed with recovery which is either easy jogging, walking or standing. The aim of each interval session is to improve a certain aspect of our physiology, such as our pace at Lactate Threshold, Vo2 Max or increase our Running Economy and Neuromuscular Efficiency. (Don’t worry if you don’t know what all that means!)

These sessions are also individualised for each attendee. We regularly carry out 3k and 5k ‘time trials’ (or use a recent race result) to ascertain pace zones for different running intensities. This allows you to run at the right effort for your ability and avoid overexerting and overtraining. If anything is ever unclear you can just ask the coach.

The first session is free and all subsequent sessions are £5, unless you are a member of the Rock n Road Runners run club. If you would like more information or are keen to join the club click here or email rocknroadrunnersclub@gmail.com.

THIS WEEKS SESSION – COACH: George Rice 

*This week’s session will be held at Westmount – we will meet at Freedom Tree at 6pm and jog over to the playground as a warmup – feel free to meet us there*

*As we will run next to an open road please wear something high-viz if possible. A headtorch is also advisable.

Activation set
4 x 10-15sec hill sprints at near maximal effort / jog back down – coach will set you off one by one every 5 secs

Main set – 30-35 mins
Accumulate as many hill reps as possible in the allotted time.
3 mins hill effort (to the whistle) / jog back down recovery.

Each rep is to be carried out at the same relative intensity as previous week’s vo2 intervals over the 800m distance. (ask the coach if you are unsure) Everyone will be working to the same time domain (3 minutes) and everyone will have the same recovery, you all go together as a group, so everyone should aim to get back down to the bottom at the same time.
Be guided by effort, not pace – as we are going uphill, pace may fluctuate, but effort should be equated – approx 7-8/10, heart rate reaching 85-92% of max
Gauge consistency by aiming to reach the same point on the hill with each rep.