“Wildcard” Session Thursday

16 April 2019 - By David Jobling

The scheduled “Wildcard” this Thursday will be a structured repetitions session with something for everyone where you can do as little or as much as you want and as easy or hard as you want? So what’s not to like?

It’s a session suitable for all members and all are welcome, it may also be an ideal last repetitions session for any with a certain big city marathon coming up at the back end of next week although reining in the effort level to about 85% may be advisable for our gladiators planning to be out in front of the huge crowds there.

Let’s meet please at Witham Leisure Centre 1930 after which we’ll head off for our warm up run to Eastways to join any headed straight there and after our warm up drills we’ll be using our well worn and measured Eastways separate distance sections.

The session will have a basic core structure which runners may select “as is” or may choose to “add on” or “take away” from.

So the core session plan is to run 2 x 300M, 2 x 400M, 2 x 800M, 2 x 400M and finally 2 x 300M = 4,400M total session.

We’ll break for half time after the 1st 800M for a 3 minute breather.

To “add on”, runners may choose option to add an extra 400M in the first half and perhaps another 400M in the second half?

To “take away”, runners may choose to drop one of the 400Ms either in the first half or the second half, or both?

The distances are measured so you may wish to time on your watch, a sports watch will also help with timing recoveries – more on the why, pacing, recoveries and technical points at our session briefing.

During the session, Kerry and I will do our best to assist with your distance selections and recoveries and we’ll have somewhere for clothing layers, drinks whatever etc – we look forward to meeting up with everyone Thursday.  DJ & Kerry.

For Garmin or other device – the session is programmable.
Select preferred repetitions/distance.
If adding on or taking away from the core structure then ideally, given location/course, best bit to tinker with is the number of 400s.

Recovery guidance after each repetition, based on recent 5k time:
Up to 25min 5k time – 60 seconds after all reps except 3 mins half time after 1st 800.
25-30min 5k time – 75 seconds after all reps except 3 mins half time after 1st 800.
30min+ 5k time – 90 seconds after all reps except 3 mins half time after 1st 800.