Our Groups
Since April 2024 our sessions are offered across five groups split roughly on pace (and distance covered), such that we are better able to cater for each of our members in groups of a safe and manageable size. The guide paces and distances for each group are detailed in the table below. Please note the paces specified in the table are not your “race pace” but a pace at which you can speak / converse (see Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) section below). The type and rotation of sessions differs by group too. There are more Chatty Runs in Groups D & C, whilst none are scheduled for Group A; Group B sits in the middle. We use the same effort session framework (see Our Sessions below) across all groups to breed familiarity between the groups and provide a path of progression through the groups (but only for those that want it of course). All ability coached efforts are also scheduled once or twice a month, where all groups join in a bespoke coach-led session, usually based on the 400m tarmac path loop in the park adjacent to Springfield or, in summer, Corsham School’s grass 400m track.
| Group | Pace (for warm-up/cool-down/chatty runs)* | Distance* |
| 3MG | All Inclusive/ Social/ Recovery/ Restarting | 3miles/5km |
| D | 11min 30sec per mile | 4miles/6.5km |
| C | 10min 30sec per mile | 5miles/8km |
| B | 9min 30sec per mile | 6mile/10km |
| A | 8min 30sec per mile | 7mile/11.5km |
Our Sessions
Our sessions vary in intensity, frequency and distance by group:
- 3 Mile Group runs at a steady, chatty pace to keep it inclusive and welcoming to anybody at any level of ability.
- Group D builds on the foundations of 3 Mile Group steady run, and Beginners’ programmes when run, and provides a bridge to Group C. It adds tempo and hill sessions into the mix but ensuring it doesn’t overwhelm you. The tempo and hill sessions are of the same type as groups A, B and C but with more generous effort and recovery times.
- Group B takes it up a notch from Group C and D by reducing the number of chatty runs per month with distances and / or number of repetitions increasing, while recovery times reduce efforts increasing.
- Group A increases the distance again. The efforts are longer (and more plentiful!) and recovery is shorter. There is no “scheduled” steady run here however if there is a desire for one on the night and someone willing to lead it then they can be run ad-hoc.
No One Gets Left Behind
We pride ourselves on looking after the needs of each and every member. To that end we have historically followed a practice called scooping and we shall continue to do so. A “scoop” is where all runners in the group turn and run to around 100 metres behind the tail runner and “scoop” them up. It is down to the group leader on the night to call when a scoop is needed. Sometimes this is obvious (e.g. at the end of an effort) but this approach should still be followed when on a chatty run, and during warm-up / cool-down, to avoid the group becoming too spread out. This may be changed for a “wait and regroup” approach if it fits better on the session and location but it must be communicated to the group in advance so that everyone understands what is expected of them.
Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)
For 2024 we are introducing the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) as a means of indicating how hard you should be working during our sessions, and gauging how hard you are working during a session, without recourse to heart rate or pace data. RPE is based on an honest, qualitative assessment of how you feel as an individual based on a ten point scale (see table below); RPE 1 and 10 being equivalent to snoozing in front of the TV and running for your life respectively. Factors such as lack of sleep, heat, exhaustion etc, which do affect heart rate and pace, do not need to be considered in your qualitative assessment of exertion level; it is simply a means judging your level of exertion, irrespective of how you are feeling that day, against the RPE level(s) specified for the session/effort, and if required adjusting your exertion level to match.
| Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale | |
| 1 | Minimal Exertion – stationary or the gentlest of strolls |
| 2 | Very Light & Easy Exertion – able to hold a constant conversation and not taxing to any degree on heart, legs or lungs. |
| 3 | Comfortable Exertion – able to hold a conversation without being out of breath whilst running or walking briskly. |
| 4 | Moderate Exertion – requires limited concentration to maintain but still able to converse & chat for a few sentences without being breathless or uncomfortable. |
| 5 | Intermediate Exertion – some focus required to maintain with slight discomfort & conversation / chat still possible but will leave you breathless. |
| 6 | Active Exertion – breathing more laboured & feels uncomfortable but sustainable for 30-60 minutes. |
| 7 | Vigorous Exertion – challenging to maintain and whilst still able to converse in short sentences you would definitely prefer not to! |
| 8 | Hard Exertion – able to gasp a few words only and your head working hard to overrule discomfort in legs, lungs and heart. |
| 9 | Very Hard Exertion – requires absolute concentration & focus, breathless after a few seconds and only able to maintain for around a minute. |
| 10 | All-out Exertion – a life saving dash and only sustainable for 20-30sec intervals. |
Types of Session
| Session | Group D | Group C | Group B | Group A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short Tempo (effort @ RPE 8 & rellcovery / RPE 3) | 8 x 01:30 (02:00 recovery) | 8 x 01:30 (01:30 recovery) | 10 x 01:30 (01:30 recovery) | 12 x 01:30 (01:00 recovery) |
| Medium Tempo (effort @ RPE 7 / recovery @ RPE 3) | 7 x 02:00 (02:00 recovery) | 7 x 02:00 (01:30 recovery) | 7 x 02:30 (01:30 recovery) | 7 x 03:00 (01:30 recovery) |
| Long Tempo (effort @ RPE 6 / recovery @ RPE 3) | 5 x 03:00 (02:30 recovery) | 4 x 04:00 (02:30 recovery) | 4 x 04:30 (02:00 recovery) | 5 x 05:00 (02:00 recovery) |
| Hills (effort @ RPE 8 / recovery @ RPE 3) | 14 minutes continuous | 16 minutes continuous | 18 minutes continuous | 20 minutes continuous |
| Ladder (efforts @ RPE 7 / recovery @ RPE 3) | 2,3,4,3,2 (02:00 recovery) | 1,2,3,4,3,2,1 (02:00 recovery) | 1,2,3,4,3,2,1 (02:00 recovery) | 2,3,4,5,4,3,2 (02:00 recovery) |
| Lamp Posts (effort @ RPE 6 & recovery @ RPE 3/4) | 2,3,4,5,4,3,2 (effort out recover to start) | 1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1 (effort out recover to start) | 1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1 (effort out recover to start) | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (effort out recover to start) |
| 1 mile efforts#(effort @ RPE 6 & recovery @ RPE 3) | n/a | Leafield or Hudswell loop | Leafield or Hudswell loop | Leafield or Hudswell loop |
| Meet and greet (effort @ RPE 7, static recovery for a couple of minutes). Pair runners; each set off in opposite directions round the loop and when they “meet & greet” they turn 180 degrees to return to their starting point; both should arrive at similar time as the aim is work at same RPE out & back. Location will determine number of reps but should be 20-25 minutes of effort in total | Group A & B only | Group A & B only | Loops at Hudswell (full or shortened), Rec, or Dog Poo Corner (by Valley Road underpass) | Loops at Hudswell (full or shortened), Rec, or Dog Poo Corner (by Valley Road underpass) |
| Up & Overs (Effort (@ RPE 7) Up Valley Road from Potley Bridge and down Furzehill, recover (@ RPE 3) along Tramways) | 14 minutes continuous | 16 minutes continuous | 18 minutes continuous | 20 minutes continuous |
| Tramways Tempo (on Tramways from Valley Road to Furze Hill junction and back is 1km) (effort @ RPE 6/7 & recovery @ RPE 1) | 3 x 1km with 3 min recovery | 3 x 1km with 2 min 30 sec recovery | 4 x 1km with 2 min 30 sec recovery (advanced runners may choose the higher RPE) | 5 x 1km with 2 min recovery (* advanced runners may choose the higher RPE) |
| 3-2-1 Effort Progressions (3 min @ RPE 5 then 60-90 sec rest; 2 min @ RPE 6 then 60-90 sec rest; 1 min @ RPE 7 then 2-3 min recovery before next set | 2 sets of 3-2-1 efforts, with 1 min 30 sec rest after 3 & 2 min efforts and 3 min recovery after 1 min effort | 2 sets of 3-2-1 efforts, with 1 min rest after 3 & 2 min efforts and 2 min 30 sec recovery after 1 min effort | 2 or 3 sets of 3-2-1 efforts, with no rest after 3 & 2 min efforts and 2 min recovery after 1 min effort | 3 sets of 3-2-1 efforts, with no rest after 3 & 2 min efforts and 2 min recovery after 1 min effort (* advanced runners may choose to do efforts at higher RPE, i.e. 6, 7 & 8) |
| Hudswell Sprints & Loops (5 x 30 sec @ along CCC road towards Park Lane with gentle jog or walk (RPE 2) back to start to recover followed by prescribed rep’s of Hudswell loop) | 5 x 30 sec hard (RPE 9); 1-2 Hudswell loops (RPE 6) with 3 min rest (RPE 1) | 5 x 30 sec hard (RPE 9); 2 Hudswell loops (RPE 6) with 2:30 min rest (RPE 1) | 5 x 30 sec hard (RPE 9); 2-3 Hudswell loops (RPE 6) with 2 min rest (RPE 1) | 5 x 30 sec hard (RPE 9); 3-4 Hudswell loops (RPE 6) with 2 min rest (RPE 1) |
| Tramway Strides and Freestone Hills (complete the prescribed number of “strides” along Tramways before moving to Freestone Way for short hill rep’s) | 2 sets of 3 x 20 sec strides (for strides accelerate to, and decelerate from fast pace) with 1-2 min recovery between each set of 3; 5 x 45 sec uphill effort @ RPE 7 with jog / walk recovery back to start point | 2 sets of 4 x 20 sec strides (for strides accelerate to, and decelerate from fast pace) with 1-2 min recovery between each set of 3; 5 x 45 sec uphill effort @ RPE 7 with jog / walk recovery back to start point | 2 sets of 4 x 20 sec strides (for strides accelerate to, and decelerate from fast pace) with 1-2 min recovery between each set of 3; 6 x 45 sec uphill effort @ RPE 7 with jog / walk recovery back to start point | 2 sets of 5 x 20 sec strides (for strides accelerate to, and decelerate from fast pace) with 1-2 min recovery between each set of 3; 8 x 45 sec uphill effort @ RPE 7 with jog / walk recovery back to start point |
| Kenyan Hills (Park Lane – run uphill (RPE 7) for 1 min before turning round and running back downhill (RPE 6) for 1 min; if paced correctly the start & end point for each rep should be the same) | 2 sets of 4 rep’s with 3 min rest between each set | 2 sets of 4 rep’s with 2 min 30 rest between each set | 2 sets of 5 rep’s with 2 min 30 sec rest between each set | 2 sets of 6 rep’s with 2 min rest between each set |
| Fartlek (Swedish for speed play) – a fun, flexible running workout that blends steady running with varied bursts of faster effort based on time, landmarks or feel determined by the leader or group. | Around 15 minutes of total Fartlek efforts split up at the leaders’ / group’s discretion over the course of the run | Around 17 minutes of total Fartlek efforts split up at the leaders’ / group’s discretion over the course of the run | Around 20 minutes of total Fartlek efforts split up at the leaders’ / group’s discretion over the course of the run | Around 25 minutes of total Fartlek efforts split up at the leaders’ / group’s discretion over the course of the run |
| Bermuda Triangle RPE: 8/9 Purpose of Session – running fast on different elevations Venue: Valley Road, Furzehill, and Tramways. Three segments per lap run alternative segments fast-recover-fast. This means the first lap is fast up, slow down and fast on the flat. On the next lap it is slow up, fast down and slow on the flat. And so on for the allotted time. Laps are continuous as recovery is included (recovery at RPE 4/5) but option to regather the group at the end of each lap | around 15 minutes continuous | 15-20 minutes continuous | 20-25 minutes continuous | 25-30 minutes continuous |
| Up & Down the Clock (Lamp post Alternative) Venue: CCC Road Purpose of Session: Pace / exertion change practice from RPE 7/8 to a max effort burst To first lamp post at RPE 7/8 and then sprint RPE 9/10 to the next lamp post. Jog recover back to the start and re-group. Repeat but run to the 2nd lamp post (RPE7/8) then max effort to the 3rd lamp post. Repeat extending the RPE 7/8 effort to one more lamp post each time up to the number specified, and the return back “down the clock”. The efforts can be run up or down CCC’s slight hill to increase / decrease intensity. | Up to and down from the 5th lamp post | Up to and down from the 6th lamp post | Up to and down from the 6th or 7th lamp post | Up to and down from 7th lamp post |
Our Group Leaders
A big thanks to our wonderful volunteer leaders. These club members have selflessly offered themselves up to plan routes for you and to try and ensure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable club night of running. Whilst leaders are specified on the training schedule, they are subject to change on the night due to availability. Whilst we will always attempt to run all five groups on club nights please appreciate that it may not always be possible.
If you have any feedback, issues or concerns with anything relating to the the training schedule, the sessions, would like to volunteer as a leader or anything else please speak to one of the leaders or one of the committee or use our Contact form.