Our Groups
With our groups split roughly on pace we hope that we are better able to cater for each of our members. You are not expected to have a “race time” of course, not everyone is interested in racing but even so you should hopefully have a feel for where you would like to run based on approximate distances or judging based on other people in the groups. The Session Rotation differs by group too. There are more Steady Runs in Group C leading through to no Steady Runs and a heavier focus on Tempo and Hills in Group A. Group B sits in the middle and B/C is a new transition group. We use the same sessions (see Our Sessions below) however to breed familiarity between the groups as the intention is to provide a path of progression through the groups (but only for those that want it of course).
| 3 Mile Group | Group C | Group B/C | Group B | Group A/B | Group A | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approx. distance | 3 miles | 4 – 5 miles (6.5 – 8k) | 4 – 6 miles (6.5 – 10k) | 6 miles (10K) | 6-7 miles (10 – 11K) | 7 miles (11KM) |
| Ideal for | All Inclusive/ Social/ Recovery/ Restarting | 10:30 Min/Mile and over | Sub 10:30 M/M | Sub 9:30 M/M | Sub 8:30 M/M | Sub 8:00 M/M |
Our Sessions
Our sessions vary in intensity, frequency and distance by group:
- 3 Mile Group runs only steady runs to keep it inclusive and welcoming to anybody at any level of ability.
- Group C builds on the 3 Mile Group steady run foundation and 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 B and A (excluding Ladder, Lamp Posts and 1 Mile Efforts) but with more generous effort and recovery times.
- Group B/C is a recently formed addition to the schedule. It is intended to provide a greater focus on transition between Group C and Group B whilst also accommodating for the larger number of runners in this ability bracket as determined by the time trials run in 2019.
- Group B takes it up a notch from Group C and Group B/C by introducing a few new types of tempo sessions (Ladder, Lamp Posts and 1 Mile Efforts) , the distances and efforts are slightly longer and the recovery slightly shorter than Group C.
- Group A/B is newly added to the schedule to enable our runners to look at transitioning from Group B to Group A, or looking to get back into group A after a long time away.
- 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 on a tempo run) but this approach should still be followed when on a steady run to avoid splitting the group up. This may be changed for a “wait and regroup” approach if it fits better on the night but it must be communicated to the group in advance so that everyone understands what is expected of them.
| Session | Group C | Group B/C | Group B | Group A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short Tempo | 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 | 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 | 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 | 14 minutes continuous | 16 minutes continuous | 18 minutes continuous | 20 minutes continuous |
| Ladder | 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 | 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 | n/a | Leafield or Hudswell loop | Leafield or Hudswell loop | Leafield or Hudswell loop |
| Meet and greet | Hudswell Loop | Hudswell Loop | Hudswell Loop | Hudswell Loop |
| Up & Overs (Effort Up Valley Road from Potley Bridge and down Furzehill, recover 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) | 3 x 1km @ 10km pace with 3 min recovery | 3 x 1km @ 10km pace with 2 min 30 sec recovery | 4 x 1km @ 10km pace* with 2 min 30 sec recovery (* advanced runners may choose to increase the prescribed pace) | 5 x 1km @ 10km pace* with 2 min recovery (* advanced runners may choose to increase the prescribed pace) |
| 3-2-1 Effort Progressions (3 min @ marathon effort then 60-90 sec rest; 2 min @ half marathon effort then 60-90 sec rest; 1 min @10km effort) 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 30 sec rest after 3 & 2 min efforts and 2 min 30 sec recovery after 1 min effort | 2 sets of 3-2-1 efforts ,with 1 min rest after 3 & 2 min efforts and 2 min recovery after 1 min effort | 3 sets of 3-2-1 efforts, with 1 min rest after 3 & 2 min efforts and 2 min recovery after 1 min effort |
| Hudswell Sprints & Loops (5 x 30 sec hard along CCC road towards Park Lane with gentle jog or walk back to start to recover followed by prescribed rep’s of Hudswell loop) | 5 x 30 sec hard; 1-2 Hudswell loops @ 10km pace with 3 min rest | 5 x 30 sec hard; 2 Hudswell loops @ 10km pace with 2:30 min rest | 5 x 30 sec hard; 2-3 Hudswell loops @ 10km pace with 2 min rest | 5 x 30 sec hard; 3-4 Hudswell loops @ 10km pace with 2 min rest |
| 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 @5-10km pace 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 @5-10km pace 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 @5-10km pace 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 @5-10km pace with jog / walk recovery back to start point |
| Kenyan Hills (Park Lane – run uphill for 1 min before turning round and running back downhill 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 |
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 four 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.