Weekly running intervals.

Head-Coach Louise is setting a weekly run interval session. This week (week 6) is the same as the first week's:

"I hope everyone had a great weekend. Well done to all those who took part in the virtual frostbite, some great times out there!
This week we continue our weekly interval run session with my favourite session, The Moneghetti named after the famous Australian long distance runner Steve Moneghetti. This is a great workout that caters for all levels. The main session is only 20 minutes. Intervals should be done as hard as you can with the recovery at whatever pace you need to recover ready for the next one. This session is aimed to fit into your current training plan. If you don’t already have a plan, this session can be complemented by a couple of easier runs and an easy longer run.
PACTRAC Weekly Workout – The Moneghetti
Warm up: easy run 15-20 minutes
Main Session:
2 x 90 seconds / 90 seconds recovery
4 x 60 seconds / 60 seconds recovery
4 x 30 seconds / 30 seconds recovery
4 x 15 seconds / 15 seconds recovery
Cool down: easy run 10-15 minutes
A few do’s;
if you’ve got any injuries or if you’re new to training listen to your body, slow down or stop if needed
follow current government guidelines when training
A big don’t
don’t increase your training time/distance too quickly. Small increases reduce risk of injury or overtraining
I hope you enjoy this workout and share what you think. As always, any questions let me know."

December 6th 2021. This weeks Virtual Run session ........
We now have a run coach setting these sessions for us , thank you Natasha 🙂. Here's a short intro from Natasha herself
My name is Natasha. I recently joined PACTRAC to participate in some of the frostbite league runs over the winter. My main discipline is running and I am currently training for Seville Marathon in February. I am a running coach and organise and lead weekly sessions for Kettering Town Harriers AC.
I am pleased to have been asked to set the weekly PACTRAC running sessions. The sessions I set each will will be the same sessions that I hold on a Wednesday at Kettering Athletics track and from the new year will be able to offer PACTRAC members the opportunity to come along to join us to run the session in a group on a floodlit track as a PAYG option. This will be on a Wednesday evening at 6pm and cost £3 per session.
The session this week is 3 minute intervals.
Warm up - 10 - 15 minute jog - Drills of your choice - Strides - 5 x 20 seconds at interval effort with circa 40 second recovery between each effort.
Main Session - 7 x 3 minutes effort with a 90 second* jog recovery between efforts. This session is a really good session for practicing running at maximal capacity. Control is required in the 3 minute intervals as the jog recovery isn’t long enough to fully recover before the next effort. My advice is to not go to hard in the first few efforts as you will pay for it in the later efforts and we want to keep the efforts consistent. Your goal pace will be somewhere in between your 5k-10k race pace. Keep your recovery relaxed but at a steady jog.
*For anyone running 5k at 18 minutes and under reduce the recovery to 75 seconds.
Warm Down - 10-15 minutes jog.
Recovery - It’s really important to refuel after this sort of session so your body can recover and adapt to the training it has just done. Try and take on a good balance of carbs and protein within 30-40 minutes of finishing. Chocolate milk is my personal favourite for this!
Next week I am going to bore you all with the importance of warming up, what drills we do and why and the principles of RAMP.

December 13th 2021.
We all know how important it is to warm up before a session but quite often we overlook what the key components of a warm up should be and why we do them. Warming up can enhance V02 response, activating your aerobic system and preparing your body to work hard.
Athletes are individuals so I don’t necessarily adopt a “one size fits all” approach to warming up, using my household as an example; I have had a tight lower back and hip issue this year so my focus is activating that area whereas my partner Jason would put greater focus on his ankles and Achilles where he has issues. Jason has had a knee issue for the last twenty years from a rugby injury so would avoid certain drills that aggravate it. You as an athlete should think about the areas you need to focus on and what works for you. Additionally it is important to ensure that drills are learned and executed correctly to be effective, for instance; an athlete should have perfected an “A” walk drill before the move onto the more advanced “A” skip.
I really like the “RAMP” principle of warming up, and it’s a great process to adopt.
R ~ RAISE your heart rate and body temp – 10-15 minutes of jogging/easy running. Keep this an conversational pace and if its cold out, layer up. These can be ditched before your main session/race.
A ~ ACTIVATE – engaging those muscle groups you use for running. Think slow bodyweight drills, such as walking lunges or squats. A couple of minutes spent here is ideal – don’t overdo it, we are going to be running!
M ~ MOBILISE – we are mobilising those joints and improving the range of movement with active (never static) stretching. Examples of these are hamstring sweeps, knee hugs or leg swings. Going back to my hip issue and the fact that I am sat down at a laptop all day, this is the area of my warm up I would focus on more as it helps mobilise an area of tightness, which could help prevent injury.
P ~ POTENTIATE – this is all about getting ready to run fast and firing up those twitch fibres. Examples of drills are pogo’s, scissor kicks and for those who have mastered it, skipping drills. At this point a set of strides is a great addition, running for around 20 seconds (x5) at around goal session or race pace.
Drill of the week;
Give it a go! Try and hold the “A” position for 2-3 seconds when you practice this, it will challenge your balance!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-OZPv37Ujw
This weeks running session:
Ever go off too fast in a race? 🙋🏼‍♀️ This session replicates exactly that, running a bit too hard and then having to grit your teeth and settle in. Keep the 5 min efforts controlled and the recovery’s a slow jog. Be warned, the final 5 minute after is probably going to hurt after the second block of 4 x 1 minute efforts.
4 x 1 min @ 5k pace and faster/1 min jog after each rep
An extra 1 mins jog recovery
2 x 5 mins @ 10k pace with 2 mins jog recovery after each rep
4 x 1 min @ 5k pace and faster/1 min jog
An extra 1 mins jog recovery
5 mins @ 10k pace
Enjoy your sessions!

December 20th 2021.
Happy Monday PACTRAC crew. Everything is starting to feel a little bit uncertain in the world at the minute so it’s nice to have a solid weekly run session to rely on.
This weeks run session is a lovely ladder session. It starts of feeling pretty easy but gets tough towards the end. Recovery’s are short and static (standing). Efforts should be ran at around 5k pace.
Warm up for 10-15 minutes with an easy jog. Spend time doing some dynamic drills and a set of strides before you start the main body of the session. Remember (RAMP) from last week 😀
Session is;
1 min on – off 75 sec static recovery
2 min on – off 75 sec static recovery
3 min on – off 75 sec static recovery
4 min on – off 75 sec static recovery
5 min on – off 75 sec static recovery
6 min on – off 75 sec static recovery
Warm down for 10-15 minutes with a gentle jog.
Put your feet up with a mince pie and a protein shake.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas 🎅🏼 🎄
Natasha

December 27th 2021.
Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas weekend!
This weeks run session is a nice low(er) intensity sesh because it’s the holidays!
Warm up for 10-15 mins with an easy jog. Follow up with some dynamic drills and a set of strides.
Session:
This is a tempo session, and the first blocks of intervals should be run at a controlled effort (around half marathon race pace). We will then be finishing with some faster paced shorter efforts to inject a bit of speed into those legs.
4 x 6 mins at tempo effort with 2 mins jog recovery between reps.
5 x 1 mins at 5k park effort with 1 min jog recovery between reps.
Cool down for 10-15 mins with an easy jog.
Enjoy!
P.S. I’ve pulled something in back and am looking for recommendations for sports massage in the Oundle/Thrapston area. The girl I usually use has just had a baby so isn’t available! If anyone knows of anyone that is good then I would be very grateful!

Happy New Year PACTRAC! Hope you are all enjoying the final day of the break and have enjoyed some outside exercise this weekend.

The start of January is always a time for reflection, looking back over the last year and setting goals for the new. I’m not a huge fan of New Years resolutions, I just prefer to be consistent all year and do my best each day. Consistency is key with this weeks running session, it is a bit of a classic and a bit of a grind, it is not a “sexy” session - at least I don’t think so!

The goal for the session is consistent, well paced reps. Your reps want to be somewhere between 5k-10k pace.
Warm up - easy jog for 10 - 15 minutes with dynamic drills.
Main Session - 4 x 1 mile effort at 5-10k pace with a 2 min standing or walking recovery between reps
Cool Down - easy jog for 10-15 minutes.

Whilst hills can’t pay any actual bills, running up and down them is a great way of building strength, endurance and speed!

This weeks run session is - you’ve guessed it - hill repeats!
Warm up for 10-15 minutes with an easy jog and a set of dynamic drills.
Main Session - find a steep hill - 15 x 75 second uphill efforts. Slow jog back down on the recovery’s, circa 2 mins recovery, between each rep. Focus on your form whilst you a running uphill, shoulders down with good arm drive (arms at a 90 degree angle).
Cool down for 10-15 minutes with an easy jog.

Happy Monday PACTRAC!

This weeks run session is a great sharpener circa 3-4 days before a race effort so should be ideal for those participating Sundays Aquathon and looking for a strong 5k run leg.

Session is as follows;

Warm up - 10-15 minute jog, dynamic drills (remember RAMP from a few weeks ago) and 5 x 20 second strides.

Main session;
3*3 min efforts with 90 second jog recovery after reps
Take an additional 90 seconds to jog after final 3 min rep (so 3 mins total jog)
3*2 min efforts with 75 second jog recovery after reps
Take an additional 75 seconds to jog after final 2 min rep (so 2:30 mins total jog)
5 x 45 second efforts with 30 second jog recovery after reps

For the 3 minute and 2 minute reps aim for 5k race effort. For the 45 second reps the aim is to run “hard” and should be faster than 5k race effort.

Make sure to jog the recovery’s and utilise the extra rest in between reps so you can really inject some speed into those legs and reps.

Cool down - 10-15 minute jog

Have a great week!

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a lovely weekend!
This weeks speed endurance session is a tempo session so a little less aggressively paced than recently. However, it does mean the efforts and session will be longer. By breaking a tempo up into sections we see several benefits;
*The addition of recovery’s enables you to run further/for longer than one solid block of tempo.
*As you have a recovery, you can run slightly faster in the intervals than you would in one solid block.
*They are less mentally fatiguing - the focus is on one interval at a time.

Tempo pace for these efforts should feel comfortably uncomfortable and be at around goal half marathon race pace.
Warm up;
Jog for 10-15 minutes. Follow up with strides and a set of dynamic drills.
Main session;
3 x 10 mins with 2 min 30 second jog recovery between reps
Cool down;
Jog for 10-15 minutes.
(To note; I would use a session like this weekly as part of a half marathon build up, increasing the time of the reps throughout the block up to 20 minutes each or adding an additional rep.)
Have a good week!

This weeks session can be altered if you are looking to sharpen up for a race at the weekend or just don’t want to run a full volume session.

For full volume complete all sets and or just do two sets if you want lower volume!

Warm up with an easy jog for 10-15 minutes. Follow with a set of dynamic drills, and a 5 x 20 second strides.

Session:
2 or 3 sets of;
5 x 90 second efforts at 5k race effort with 60 second walk recovery.

Take an additional 60 seconds recovery between sets.

Have a good week!

Natasha

Another day late post PACTRAC. I massively apologise, although I do have a plausible excuse. Imagine tapering for a big event that you have been targeting for months when the household is hit with COVID less than two weeks out…well that’s me. These things are sent to try us, and as athletes there are always going to be stresses surrounding training and competition. It took me a while but I have learned that there is no point wasting energy worrying about things that you cannot control. And instead focus on what we can control. So for me, that’s getting lots of quality sleep, drinking plenty (not gin, will save that for a few weeks) and focusing on my nutrition so I can hopefully get to the start line in one piece. And if it all goes to pot, there’s always another event.

This weeks session;
10-15 minute jog warm up. Dynamic drills, 5 x 20 second strides.
4*4 minute efforts @ 5-10k effort with 2 mins jog recovery after each rep.
After the final effort and recovery go into 4*1 minute efforts @ 5k and faster pace with 1 min jog recovery.
Keep the 4 minute reps controlled and really push it in the 1 minute efforts.
Cool down with a 10-15 minute easy jog.

As of the 23rd February there will be a “live” version of the weekly session on alternate Wednesdays at Kettering Athletics Track at 6pm. £3 PAYG or free to anyone with KTH membership.
Have a great week!
Natasha

Happy Tuesday PACTRAC!
Here is your weekly run session!

Warm up;
Jog for 10-15 minutes. Follow up with strides and a set of dynamic drills.

Main session;
7 x 3 mins with 90 sec jog recovery
Run the efforts at between 5-10k pace. Control yourself in the first few efforts and try and ramp up the pace towards the end of the session if you can.

Cool down;
Jog for 10-15 minutes.
Have a good week!

Happy Monday PACTRAC! I hope you are all keeping well and have managed to fit in your training around the crazy weather the UK is experiencing. This weeks session involves some shorter efforts which may make it easier to cope with outside in the wind or to move to a treadmill (shudder). If you are outside battling the elements, remember; effort is effort. If you can’t hit your normal pacing zones it doesn’t matter, your body won’t know the difference and you will still have the training effect.

Warm up;
Jog for 10-15 minutes. Follow up with strides and a set of dynamic drills.

Main session;
10 x 2 mins with 75 sec jog recovery
Run the efforts at 5k pace/effort.

Cool down;
Jog for 10-15 minutes.

I will be holding this session at the athletics track in Kettering on Wednesday evening at 6pm. It will be with a Kettering Town Harriers group, £3 PAYG to non members. All abilities welcome.
Have a good week!
Natasha

Happy Monday PACTRAC!
This weeks session involves some mixed pace efforts to practice injecting some speed into tired legs at the end of a session/race.

Warm up;
Jog for 10-15 minutes. Follow up with strides and a set of dynamic drills.

Main session;
3 x 6 mins @ around 10k paces with 2 min jog recovery.
Finish with 4 x 1 min on/offs - for the “on” run hard and for the “off” slow down into a jog. These last shorter efforts want to be distinctly faster paced than the main bulk of the session.

Cool down; Jog for 10-15 minutes.

Have a good week!
Natasha.

Happy Monday PACTRAC! I hope you are all keeping well and are enjoying the first signs of spring!

This weeks session is a pyramid of sorts, working through some different pacing zones. We start fast, slow down as the reps increase in length and then speed up as we work our way back down.

Warm up;
Jog for 10-15 minutes. Follow up with strides and a set of dynamic drills.

Main session;
3 x 1 mins hard / with 1 mins jog recovery
Extra 1 min jog
2 x 3 mins @ 5-10k race pace / with 90 seconds jog recovery
Extra 1 min jog
1 x 6 mins @ 10k race pace with 3 mins jog recovery
2 x 3 mins @ 5-10k race pace / with 90 seconds jog recovery
Extra 1 min jog
3 x 1 mins hard / with 1 mins jog recovery

NB; Hard = faster than 5k race pace.

Cool down;
Jog for 10-15 minutes.

Have a good week!

Natasha

To continue the excellent work that Lou started and continued by Natasha,
Adam Clark & Chris Northern have decided it would be fun to post a weekly online Interval session for you to try- hope you enjoy!
Week 1:
The Pyramid
Warm up :
Easy jog 10 minutes
X4 30 sec strides (quick accelerations)
Recover from each fully before running the next
Dynamic stretching-
(High knees ,Lunges, heel walks)
Main set :
Aim for 5k pace on intervals & increase on your way back down the Pyramid 🏃‍♂️⌚️
Run 1 min Hard / 30 s Easy recovery (ER)
Run 2 min Hard / 60 s ER
Run 3 min Hard / 1min 30s ER
Run 4 min Hard / 2 min ER
Run 5min Hard/2min ER 🎯Top of Pyramid
Run 4min Hard / 2 min ER
Run 3min Hard / 1min 30s ER
Run 2min Hard / 60s ER
Run 1min Hard / 30s ER
Cool down :
10 minutes Easy jog
Static stretching

Week 2 : Work Hard Rest less 💪🥵😅
A great session to build stamina and mental resilience.
Efforts are all 3 minutes but recovery reduces after each
Warmup :
Easy Jog 10 minutes.
Include some Dynamic stretching.
X4 30sec strides right before starting session
Recover after each stride please 🙏🏻
- Challenge yourself to try & cover the same distance for each effort-🌬️😳🎯
Main set :
(Run between 5&10k pace depending on how you feel but decide before the start & stick to it !
Run / Recovery
3mins / 3mins
3mins / 2mins
3mins / 1:30s
3mins / 30seconds
3mins.
Cool down:
10 mins
(followed by static stretching).

Week 3 : Twice As Nice 🏃‍♂️🤲🏻
When something is that great you want to do it again. That’s the idea behind this session.😃
Each interval is doubled for good measure.
Warmup :
Easy jog 10 minutes
Include some Dynamic Stretching
X4 30sec strides to prepare your legs
Please recover after each stride
Main set:
(Run at your 10k pace )
Run. / recover
3min / 90s
3min. / 90s
2min. /60s
2min. /60s
90s. /45s
90s. /45s
1min. /30s
1min. /30s
30s. /30s
30s. /30s
Rest 2 minutes and repeat session 😳
Cool down:
10 minutes
(Followed by static stretching)
Once the weather warms, I’ll look to organise
a few coached runs if enough interest.

Running Intervals
Week 4:
The Magic Number 4
A great session to push your Endurance levels up whilst your recovery reduces helping your fitness build.
Warmup :
Easy jog 10 minutes
Include some Dynamic Stretching
X4 30s strides
Please recover after each stride
Main set:
5k pace
Effort Recovery
4 mins 3mins
4mins 2mins
4mins 1min
4mins 30secs
Repeat twice with 3 mins rest between each
Warm down :
10 minutes and finish with some static stretching

Here we are on week 5 already with 1 more week to go why not give these intervals a try
Week 5 ; Pure and Simple
A simple and effective session where you can cover a good distance overall. A slight increase in time varies your effort and helps to build your stamina.
Warm up ;
Easy 10 minute
Finish with some strides and Dynamic stretching as per the usual ;-}
Main set; {to be run at 5k pace}
Effort; Recovery;
5x1 min 30s
5x2 min 30s
5x3 min 30s
1minute recovery between /these can be walked or light jogged
Warm down;
10mins of easy paced jogging -finish with some static stretch's
Hope you're all getting some enjoyment out of these sessions.
Goodluck

Interval session
Week 6: 10,6,4 Push theTempo
Warm up:
10 mins easy jogging
x4 30s fast strides to prepare the legs
Dynamic stretch's
Main set:
Effort: Recovery:
10mins 2mins Jog
6mins 2mins Jog
4mins 2mins Jog
Set to be done twice -Pace at Tempo pace
Cool down:
Easy 10mins and static stretch's
Thanks again for having a go and feel free to share any feedback on a 121 message with Coach Chris. As a new coach I'm grateful to hear what could be better and what you all want to see more of please!?