TRAINING PROGRAM

• Gain aerobic strength so as to be capable of completing at least a half-marathon type race
• Develop hill climbing strength necessary for long, sustained hills
• Prepare for multiple runs in a 24 hr. period
• Practice with food/fluid consumption surrounding exercise
• Develop conditioning necessary to run at least 40 miles a week including sustained hill work, multiple runs per day and one long run

The training schedules:

These are programs for beginning and intermediate runners that develop long runs, strength training, and multiple workouts per day which will adequately prepare a person for running the Colorado Relay.

We define a beginning runner as a person who is generally fit to begin an exercise program (a doctor's examine before beginning any exercise program is always essential) and has not been doing any running previous to starting our program.

We loosely define an intermediate runner as a person who has been running 20-30 miles per week, exercises on at least 3 days each week, and races only occasionally.

Our goal, for anyone following these training regimes, is to get each runner to the starting line prepared to tackle the challenge of the Colorado Relay and have a good time doing it.

A few notes of explanation:

The beginning of the schedule below is broken down by minutes instead of miles. Run at your own "comfortable pace" for the given amount of time. Comfortable might mean walking periodically in order to complete the workout. That’s OK, the important thing is to stick to the length of time allotted for each workout. While you are exercising you should be able to talk easily. Don’t worry about how fast you’re moving, it’s the time you spend on your feet and not the pace of the run that counts. When you start adding hills to your Tuesday run be conservative. Start with just a couple of short hills and add another hill every week or choose hills that are longer in length. If you miss a workout don’t worry, just start from where you are on the schedule and don’t try and make-up the missed day by adding on to workouts or squeezing in the missed training on a day off.

We’ve put in several days that feature multiple workouts on one day. This is to give you the same experience you’ll encounter in the race when you’re faced with 3 stages of the relay only hours apart. There will be added stress of running at night and at high altitude that you can't really prepare for, but the multiple run workout will at least allow you practice before the challenge of running 3 difficult relay legs.

The intermediate workout schedule is written in miles and, like the beginning schedule, works at building long runs and developing strength through hill training. Keep the general miles very easy and place the emphasis of your training on the hills and long runs. Start the hill workouts by doing a few easy hills that don’t put a lot of pressure on your legs, then gradually add more resistance as the program develops. By the final weeks you should be able to do the entire length of the run over hills. The longer the hills, the better.

On your long runs and on the days of your multiple workouts you should practice rehydrating and eating in the same manner as you’ll be utilizing during the relay. Choose replacement drinks and foods that are easily managed by your stomach: high in carbohydrates, easily digestible, and easily transportable. Practice with those foods and drinks so there aren’t any surprises. 

Training Schedule Key:

• H= Hills
• / = Multiple Run
• MN= Minutes
• M= Miles
• R= Rest day
  

BEGINNER SCHEDULE:

INTERMEDIATE SCHEDULE:

For Further training information or information regarding coaching, visit the Anaerobic website at: www.anaerobic.net or contact Jon Sinclair or Kent Oglesby.