Find a good routine
Welcome to week 3 of the 16-week programme for the Cape Egmont Half Marathon, writes Mark Turner, from World Multisport
One of the things I work on a lot with athletes, especially people new to running, is ensuring they have good routines. Quite often when someone commits to a new goal, such as running a half-marathon, their motivation levels are naturally quite high.
It’s exciting and the thought of doing something new is energising.
However, motivation is a limited behaviour and will wane over time. That is why things like diets and New Year resolutions don’t last.
What does last, though, is a good routine.
This is what we want your training to become, a routine that is part of your life. Much like brushing your teeth every day.
Now that we’re into week 3, the motivation levels might be dropping. This is the point where you need to develop a routine that is sustainable.
Some tips to help develop a good routine include:
■ Do your training in the morning.
■ Arrange to meet a friend or join a group for your training.
■ Get your training gear out the night before
We are offering group run sessions on a Sunday morning from 8am to help you prepare for the race. All abilities are welcome, and we’ll even buy you a coffee afterwards. Go to our website https://worldmultisport. com/taranaki/triathlon-training for details.
This week the overall training volume for each level has increased this week to improve your endurance levels.
Beginner
Monday: Rest; Tuesday: Easy 35 min with 45 sec walk every 5 min; Wednesday: Rest; Thursday: Easy 35 min with 45 sec walk every 5 min; Friday: Rest; Saturday: Cross-training 30 mins; Sunday: Easy 35 min with 45 sec walk every 5 min.
Intermediate
Monday: Rest; Tuesday: 15 mins easy then 6 x 1 min hard with 1 min walk in between and easy 10 min to finish; Wednesday 45 mins easy; Thursday: 30 mins easy; Friday: Rest; Saturday: cross-training 30 mins; Sunday: 55 mins easy.
Advanced
Monday: Cross-training 30 mins; Tuesday: 15 mins easy then 6 x 2 min hard with 1 min easy jog in between and easy 10 min to finish; Wednesday: 50 mins easy; Thursday: 35 mins easy; Friday: Rest; Saturday: 45 mins easy; Sunday: 65 min easy
■ By visiting our website at https://worldmultisport.com/ capeegmont you can subscribe to receive more weekly training tips plus our free 10km programme. Enter the race at https://capeegmonthalf.com