A good training session

100% Fitness training

I have been going to a pay-as-you-go training session with Gemma who runs 100% Fitness on Thursday evenings with Becci and Helen. It helped so much with preparation for the Half Marathon and now her regular clients are getting ready for the Paras' 10 run which is an extreme physical fitness event. Colchester is a Garrison town and there are lots of people either in, married to or associated with the armed forces. Some of the runners last night were dressed in combat clothing with boots and 30lb backpacks. Frightening and awe inspiring.

Their training picture doesn't show women but
there were lots at Thursday night running

• Warm up
• Training
• Warm down
• Weather
• Report

Warm up

The route

We started with a gentle run from our meeting place to Abbey Fields. There were about fifteen of us, I think. I met a lady whilst parking my car who was new to running and she said she was thinking she would have to walk/run. There were lots of different levels and abilities and obviously those with backpacks etc were not going to be going at their usual running pace but they are all looking so much fitter than when I first started running with them.

Training

Gemma's husband was leading this session as she was unable to make it. We would start at point A running round the course at 70% effort and get back to point A where the first back would loop round to join the back of the pack and runners they met on the way back could also loop back with them (so they didn't go on to point A).

Once the front runners had reached the back of the running pack that would mark the next starting point and we turned round and ran in the opposite direction from there at 80% effort where the front runners would loop back again but this time would finish at the point at which we would be turning for home. If you had run beyond that point but met them returning you could loop back with them again too.

Working at 70% and 80% for this session

Warm down

We then ran back to our usual meeting point at a steady pace and once there Gemma's husband took us through some stretches for a warm down.

Weather

It is still unseasonably warm with very little wind and I felt for those carrying backpacks but they did a wonderful job. There is a problem with dust coming from the Sahara combined with exhaust fumes and other fumes and pollen causing us to have smog which is affecting people with asthma and other allergies. Apart from a feeling of needing to clear my throat and a runny nose at the end of the session I felt fine. Becci said that she wondered if there was a psychological effect making us think we are suffering from the effects of the smog - I think she is right.

Report

I found I had much more energy than I expected but this is probably because I have had such a long rest. The 70% effort was fine and I could chat happily and when we tried 80% I was struggling to talk but didn't push beyond that point because I didn't think I'd be able to sustain the running. I enjoyed the session more than I thought I would and was surprised to see that we had run almost five and a half miles. 

Lap 4 looks good that must be 80%

Gemma's husband gave us some good advice when we were doing the stretching to remember to hold each pose for at least 25 second for it to do any good. Something I often forget.

Now I am glad to have got past the block of how I would get on with a more formal running session which included some training. Lots to work on and I am looking forward to getting back on par for the Round The Island in June.