COACHED SUMMER SESSIONS
Every Thursday from May until mid September we carry out track sessions on the grass track on Falmouth School’s Channel 4 pitch.
Arrive there by 7pm, it’s very important not to miss the warm up.
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Why do them?
By regularly running at a higher effort level than is usually comfortable, you will benefit from improved aerobic capacity and better lactate usage as a fuel. This means you will be able to run faster for longer building your speed endurance.
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What is involved?
Track sessions are basically repetitions or interval sessions, i.e. sets of hard efforts interspersed with suitable active recovery or rest periods.
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Effort level is generally ‘hard’ which is between 75-95% of maximal effort. One of the simplest ways of measuring perceived effort is the talk test. Your coaches will explain what effort level is required for each session.
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The sessions are usually time based intervals making them suitable for all abilities to participate and benefit from the structured speed work within one group. All sessions will be explained by the coach so you will know how the session is structured, what you are doing and the effort level you should be running.
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Format
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Warm up: At least 10 mins - dynamic exercises to fully prepare you for the session.
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Drills 5-10 mins - for good running technique.
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Main session 20-40 mins.
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Cool down & stretches 5-10 mins - bring heart rate down & stretch out your muscles.
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How to get the most out of track sessions
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1. Don’t turn up if you are injured. You need to be fully fit for these sessions. If you are recovering from injury you might be able to do an adapted session or have a jog round the field on the kind grass running surface, have a chat with the coach before the session starts.
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2. You need to be fresh. Please don't turn up after doing a 'normal' run or other vigorous exercise - you just won’t get the benefit the sessions are designed for.
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3. Be properly fuelled and hydrated. Please ensure you’ve had sufficient to eat and drink throughout the day – otherwise you’re asking for trouble and will find the session harder than normal.
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4. Turn up in time for the warm-up. Track sessions are more intense than a Tuesday night club run, and they take place on a grass track which promotes a slightly different response from your muscles to running on the road. Jogging to the track is NOT a suitable warm-up for these sessions on its own, but can be a useful addition to the structured session warm up.
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5. Remember to run at YOUR pace so you are running at the right intensity for the planned session.
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6. Allow sufficient recovery time after the session. Recovery is an essential part of training, as it is when the adaption to the increased workload occurs. ‘Going off for a 5-miler to top-up on the distance’ shows complete lack of understanding about what the session is trying to achieve, and good training practices in general. But jogging or cycling home after the session is fine and can be considered an extension of the cool down.​