Introduction
We have a 7pm effort session, which is shorter than the Tuesday effort session – ideal for beginners, graduates of the annual Introduction to Running Course, runners recovering from injury and those who simply don’t want a warm up/cool down run of over 1K to/from the effort venue.
The sessions are general speed work and running technique aimed at improving everyone’s pace. In an effort session you will run sections faster than you would normally run but will also spend plenty of time recovering at a slow or even walking pace.
When we arrive at the venue for the effort session, a description of what the session entails and the number of efforts/sets will be announced. When the leaders have finished their last effort everyone else finishes the effort they are on, and we return at a leisurely place to the club. This means that whatever your pace you won’t be holding up the faster runners, and the faster runners also have people to chase and lap. If the session was of say 8 efforts/sets and you manage 5 you now have a ready-made target for the next time we do this session.
The sessions generally run on a seven-week rota with the same venues used throughout the year. Like Tuesday nights, afterwards there are showers and the bar is open to enjoy a drink with your fellow club members.
Pyramids/Paired Relay
This effort takes place on ASDA green in Chelmer Village taking advantage of the lamp posts around the green.
Runners will run one lamppost, recover to the next lamppost, run two lampposts, recover to the next lamppost, run three lampposts, recover to the next lamppost, run two lampposts, recover to the next lamppost, run one lamppost and recover back to the start completing one pyramid.
Once the stated number of pyramids has been completed by the faster runners, the group is split into two with a faster runner being paired with a slower runner. The pairs run in opposite directions around the green meeting on the far side of the green. On recovering back to the start, the pair then run around the green in the opposite direction to previously.
5K Run – Fartlek Style
We run a 5K route that is used for the Summer and Winter Club Handicap races. Runners run at their own pace with the faster runners regularly turning around and running back to the back marker. This way the group keeps together while allowing everyone to run at their pace. The faster runners have the bonus of running more than 5K!
Shuttle Run
This is like Pyramids in so much as we take advantage of the lampposts on Springfield Green. Runners will run one lamppost, recover back to the start, run two lampposts, recover back to the start, run three lampposts, recover back to the start, run four lampposts and recover back to the start, completing one set.
Flying 150s
This session replicates the final 150m of a race where runners are making one last sprint for the finish line. Yet again we take advantage of the lampposts in Chelmer Village having selected two lampposts 150m apart as the start and finish points.
Fartlek
Taken from the Swedish words for speed and play Fartlek is a session that can be used just as a bit of fun or can mimic race conditions where you must react to someone else’s pace or instruction.
The session is less scripted than others as the group leader will choose the route and what the runners are going to do. He/she will shout out where the runners are to run/effort to and off they go, they then come back to the leader and reform as a group before they are sent off again. Sometimes the leader will give you a lot of short bursts with very little recovery, sometimes it might be a longer effort with longer recovery. The whole thing is unpredictable and often includes running games. This is the only speed session where you sometimes won’t be allowed to get a full recovery as you do in the other sessions.
Hills (Bridge)
Hill training is a form of resistance or strength training and will help you with your climbing and descending.
We use the bridge over Chelmer Road by the Rugby Club for this session, which unlike the other effort sessions is a timed 25-minute session rather than a set number of efforts/sets.
Long & Shorts
This session takes place in Chelmer Village, yet again we take advantage of the lampposts and other street furniture. The session comprises of a 400m effort, a 200m recovery, then a 200m effort followed by a recovery, which completes a set