Runner's World's Beginner Training Plan for the New Balance Falmouth Road Race (6 Weeks)
6 weeks - $19.99
Total Miles: 113
Total Miles: 113
This six-week schedule, developed by the experts at Runner’s World, can help beginners prepare for the New Balance Falmouth Road Race on August 12, 2012. It is designed to provide beginners the endurance they need to go the seven-mile race distance. The plan features four days of easy running, two days of rest, and some very short doses of faster running and gentle pickups. Not the right plan for you? Check out Runner’s World’s training plans for intermediate and advanced runners.
After purchase, your plan will be available in your own private online training log account. You'll enjoy these benefits and more:
Sample workouts:
Workout #1 : Day Off
WEEK 1 REST
Welcome to Runner's World's Beginner Training Plan for the New Balance Falmouth Road Race. This plan will prepare you for the 40th running of the New Balance Falmouth Road Race on August 11. The seven-mile, point-to-point course starts in front of the Woods Hole Community Center and finishes at the beach in Falmouth Heights. The scenic seaside course winds through woodsy neighborhoods, goes by a 183-year-old lighthouse, and winds along Martha’s Vineyard Sound, affording wide-open vistas of sailboats, sandy beaches, and deep blue water. The first three miles are narrow, hilly, winding, tree-shaded roads, while the last four miles are open next to Martha's Vineyard Sound. A small steep hill lets you know that you are beginning the last half-mile of the race. Each Monday, you'll get a note about your training for the week ahead. And every day, you'll get an e-mail reminding you about the workout for the day, with Runner's World's best tips on training, nutrition, and injury-prevention. This plan will get you to the starting line feeling fresh, fit, and ready to run your best. Most of the running will be done at an easy, conversational pace so that you can develop cardiovascular fitness without getting injured. Each Saturday, you'll do a longer run (labeled LSD for long, slow, distance run) to help you develop the endurance you need for the race. Each week you'll also do some bouts of faster running—intervals and pickups—to get your legs and lungs ready to race. Your training starts with a day of rest so you'll be fresh and ready for the miles ahead. Then you'll do four easy runs, two of which include brief bouts of faster running. Your long run (LSD) will be five miles. Ideally, on rest days you should do no exercise at all. But it's okay to cross-train with a no-impact activity like stretching, yoga, or swimming. ************************************* Got technical issues or questions? Send them to us at rodale@peaksware.com.
Welcome to Runner's World's Beginner Training Plan for the New Balance Falmouth Road Race. This plan will prepare you for the 40th running of the New Balance Falmouth Road Race on August 11. The seven-mile, point-to-point course starts in front of the Woods Hole Community Center and finishes at the beach in Falmouth Heights. The scenic seaside course winds through woodsy neighborhoods, goes by a 183-year-old lighthouse, and winds along Martha’s Vineyard Sound, affording wide-open vistas of sailboats, sandy beaches, and deep blue water. The first three miles are narrow, hilly, winding, tree-shaded roads, while the last four miles are open next to Martha's Vineyard Sound. A small steep hill lets you know that you are beginning the last half-mile of the race. Each Monday, you'll get a note about your training for the week ahead. And every day, you'll get an e-mail reminding you about the workout for the day, with Runner's World's best tips on training, nutrition, and injury-prevention. This plan will get you to the starting line feeling fresh, fit, and ready to run your best. Most of the running will be done at an easy, conversational pace so that you can develop cardiovascular fitness without getting injured. Each Saturday, you'll do a longer run (labeled LSD for long, slow, distance run) to help you develop the endurance you need for the race. Each week you'll also do some bouts of faster running—intervals and pickups—to get your legs and lungs ready to race. Your training starts with a day of rest so you'll be fresh and ready for the miles ahead. Then you'll do four easy runs, two of which include brief bouts of faster running. Your long run (LSD) will be five miles. Ideally, on rest days you should do no exercise at all. But it's okay to cross-train with a no-impact activity like stretching, yoga, or swimming. ************************************* Got technical issues or questions? Send them to us at rodale@peaksware.com.
Workout #2 : Run
4 EASY MILES WITH AEROBIC INTERVALS
2 MILES EASY 4 x 1-MINUTE AEROBIC INTERVALS 2 MILES EASY Run two miles at your easy pace. This should be a comfortable pace that feels easy enough to carry on a conversation. Then ramp up to one-minute intervals. Push the pace a bit, but don't run all out. After each one-minute bout of fast running, jog slowly until you feel rested enough to speed up again. Finish with two easy miles.
2 MILES EASY 4 x 1-MINUTE AEROBIC INTERVALS 2 MILES EASY Run two miles at your easy pace. This should be a comfortable pace that feels easy enough to carry on a conversation. Then ramp up to one-minute intervals. Push the pace a bit, but don't run all out. After each one-minute bout of fast running, jog slowly until you feel rested enough to speed up again. Finish with two easy miles.
Workout #3 : Run
4 EASY MILES OR REST
Ideally, you should do no exercise at all. But it's okay to go for a short easy run, or cross-train with a no-impact activity like stretching, yoga, or swimming. Bartender Tommy Leonard started the Falmouth Road Race in 1973, inspired by the Olympic Marathon victory of Frank Shorter in Munich the year before. Several famous duels to the finish between Shorter and four-time Boston Marathon Champion Bill Rodgers helped the field explode to 5,000 by 1979. And over the years, the race has become a destination for elites and recreational runners alike. Grete Waitz, Alberto Salazar, Khalid Khannouchi, Catherine Ndereba, Magdalena Lewy Boulet, Joan Benoit Samuelson, and Olympic Marathon Trials Champion Meb Keflezighi are among those who have raced here. Mix in the lure of a warm summer day on Cape Cod, and it's no wonder roughly 65 percent of the field is repeat runners.
Ideally, you should do no exercise at all. But it's okay to go for a short easy run, or cross-train with a no-impact activity like stretching, yoga, or swimming. Bartender Tommy Leonard started the Falmouth Road Race in 1973, inspired by the Olympic Marathon victory of Frank Shorter in Munich the year before. Several famous duels to the finish between Shorter and four-time Boston Marathon Champion Bill Rodgers helped the field explode to 5,000 by 1979. And over the years, the race has become a destination for elites and recreational runners alike. Grete Waitz, Alberto Salazar, Khalid Khannouchi, Catherine Ndereba, Magdalena Lewy Boulet, Joan Benoit Samuelson, and Olympic Marathon Trials Champion Meb Keflezighi are among those who have raced here. Mix in the lure of a warm summer day on Cape Cod, and it's no wonder roughly 65 percent of the field is repeat runners.
Workout #4 : Run
4 EASY MILES WITH GENTLE PICKUPS
4 easy miles 3 gentle pickups Maintain your easy, conversational pace for four miles. Then do three gentle pickups. Gradually increase your pace over 100 meters until you're running at 90 percent of all-out effort, hold it there for 10 to 20 meters, then gradually decelerate. Walk in between the pickups to recover. At the end of each easy run, you should feel like you have enough energy to run another mile. If you feel exhausted, drained, or achey, then it's best to back off your pace.
4 easy miles 3 gentle pickups Maintain your easy, conversational pace for four miles. Then do three gentle pickups. Gradually increase your pace over 100 meters until you're running at 90 percent of all-out effort, hold it there for 10 to 20 meters, then gradually decelerate. Walk in between the pickups to recover. At the end of each easy run, you should feel like you have enough energy to run another mile. If you feel exhausted, drained, or achey, then it's best to back off your pace.
Workout #5 : Day Off
REST
Now is the time to invest in high-quality running gear. Shirts, shorts, and pants that wick away moisture will help protect you from chafing and keep you comfortable no matter what the weather conditions are. These items may seem like extravagant expenses, but the investment you make now will pay off for hundreds of miles. The most important piece of gear is your shoes. Worn-out and ill-fitting shoes are often the cause of injury. Go to a specialty running shop to find a pair that offers the fit and support that your feet need. Shoes should be replaced every 300 to 500 miles.
Now is the time to invest in high-quality running gear. Shirts, shorts, and pants that wick away moisture will help protect you from chafing and keep you comfortable no matter what the weather conditions are. These items may seem like extravagant expenses, but the investment you make now will pay off for hundreds of miles. The most important piece of gear is your shoes. Worn-out and ill-fitting shoes are often the cause of injury. Go to a specialty running shop to find a pair that offers the fit and support that your feet need. Shoes should be replaced every 300 to 500 miles.
Workout #6 : Run
5 MILES LSD
Long runs help you develop the physical endurance you need for the race, but they also help prepare you psychologically for spending hours at a time on your feet. Use these workouts to figure out what strategies help you stay mentally strong. Good music may help you stay psyched up, running with others may make the miles roll by faster. Mantras that are short, inspirational, and meaningful can help you stay positive, even as your body fatigues.
Long runs help you develop the physical endurance you need for the race, but they also help prepare you psychologically for spending hours at a time on your feet. Use these workouts to figure out what strategies help you stay mentally strong. Good music may help you stay psyched up, running with others may make the miles roll by faster. Mantras that are short, inspirational, and meaningful can help you stay positive, even as your body fatigues.
Workout #7 : Day Off
REST
It may be tempting to add miles on rest days, but it's best to give your body a chance to recover instead. Rest days help prevent injuries and give your body a chance to adapt to the stresses of training and get stronger. ********** For technical issues or problems, contact rodale@peaksware.com.
It may be tempting to add miles on rest days, but it's best to give your body a chance to recover instead. Rest days help prevent injuries and give your body a chance to adapt to the stresses of training and get stronger. ********** For technical issues or problems, contact rodale@peaksware.com.
Workout #8 : Day Off
WEEK 2 REST
This is week two of training. At the end of this week, race day will be four weeks away. This week you'll have four easy runs, two rest days, and one run that includes gentle pickups. Your long run (LSD) will be 5.5 miles. In this early stage of training, you'll want to establish a routine that blends well with everything else in your daily life. Figure out what times of day are most convenient to run, and scout out some safe routes that you can regularly take. If possible, get into the habit of heading out at the same time each day. If it's built into your schedule, you're less likely to skip a run and more likely to look forward to the next day’s workout if you do miss a day. Also, consider spending some quality time in the weight room. Just a few days of strength training each week can help you burn more calories, run more efficiently, and ward off injuries. Start incorporating strength training into your routine now, and maintain it until race day. It's best to strength train on the same day that you run, and reserve your rest days for complete recovery. ********************************** For technical issues, write to support@peaksware.com.
This is week two of training. At the end of this week, race day will be four weeks away. This week you'll have four easy runs, two rest days, and one run that includes gentle pickups. Your long run (LSD) will be 5.5 miles. In this early stage of training, you'll want to establish a routine that blends well with everything else in your daily life. Figure out what times of day are most convenient to run, and scout out some safe routes that you can regularly take. If possible, get into the habit of heading out at the same time each day. If it's built into your schedule, you're less likely to skip a run and more likely to look forward to the next day’s workout if you do miss a day. Also, consider spending some quality time in the weight room. Just a few days of strength training each week can help you burn more calories, run more efficiently, and ward off injuries. Start incorporating strength training into your routine now, and maintain it until race day. It's best to strength train on the same day that you run, and reserve your rest days for complete recovery. ********************************** For technical issues, write to support@peaksware.com.
Workout #9 : Run
2 EASY MILES
It’s important to take these easy runs at a comfortable, conversational pace. If you’re huffing and puffing, you’re going too hard. Just run at a pace that feels like you could sustain forever. If you’d like to nail down the training pace that’s appropriate for your current level of fitness, the best thing to do is run a 5-K and plug in your time to the training calculator at runnersworld.com/tools. To find an event near you, go to runnersworld.com/racefinder. Just over a mile into the Falmouth Road Race, you’ll pass the Nobska Point Lighthouse. Built in 1829, it served as a beacon to sailors, whalers, and vessels crossing the Vineyard Sound.
It’s important to take these easy runs at a comfortable, conversational pace. If you’re huffing and puffing, you’re going too hard. Just run at a pace that feels like you could sustain forever. If you’d like to nail down the training pace that’s appropriate for your current level of fitness, the best thing to do is run a 5-K and plug in your time to the training calculator at runnersworld.com/tools. To find an event near you, go to runnersworld.com/racefinder. Just over a mile into the Falmouth Road Race, you’ll pass the Nobska Point Lighthouse. Built in 1829, it served as a beacon to sailors, whalers, and vessels crossing the Vineyard Sound.