Training for the World Championships

Greetings, and welcome to my first blog on our new project, Project 9.5. Breaking 7hrs at this years World Championships on September 8th is my main goal this year and having completed the Death Race, I resumed training quite quickly with just 5 weeks to go before the World Championships.

Post Death Race Training;

Monday, August 6 – 60 minutes of biking, with 6 three-minute surges at high intensity within the session (using sports-drink pattern, two regular swallows od sports drink every ten minutes)

Tuesday, August 7 – SWU and then 4 x 4min w/ 3min recoveries, with a 2-mile CD afterwards and then stretching of glutes and hams (using sports-drink pattern)

Wednesday, August 8 – 2 miles easily, 12 rotated drop-offs and pick-ups per leg, 50 bicycle leg swings per leg, 60 sit-ups, 60 low-back extensions, 15 walking-the-dog lunges per leg (with heavy dumbbells in hands, using glutes and hams to power way back up after each lunge), and then 6 miles easily, followed by stretching of glutes and hams (8). Later in the day, cycle easily for 60 minutes.

Thursday, August 9 – vVO2max Session: SWU and then 5 X 1K in 3:07 each, with 3:07 jog recoveries and a 2-mile CD at the end, followed by stretching of glutes and hams (9.4 with 3.35 quality)

Friday, August 10 – Rest Day

Saturday, August 11 – SWU and then 4 x 10mins w/ 2min recoveries, with a 2-mile CD afterwards and then stretching of glutes and hams. And then Explosive Session (repeat of Sunday, August 5) in evening.

Sunday, August 12 – 12 miles of very easy running, followed by stretching of glutes and hams. (using sports-drink pattern)

Four weeks to go .......................

Monday, August 13 – 2 miles easily, 12 rotated drop-offs and pick-ups per leg, 50 bicycle leg swings per leg, 60 sit-ups, 60 low-back extensions, 15 walking-the-dog lunges per leg (with heavy dumbbells in hands, using glutes and hams to power way back up after each lunge), and then 6 miles easily, followed by stretching of glutes and hams. Later in the day, cycle easily for 60 minutes.

Tuesday, August 14 – SWU and then 4 X 4 minutes, with 3-minute recoveries and a 2-mile CD at the end, followed by stretching of glutes and hams.

Wednesday, August 15 – 6 miles easily, with stretching of glutes and hams, plus 60 minutes of biking.

Thursday, August 16 – Explosive Session (repeat of Sunday, August 5) (stretch glutes and hams afterwards)

Friday, August 17 – Rest Day

Saturday, August 18 - SWU and then 4 x 10min with 2min recoveries, with 2mile cool down. (stretch glute and hams)

Sunday, August 19 – SWU and then 20K @ 6:45 pace, with a 1-mile CD at the end (using sports-drink pattern) (stretch glutes and hams afterwards) - Fantastic run, felt easy, back in May this felt hard, good improvement!

Three weeks to go...........................

Monday August 20 - 90 minutes of easy cycling (using sports-drink pattern), followed by stretching of hams and glutes.

Tuesday, August 21 – Whole-Body Strengthening: Special Warm-Up (SWU), and then performing the following exercises in order, moving quickly from exercise to exercise, but not sacrificing good form to get them done in a hurry. The idea is to do each exercise methodically and efficiently – and then almost immediately start on the next exertion.
(1) Run 800 meters at what feels like 5-K pace
(2) Do 6 chin-ups
3) Complete 50 sit-ups
(4) Perform 18 squat thrusts with jumps (burpees)
(5) Do 12 push-ups
(6) Complete 30 body-weight squats (fast)
(7) Run 800 meters at 5-K intensity again
(8) Do 12 squat-and-dumbbell presses (with ~ 15-pound dumbbells)
(9) Perform 50 low-back extensions
(10) Complete 12 feet-elevated push-ups
(11) Do 20 bench dips
(12) Complete 15 lunges with each leg (use hams and glutes to power up after each lunge)
(13) Run 800 meters at 5-K effort
(14) Repeat steps 2-13 one more time (for two circuits in all), and then cool down with 2 miles of light jogging, followed by stretching of hams and glutes.

Have a great week, check back latter in the week for further posts.
Jack