THE 96th ANNUAL TELY 10 MILE
ROAD RACE

Well, last year was interesting, wasn’t it? Race day in June is on the schedule again for this year's running of the Tely 10.

I always recommend that you consult your physician before taking on this program. This program is more demanding on the cardiovascular system than the beginner program, so let's make sure that we are clear to training at a more intense level. Sticking to the MAX heart rate formula (Max HR = 220 – (Age)) ensures you are training within your abilities.

If you have been training for the Tely 10 over the past few years and want to improve your performance, this is the right place for you. It will be even more important to listen to your body. There are a lot of devices, smart watches, HR monitors, and other things to help track your health. I’m not saying you need to purchase one. These are great tools to have, no doubt. But if you don’t like them or have access to these devices, that's okay. So make sure you are getting plenty of rest. Sleep is very important as, during this time, your body repairs itself from the day's activities. Hydration and nutrition are equally important as well. Food helps fuel you for your runs, and water helps transport the vitamins and minerals throughout the body and keep your muscles moving like they are designed to.

Most of the workouts are straightforward. I have made them easy to read and easy to follow. The first thing you may notice is after some of the easy runs, I have you doing either hill or regular sprints. These little sessions at the end of an easy run prove to be a HUGE factor in improving one’s running. The short hill sprints work on your leg power, running form and strength. While the short sprints also work form but give you a little speed work without the stress of a full-speed session. I don’t have actual hill workouts in the program. But make sure you run your long runs with hills in mind.

You are doing speed workouts right from the start. Week one has you doing a great session of 800m repeats. I like these because they help you get ready for longer workouts. At this point, they are short enough to get them in but not too long that they seem too overwhelming to complete. Week 2 has a great workout. It is a broken tempo, as we like to call it, during the long run. It is exactly as it looks. You start easy, then run at Tely Pace for 5k, and drop back to an easy pace before moving up to Tely Pace again. In week 4, speed sessions have become one of my favourites as they involve long intervals geared to get you moving at a goal pace or slightly faster. You do 2k repeats at a 10k race pace. Stay in control when doing these. The idea is to control during the whole session. The 200m reps at the end are to help with turnover over the shorter interval distance. These help with strength and form after running longer intervals. It helps to get your body and mind adapted to running at a fast pace with some fatigue. As you move into the longer sessions, week 5, 3x2 mile, do them at an 8k-10k race pace. Keep an eye on the rest times. You want to get the most out of the rest but not compromise the workout. The goal is to keep the HR slightly elevated so that when you start the next repeat, you are closer to the HR target zone for the session. You will see that some of the long runs are workouts. Week 5 of the program is a great example of this. You run the first 5 kilometres at an easy pace, run 2 kilometres at Tely pace, pick up the pace to run 10k race pace for 3k and so on. When you feel fatigued during training, it won’t feel foreign to you on race day. A similar long-run workout in week 7 is a great tempo run during the run. Great confidence boosters for race day.

I want you to remember these important points. Long runs are important for training. The long runs are a cornerstone of any long-distance training program when training for a long-distance race of this length. Also, tempo runs allow you to feel the pace you want to work towards. These runs build fitness and confidence heading into a distance race. Keep a training log of your sessions. It's a great way to look over your training to see the progress you have made. Note your average pace and how each session felt. You will see improved fitness trends over the weeks leading up to the Tely 10.

Again, I will emphasize no headphones. If you want any further clarification, you can review our policy on the website.

There you have it! I hope your training goes well. And I hope to see you all at the finish area!

Best of luck!

Jason White
Personal Trainer

Definitions

Maximum Heart Rate (Max HR) = 220 – (Age):

This formula is used to help determine your effort level based on how fast your heart is beating. Example: 30 year old runner: 220 – (30) = 190. Therefore, 190 x (0.65) = 123 beats per minute (bpm) is where your heart rate should be.

Cross Training:

Other cardio activities that will use other muscles that will help to prevent injuries during training. Examples are swimming laps, going for a bike ride or weight training.

Rest Days:

These days play an important role in your training program. They are designed to give your body a break from training and allow you to remain healthy, prevent injuries, achieve physiological gains and help you concentrate on your overall goal.

Hilly Repeats:

These days are designed to help build your running strength in your legs. Pick a hill that isn’t too steep. Increase pace up the hill (MAX HR of 80-85% on hills). After you have completed the hill, jog to the bottom at a steady pace (65-75% of Max HR) and repeat.

Hill Workouts:

These days are designed to help build your running strength in your legs. The Hill shouldn’t too steep. But steep enough to be a challenge when you increase your pace. (MAX HR of 75-85% on hills). After you have completed the hill, jog back down to the bottom at a steady pace (65-75% of Max HR). Repeat for a number of repetitions suggested.

Speed Work:

These workouts are key to improving your running. Each workout will increase your ability to run at an increased pace for longer. (MAX HR of 80-85%).

Easy Runs:

Doesn’t require a lot of effort to maintain the pace. Conversation with a running partner is easily maintained.

Tempo Run:

This run is done at or very close to your goal race pace. (MAX HR of 75-80%).

Tapering:

This week you don’t want to do anything out of the ordinary. You have worked hard over the last 11 weeks. So, rest up your legs but keep them fresh for race day. You have worked hard over the last 11 weeks.