Group speed

It is amazing how the group mentality manages to reinvigorate any flagging that one may have with regards to running and exercise.

Yesterday I dragged my (still relatively unfit) body off to train with the Warrior crew here in Sydney at lunchtime. I had forgotten how much these group training sessions gee one up and get you running at your best.

One only needs to look at the Kenyan training camps to know that having a group and a rabbit to chase after during the session is something that will improve your running. Sadly the club scene is not as strong in Australia as in other parts of the world, so we have make do to improve.

Another friend of mine who is a really good runner makes sure that once a week he heads out with some mates for a hard group fartlek session with each one of them taking turns to be the ‘leader’. This method works really well as you are not continually pushing it yourself.

If alone, I have found that the greatest progress can be made using an 8-10km where midway through you complete 5-7 sets of 1 minute on and 3 minutes off. This does help to build the pure speed and keeps life interesting for those of us who run alone for whatever reason.

I wish you swift and stress free running.

Running together (as a group) – Stride for stride on a life changing ride! – Sean Muller