Trail Mix | Coronavirus might have cancelled most trail races, but you can train and improve with the additional time
- Runners can improve strength, speed and reduce injuries by using the time away from racing to work on their weaknesses
The next few months of Hong Kong’s competitive running calendar looks fairly empty, with multiple races cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak and the status of upcoming events uncertain.
For many of us who design our training programmes around a series of races, the sudden cancellations leave a big gap to be filled.
Not only that, but runners can feel a slump in motivation, losing sight of what they’re training for.
Still, there are ways to structure your weekly training schedule even when there are no local races to aim for.
David Roach, a US-based running coach, suggests spending more time in the off-season on strides, particularly for trail runners who typically don’t do much speed work during the racing season. One way of building in this gradual speed work is:
- Twice a week during your easy runs, throw in four to 10 strides of 20 to 30 seconds each, per Roach’s suggestion.
- Think of a stride not quite an all-out sprint, but close to 1,500-metre racing effort or even a little faster.
- Once a week, for a more moderate run, add in 10 x one minute fast/two minutes easy, or six x two minutes fast/two minutes easy.
- And one last piece of advice from Roach: “Focus on controlled, smooth speed, which is more sustainable than fast and flailing speed, which can increase injury risk.”
