Join Catalyst Health for 5k training!

Your guide to success at the Yorkville 5km

The Yorkville 5km race is quickly approaching….what better way to be prepared for September 8th than a complimentary running club lead by Catalyst Health's team of health professionals!

Every Wednesday at 6pm from July 24 to September 4th, one of Catalyst Health’s strength and conditioning coaches will be leading the prep run with a focus on training for your personal best 5km on race day!

The running club will include all the essential components that will enable you to reach your goals in the Yorkville 5km!

Any comprehensive training program needs to be well rounded and the foundation of any running training must be building up one’s AEROBIC CAPACITY ie: running for sustained periods of time !! In a 5km running program, that entails running for durations longer than your race distance.

For example: for a 5km (3.1 miles) race it would be ideal to run distances as long as 5-6 MILES in order for you increase your VO2 max (ie: the maximum capacity of an individual's body to transport and use oxygen during exercise) to a suitable level for race day. This will also set a base for training that will help boost your performance on the big day.

That brings me to SPEED/Interval Training. The basic concept here is push yourself to work at a high intensity for a shorter amount of time/distance than your usual longer training runs. With increased intensity and work must come increased rest. These speed training sessions will involve running hard for a period of time and then allowing the body a rest before commencing again. This will allow your body to adapt to lactic acid build up in the lower body muscles and decrease race times!

For example: find your local track and run 400m (1 lap) as fast as possible rest 3 minutes and repeat it 10x! This will tax your anaerobic system, an important component of cardiovascular fitness.

The last but not least important part of a running program is a strength and mobility component. Runner's are prone to specific lower body injuries from repetitively doing the same motion over and over. A proper, supervised cross training and mobility/stretching program will allow your body to be strong and mobile to combat common running injuries. It will allow you to boost your performance beyond where you thought it could be with traditional running exclusive training programs.

 Seek out a qualified strength and conditioning coach and manual therapist to evaluate potential muscular weaknesses and imbalances that can be remedied with exercises and treatments!

 

 Follow these key steps in your 5km training program for success on September 8th at the Yorkville 5km race!! 

See you at the finish line.