Welcome to our STAMINA DEVELOPMENT programme!

BEFORE YOU START

Running is a repetitive, high impact physical activity, so it’s important to evaluate your fitness and form before you start. This will lower your risk of injury and give you the confidence to take on our STAMINA DEVELOPMENT programme.

Follow this simple test for your muscles and joints:
• Jump from one leg to the other for 1 min
• Repeat 3 times with a 1 min rest in between
• Perform a single leg jump on the spot for 1 min. Switch sides
• Repeat 3 times on both legs

If you completed these tasks without any joint pain, you’re ready for our to start your training.

Important:

To ensure you can complete the programme without getting injured, it is important to follow the steps set out for you. The programme is designed with walk/run intervals and plenty of rest days – so don’t be tempted to run more “because you feel like you can” or miss out on your rest days.

Activation & Stretching
Preparing your muscles and cardiovascular system before a run minimises injury and improves your performance, so don’t forget to warm up by activating and stretching your muscles. This is especially important if you spend many hours sitting down, because key running muscles get shortened in that position. Try to set aside 5-10 minutes for your warm up – Here is a great routine to get you ready for your run.

It is also very important to cool down and stretch after your run. This will allow your heart rate to fall gradually and restore the range of movement in those muscles that were heavily used. Finish every running session with an easy 5-10 mins walk and stretching. Here are our top five post run stretches.

Terminology

If any of the words or phrases used in the programme aren’t familiar to you, just go to our terminology page where they will all be explained.

Warm Up
cool down
build your base phase 1

WARM UP

Preparing your muscles and cardiovascular system before a run minimises injury and improves your performance, so don’t forget to warm up by activating and stretching your muscles. This is especially important if you spend many hours sitting down, because key running muscles get shortened in that position. Try to set aside 10 minutes for your warm up – here is a great routine to get you ready for your run.

COOL DOWN

It is also very important to cool down and stretch after your run. This will allow your heart rate to fall gradually and restore the range of movement in those muscles that were heavily used. Finish every running session with an easy 5-10 mins walk and stretching. Here are our top five post run stretches.

WEEK FIVE

5 min warm up
30 min easy run

STRENGTH SESSION

5 min warm up
10 min easy run
8 x 2 min hard run/1 min walk/ 30 sec easy run

STRENGTH SESSION

5 min warm up
10 min easy run
6 x 30 sec hill run all-out/ jog or walk back 2-3min

REST DAY
or spin/
30 min walk

5 min warm up
5 min easy run
5 x 1k tempo run/ 1 min jog or walk

WEEK SIX

5 min warm up
30 min easy run

STRENGTH SESSION

5 min warm up
10 min easy run
8 x 2 min hard run/1 min walk/ 30 sec easy run

STRENGTH SESSION

5 min warm up
10 min easy run
7 x 30 sec hill run all-out/ jog or walk back 2-3min

REST DAY
or spin/
30 min walk

5 min warm up
5 min easy run
30 min tempo run

WEEK SEVEN

5 min warm up
30 min easy run

STRENGTH SESSION

5 min warm up
10 min easy run
10 x 2 min hard run/ 1 min walk/ 30 sec easy run

STRENGTH SESSION

5 min warm up
10 min easy run
8 x 30 sec hill run all-out/ jog or walk back 2-3min

REST DAY
or spin/
30 min walk

5 min warm up
5 min easy run
6 x 1k tempo run/ 1 min jog or walk

WEEK EIGHT

5 min warm up
30 min easy run

STRENGTH SESSION

5 min warm up
10 min easy run
10 x 2 min hard run/ 1 min walk/ 30 sec easy run

STRENGTH SESSION

5 min warm up
10 min easy run
9 x 30 sec hill run all-out/ jog or walk back 2-3min

REST / RECOVERY & PREP

15 min warm up
COMPLETE YOUR COOPER TEST 12 MIN RUN