"Building My Running Body" ~`~~~~

That's the title of Pete Magill's recent book!!  I'm reading the Kindle version and find it quite interesting mainly because it has some new suggestions and information I'd not read about or forgotten. I think it's a good thing to read different authors and keep abreast of what's new as well as what's already well known to runners.  Besides that, I find I'm often in need of change; renews my motivation ..... almost as much as buying new runners, but not quite!  Anyhow, I set off this morning with more enthusiasm than I've felt for a long time and, for me, that's THE important ingredient in keeping running!

I also like his training plans for various distances; they still contain what just about all good plans say we should do (e.g.Tempo, Track, Long Distance), but he includes a few other sessions that I like the sound of on the days I usually didn't run and was supposed to cross-train but, more often than not, didn't!  So for the time being, I'm saying a fond farewell to my F.I.R.S.T. program and today commenced the Monday session from Pete Magill's 5km training.  As with F.I.R.S.T., he bases the pace (and I like to know what paces I should run) for all sessions on the most RECENT (not the BEST!) 5km time, which is 35 minutes right now, whereas my best at Bowral Parkrun is 33 minutes.  All the charts are clear and easy to follow no matter how fast or slow the runner may be...a good thing in my case!

From page 130. Magill's 5km Plan: Week 1(BTW it's a 6 week program)
MONDAY
2 x 10 minutes @ 7:15m/k (based on my 35min 5km)
3 min RI jog or rest between

1st 10 minutes (from school, downhill Old South Road)
Avg. pace 7:06m/k (1.44km)
AHR 70%; MHR 79%
Avg. Cadence 173spm.
TE 2.3 = Maintaining!

3min Walk

2nd 10 minutes (from Old South Road uphill(!) to school)
Avg. Pace 7:43m/k (1.27km)
AHR 80%; MHR 86%
Avg. Cadence 172spm.
TE 2.7 = Maintaining!!

Finished off with walk and 2 strides as I got back to the school (not on the program but I always finish a session with a couple of strides and then the usual static stretches).

That's a total of 2.71km; didn't take up much time at all; being something different, I enjoyed it ... and the light rain that accompanied it!