Anyone who has seen me run will know I'm not a speed demon. So why was I running around Hylands Park tonight on a speed session with Dave?

I fancied giving it a go because I've read that if you run at the same pace night after night your body just gets used to running that pace over that distance.

I didn't know what to expect, but for those who have seen the word "speed" and avoided coming let me tell you that you do what you can. The idea is to increase your pace - even by a little over the length of the session.

It gave me a chance to run with people who I don't normally see and my pace was faster over the session as a whole, so I'll burn more calories and force my body to get stronger to cope.

For those of you who like a little competition we had a relay at the end.

The "track" at Hylands is 660m long and perfect for the sessions - I urge you to give it a go one week and you will be back for more summer speed work.

I'm targeting a sub 60min 10km this session - and speed work will help me get there - if you have a target to get faster (and fitter) I recommend it.

Paul Kruzycki

We aim to do these sessions every Tuesday until late August, when it becomes too dark too run at 8pm.

Paul did beat me in a 200m or so dash, but I'll get him next time. Just you wait and see.

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your informative and supportive overview of 'The Speed Sessions'. It has been very valuable.

John (my husband) and I started running just over a year ago and I really don't feel that I have significantly improved my speed at all during that time. In fact, I feel that I truly am the original 'Certified Plodder' and I don't want that title any longer!

Dave did kindly talk to me about how to improve my speed after The Barking and Dagenham 5m when I told him that I was disappointed with myself for not really improving during the year that I have been running, and he spent some time explaining to my how to improve my speed, which I appreciated.

When I saw that Dave had arranged a speed sessions, I wanted to go but felt I was 'too slow and out of my depth/comfort zone' to participate and run with the obviously much faster runners than myself, and I didn't want to hold others up or feel that I couldn't keep up, so was going to try what Dave had told me on my own somehow.

Your comments have 'spurred me on' Paul to go along to the next session and 'give it a go'!

Sooooo, I am throwing down the gauntlet to anyone else who feels the same as myself about wanting to improve their speed, but has that feeling that they are 'too slow to participate with the obviously much faster runners'. It wont change if we don't do something about it, so I'm going on Tuesday - who's coming too?

Jacki Dray

Speed Work - update

Well, what a turn out on Tuesday 14th July!
I think there was somewhere in the region of 27 people, but I stand to be corrected.
Having bitten the bullet and gone to the Speed Work Session the week before with the 'two Linda's', we had a tough but really great time, and all said 'we'll be back'!
Last week, as a group, we all set off from the Sports Centre, and I personally found just the jog to the park difficult to keep up with and we as 'new recruits' were really breathless before we even started the session!
We were the last to arrive, and were muttering between ourselves something like "oh my God what have we let ourselves in for, I'm exhausted before we even start"! So we decided this week to leave the Sports Centre ahead of the group so that we could jog there at our own pace, which allowed us to catch our breath before we started.
It was a good decision as we had only been at the park entrance about 2 minutes when we saw this 'sea of heads' bobbing up and down as the rest of the participants came literally hurtling up the road! Quite a sight and somewhat even more scary than last week when we saw the calibre of additional runners who had turned up.
Dave split us initially into 2 groups, which was hugely beneficial as you were running with people 'vaguely' within your ability. The fast, and the definitely not so fast! The faster group, I believe, then split down again into 2 groups.
Each group set off in a 'crocodile line' jogging round the park track, and the last person in the line had to sprint to the front of the crocodile. This sprint was performed by each of the back markers, until everyone had done a sprint to the front. The slower group, (my group), then walked for about 1-2 minutes to recover. We then repeated the process a couple more times. The faster groups I gather, didn't walk between their sessions, they did a slow jog to keep their pace up.
After that, one group member jogged to their maximum capacity, and the rest of the group had to keep up with them but not overtake them until they reach their predetermined location in the park, which was about a 1/2 circuit distance, and in our instance was the dog poop bin!
We all did this, until every group member had 'led' the field.
At the end of the session before we jogged back to the Sports Centre, we all joined forces and were split into teams - our 'slower group' being the first leg with the shortest distance run. There were 3 people in each team. The other 2 'legs' of each team had to make themselves ready for the 'handover' at 2 other designated areas on the park track.
It was a great 'race', and a lot of 'well dones' were voiced by all, and several excellent sprinters emerged!
We then all jogged back to the Sports Centre, en mass.
What was also really good, it that we all got the chance to talk and run with people we had never really spoken/run with before and I personally felt like 'a club member'.
Although it's tough, and you will certainly 'push yourself', it is well worth coming along, so 'see you next week'!
Jacki Dray

Jacki i am so inspired by what you wrote, i will be there this Tuesday to try the speed session legs permitting after me bike ride tomorrow, not sure how much of it i will be able to do with the dodgy knee but will give it a go.

Very Well Written Jacki......Love It......see you this Tuesday....Mary x