Progressing on a 7 km race - in 8 weeks

After a warm-up (20 min of jogging, dynamic exercises (GPP) and 3 accelerations), you will push yourself almost to the limit for 30 seconds and then jog very slowly for 30 seconds before starting again, completing a total of 8 repetitions.

After 2 minutes of recovery at a jogging pace, you will start a second series.
Finish the session with a 10-minute warm-down (without exceeding 65% of your maximum heart rate) to relax the muscles and gradually lower the pulse.

You will recover more quickly and your body will cope with the following session better.
You will do the repetitions at 105% of your VO2max.
The session will last about 1h05min.

For the interval training, try to run at the pace at which your final repetition is as fast as the first one.

You must go quickly without sprinting!

Remember to take on fluids as soon as you finish the session.
A little later, you can do a few stretching exercises, albeit without extending the muscles too much.
This could tear the muscle fibres which have already had to make an intense effort.

After a warm-up (30 mins of jogging, some dynamic exercises (GPP) and 3 accelerations), you will push yourself almost to the limit for 1 minute 30 seconds and then jog very slowly for 50 seconds before starting again, completing a total of 8 repetitions.

Finish the session with a 15-minute warm-down (without exceeding 65% of your maximum heart rate) to relax the muscles and gradually lower the pulse.

You will recover more quickly and your body will cope with the following session better.
You will do the repetitions at 95 to 100% of your VO2max.
The session will last about 1h20min.

For the interval training, try to run at the pace at which your final repetition is as fast as the first one.

For the fast runs, you will stay at between of 90 and 100% of your maximum heart rate.

Remember to take on fluids as soon as you finish the session. A little later, you can do a few light stretching exercises, albeit without extending the muscles too much.
This could tear the muscle fibres which have already had to make an intense effort.

You will jog for 1 hour while breathing comfortably at all times.

You should be able to speak while running.

It must be an easy session.Ideally, use this session to do some core strength exercises.

The session will last 1 hour.

You should be breathing comfortably while jogging, i.e. you can talk while running.If you have a heart rate sensor, you should stay at approximately 70% of your maximum heart rate, without ever exceeding 75%.

Remember to take on fluids at the end of your run even if it was not done at a high intensity.
You can do some stretching once you’ve finished.

After a warm-up (20 mins of jogging, some dynamic exercises (GPP) and 3 accelerations), you will push yourself almost to the limit for 45 seconds and then jog very slowly for 40 seconds before starting again, completing a total of 12 repetitions.
Finish the session with a 10-minute warm-down (without exceeding 65% of your maximum heart rate) to relax the muscles and gradually lower the pulse.

You will recover more quickly and your body will cope with the following session better.
You will do the repetitions at 105% of your VO2max.
The session will last about 1h05min.

For the interval training, try to run at the pace at which your final repetition is as fast as the first one.

If you use a heart rate monitor, the fast sections will be done at 90 to 100% of your maximum heart rate.

Remember to take on fluids as soon as you finish the session.A little later, you can do a few stretching exercises, albeit without extending the muscles too much.
This could tear the muscle fibres which have already had to make an intense effort.

After a warm-up (30 minutes, GPP, 3 gradual accelerations) you will make an intense physical effort for 3 minutes before recovering for 1 minute 30 seconds. WARNING: given the reduced recovery, take this into consideration in your running pace! You will do a total of 5 repetitions of the exercise.

You will finish the session with a 10-minute warm-down at a slow pace.
This way, you will recover more quickly and your body will cope with the following session better.
You will do the repetitions at 90 to 95% of your VO2max.
The session will last about 1h20min.

For the interval training, try to run at the pace at which your final repetition is as fast as the first one.

WARNING: for this session, the recovery is reduced. Don't go too quickly during the first few repetitions as you may be unable to keep up the pace for the entire session.

If you use a heart rate monitor, the fast sections must be done at 90 to 95% of your maximum heart rate.

Remember to take on fluids as soon as you finish the session. A little later, you can do a few stretching exercises, albeit without extending the muscles too much.
This could tear the muscle fibres which have already had to make an intense effort.

You will run for 1 hour 15 minutes while breathing comfortably.
You should be able to speak while running.

This should be an easy session that you will finish off with some core strength exercises.

The session will last about 1h15min.

Remember to bring the fluids you need to hydrate yourself during the session.

You should be breathing comfortably at all times, i.e. you can talk while running.
You will stay at about 70% of your maximum heart rate, without ever exceeding 75%.

Remember to take on fluids at the end of your run even if it was not done at a high intensity.
Also remember to stretch and do some core strength exercises.

After a warm-up (20 mins, some dynamic exercises (GPP) and 3 gradual accelerations), you will run for 45 seconds of hill training.
You will recover as you calmly go back down to the start point, i.e. about 55 seconds

You will repeat this exercise 12 times before completing a 10-minute warm-down.
Try to find a slope with a regular 5 to 10% gradient and a regular recovery. This is so that you can concentrate on your effort.
You must maintain the same normal stride that you would have on flat terrain.
Take care to maintain the same level of intensity for all the repetitions. Run as "tall" as you can without letting the hill get the better of you.
You will do the repetitions at 105% of your VO2max.
The session will last about 1h05min.

Try to find a slope with a regular 5 to 10% gradient and a regular recovery. This is so that you can concentrate on your effort.
You must maintain the same normal stride that you would have on flat terrain.

Remember to take on fluids as soon as you finish the session. After having changed, you can do a few light stretching exercises without extending the muscles too much.
This could tear the muscle fibres which have already had to make an intense effort.

After a warm-up (30 minutes of jogging, some dynamic exercises (GPP) and 3 accelerations), you will push yourself almost to the limit for 4 minutes and then jog very slowly for 1 min 30 sec before starting again, completing a total of 4 repetitions. WARNING: given the reduced recovery, take this into consideration in your running pace!

If you use a heart rate monitor, the fast sections must be done at 93 to 95% of your maximum heart rate.

Finish the session with a 15-minute warm-down (without exceeding 65% of your maximum heart rate) to relax the muscles and gradually lower the pulse.

You will recover more quickly and your body will cope with the following session better.
You will do the repetitions at 90% of your VO2max.
The session will last about 1h25min.

For the interval training, try to run at the pace at which your final repetition is as fast as the first one.
WARNING: given the reduced recovery, take this into consideration in your running pace!

If you use a heart rate monitor, the fast sections must be done at 93 to 95% of your maximum heart rate.

Remember to take on fluids as soon as you finish the session. After having changed into some dry clothing, you can do a few light stretching exercises without extending the muscles too much.
This could tear the muscle fibres which have already had to make an intense effort.

You will jog for 1 hour and 15 minutes, while ensuring you can breathe easily at all times.
You should be able to speak while running.

Preferably, this session should be done on hilly terrain, not only to strengthen the muscles naturally, but also to avoid the monotony of always running along the same routes.

This session should be enjoyable, so feel free to slow down if you feel the need.
The session will last about 1h15min.

This session may be a little bit more difficult after the 2 big sessions of the week. But you will be able to rest during the following week!
If you have a heart rate sensor, you should stay at approximately 70% of your maximum heart rate, without ever exceeding 75%.

Remember to take on fluids at the end of your run even if it was not done at a high intensity.
You can do some stretching once you’ve finished.

You will jog for 45 minutes while breathing comfortably at all times (you must be able to speak while running).

At the end of the jog, you will do 5 gradual accelerations over 100 metres.

Feel free to slow down if you feel the need.

It must be an easy session.
The session will last about 55 minutes.

Watch out, the accelerations are not a sprint! You must try to go fast without tensing up!
If you have a heart rate sensor, you should stay at approximately 70% of your maximum heart rate, without ever exceeding 75%.

Remember to take on fluids at the end of your run even if it was not done at a high intensity.
Make the most of the shortness of this particular session to do some core strength exercises and some stretches.

You will do a 45-minute jog while breathing comfortably at all times (you should be able to speak while running)

You will finish with 5 gradual accelerations over 100 metres.

Feel free to slow down if you feel the need.

It must be an easy session.
The session will last about 55 minutes.

When accelerating, you must go quickly, yet without sprinting. Try to stay nice and loose and hit the ground with an energetic step.
If you have a heart rate sensor, you should stay at approximately 70% of your maximum heart rate, without ever exceeding 75%.during the jog.

Remember to take on fluids at the end of your run even if it was not done at a high intensity.
You can then do a few stretches and core strength exercises.

You will jog for 1 hour while breathing comfortably at all times.

You should be able to speak while running.

You will finish 5 gradual accelerations over 100 metres.

Feel free to slow down if you feel the need.
This should be an easy session!
The session will last about 1h10min.

If you have a heart rate sensor, you should stay at approximately 70% of your maximum heart rate, without ever exceeding 75%.

Remember to take on fluids at the end of your run even if it was not done at a high intensity.
You can do a few stretching exercises once you’ve finished.

After a warm-up (20 minutes, GPP, 3 gradual accelerations), you will run for 1 minute up a slope
You can recover as you go back down to the start point, taking about 1 minute.

You will repeat this exercise 8 times before doing a 10-minute warm-down.
Try to find a slope with a regular 5 to 10% gradient and a regular recovery. This is so that you can concentrate on your effort.
You must maintain the same stride that you would have on flat terrain.
Take care to maintain the same level of intensity for all the repetitions. Run as "tall" as you can without letting the hill get the better of you.
You will do the repetitions at 100-105% of your VO2max.

The session will last about 1 hour.

Try to find a slope with a regular 5 to 10% gradient and a regular recovery. This is so that you can concentrate on your effort.

Remember to take on fluids as soon as you finish the session. A little later, you can do a few stretching exercises, albeit without extending the muscles too much.
This could tear the muscle fibres which have already had to make an intense effort.

After a warm-up (30 minutes of jogging, GPP and 3 accelerations), you will push yourself almost to the limit for 6 minutes and then jog very slowly for 2 min 30 sec before starting again, completing a total of 4 repetitions.
Finish the session with a 10-minute warm-down (without exceeding 65% of your maximum heart rate) to relax the muscles and gradually lower the pulse.

You will recover more quickly and your body will cope with the following session better.
You must run for 6 minutes at the pace you think you can maintain on the day of the race.
The session will last about 1h30min.

For the interval training, try to run at the pace at which your final repetition is as fast as the first one.

If you use a heart rate monitor, the fast sections must be done at 90-95% of your maximum heart rate, i.e. roughly the pace at which you would run the 5-kilometre distance

Remember to hydrate yourself as soon as the session is over. A short time later, you can do a few light stretching exercises. Do not extend the muscles to much as this could tear the muscle fibres which have already put in a lot of work during the intense physical effort.

You will jog for 1 hour while breathing comfortably at all times.

You should be able to speak while running.

It must be an easy session.
Preferably, this session should be done on hilly terrain, not only to strengthen the muscles naturally, but also to avoid the monotony of always running along the same routes.

The session will last 1 hour.

Preferably, this session should be done on hilly terrain, not only to strengthen the muscles naturally, but also to avoid the monotony of always running along the same routes.
Feel free to change location so you don't get bored!If you have a heart rate sensor, you should stay at approximately 70% of your maximum heart rate, without ever exceeding 75%.

Remember to take on fluids at the end of your run even if it was not done at a high intensity.
You can do a few stretching exercises once you’ve finished.

After a warm-up (20 min of jogging, GPP and 3 accelerations), you will push yourself almost to the limit for 45 seconds and then jog very slowly for 30 seconds before starting again, completing a total of 15 repetitions.
Finish the session with a 10-minute warm-down (without exceeding 65% of your maximum heart rate) to relax the muscles and gradually lower the pulse.

You will recover more quickly and your body will cope with the following session better.
You will do the repetitions at 105% of your VO2max.
The session will last about 1h05min.

For the interval training, try to run at the pace at which your final repetition is as fast as the first one.

If you use a heart rate monitor, the fast sections will be done at 90 to 100% of your maximum heart rate.

Remember to take on fluids as soon as you finish the session.A little later, you can do a few stretching exercises, albeit without extending the muscles too much.
This could tear the muscle fibres which have already had to make an intense physical effort.

After a warm-up (30 minutes, GPP, 3 gradual accelerations), you will run 3 x 8 minutes at a fast pace with a recovery of 3 minutes between each repetition.

The session will finish with a 10-minute warm-down.
The ideal solution is to run according to your heart rate: The warm-up is done at about 70% of your maximum heart rate, the 8 minutes at a fast pace is at 90 - 95% of the maximum heart rate (which is roughly equivalent to the pace at which you think you can run your 5 kilometre distance) and the warm-down is done at between 60 and 65% of your maximum heart rate.

You must run for 8 minutes at the pace you think you can maintain on the day of the race.
The session will last about 1h25min.

Warning: 8 minutes can seem like a long time if you start too quickly! Ideally, you should do this session at 92% of your maximum heart rate or at the pace at which you think you can run your 5 kilometre distance.

Remember to take on fluids as soon as you finish the session.
A little later, you can do a few stretching exercises, albeit without extending the muscles too much.
This could tear the muscle fibres which have already had to make an intense physical effort.

You will run for 1 hour 15 minutes while breathing comfortably.
You should be able to speak while running.

Remember to take the fluids you need to stay hydrated.

It must be an easy session.
The session will last about 1h15min.

You will stay at about 70% of your maximum heart rate, without ever exceeding 75%.

Remember to take on fluids at the end of your run even if it was not done at a high intensity. Once you've finished you can do a few stretching exercises.

After a warm-up (30 min of jogging, GPP and 3 accelerations), you will make an intense physical effort for 1 minute and then jog very slowly for 40 seconds before starting again, completing a total of 7 repetitions.

After 2 minutes of recovery at a jogging pace, you will start a second series.
Finish the session with a 10-minute warm-down (without exceeding 65% of your maximum heart rate) to relax the muscles and gradually lower the pulse.

You will recover more quickly and your body will cope with the following session better.
You will do the repetitions at 100 to 105% of your VO2max.
The session will last about 1h10min.

For the interval training, try to run at the pace at which your final repetition is as fast as the first one.

Remember to take on fluids as soon as you finish the session.
A little later, you can do a few stretching exercises, albeit without extending the muscles too much.
This could tear the muscle fibres which have already had to make an intense physical effort.

After a warm-up (30 minutes of jogging, GPP and 3 accelerations), you will run for 3 minutes, 2 minutes and 1 minute, broken up by 1 min 30 sec slow runs to recover.

You will do a total of 3 repetitions of this exercise, while jogging for 2 minutes to recover between the series.

Finish the session with a 15-minute warm-down (without exceeding 65% of your maximum heart rate) to relax the muscles and gradually lower the pulse.

You will recover more quickly and your body will cope with the following session better.
You will complete the 3 minutes at between 90 and 95% of your VO2max, the 2 minutes at 95% of your VO2max and the 1 minute at between 100 and 105% of your VO2max.
The session will last about 1h30min.

For the interval training, try to run at the pace at which your final repetition is as fast as the first one.

If you use a heart rate monitor, the fast sections will be done at 90 to 100% of your maximum heart rate.

Remember to hydrate yourself as soon as the session is over. A short time later, you can do a few light stretching exercises. Do not extend the muscles to much as this could tear the muscle fibres which have already put in a lot of work during the intense physical effort.

You will run for one hour while breathing comfortably at all times.
You should be able to speak while running.

Preferably, this session should be done on hilly terrain, not only to strengthen the muscles naturally, but also to avoid the monotony of always running along the same routes.

This session should be enjoyable, so feel free to slow down if you feel the need.
The session will last 1 hour.

If you have a heart rate sensor, you should stay at approximately 70% of your maximum heart rate, without ever exceeding 75%.

Remember to take on fluids at the end of your run even if it was not done at a high intensity.
You can do a few stretching exercises once you’ve finished.

After a warm-up (20 minutes of jogging, GPP and 3 accelerations), you will push yourself almost to the limit for 30 seconds and then jog very slowly for 30 sec before starting again, completing a total of 12 repetitions.
Finish the session with a 10-minute warm-down (without exceeding 65% of your maximum heart rate) to relax the muscles and gradually lower the pulse.

You will recover more quickly and your body will cope with the following session better.
You will do the repetitions at 105% of your VO2max.
The session will last about 1 hour.

For the interval training, try to run at the pace at which your final repetition is as fast as the first one.

If you use a heart rate monitor, the fast sections will be done at 90 to 100% of your maximum heart rate.

Remember to hydrate yourself as soon as the session is over. A short time later, you can do a few light stretching exercises. Do not extend the muscles to much as this could tear the muscle fibres which have already put in a lot of work during the intense physical effort.

You will jog for 20 minutes while ensuring you can breathe easily at all times.
You should be able to speak while running.

Then you will accelerate over 2 minutes.

The session will last 22 minutes.

If you have a heart rate sensor, you should stay at approximately 70% of your maximum heart rate, without ever exceeding 75%.

Remember to hydrate after your run.You can do some stretching once you’ve finished.

You will warm up as you do usually.

In order to get an accurate measure of your time, you will need to start a "standard" session when you cross the start line.

Do not start off too quickly as this could cause problems in the final kilometres.
It is better to start slowly and accelerate over the final 1,500 m than the other way round!

Make the most of it even if you have to push yourself "a little" to succeed.
The session will last about 35 minutes.

Take your position on the start line 5 to 10 minutes before the scheduled start time. Do not stand in the front few rows so that you do not start off too quickly. However, you should also avoid being at the back of the group.

When the going gets tough, think about the joy and pride you’ll experience when you cross the finishing line.You haven’t done all these weeks of work to stop before the end!