Coventry Godiva Harriers Guide for Road Runners

Transcription

1 Guide for Road Runners 1. Introduction 2. Before You Run 3. Warm Up 4. Running Routes 5. Training Sessions 6. Cool Down 7. Advice for Runners 8. Running gear 9. Injuries 10. Help by Jack Pokój 13 th July 2010

2 1 Introduction Welcome to Coventry Godiva Harriers guide for road runners. This guide describes various routes and training sessions to help you with your running. There are sections on warming up and cooling down properly to prevent injuries. There is also some advise on dealing with injuries, training gear, nutrition and where to get more help. 2 Before You Run Here are some questions for you before you start running: What do you want to get out of running? How often can you train? Are you active or a couch potato? If you have not exercised before, are over 40 years of age or have any injury or medical condition, you should take advice from your doctor first. 3 Warm Up It is important to get your body ready to run so you should do some dynamic stretches to warm up, either at the start of the run or before any hard efforts! Walk on your heels for 10m Walk on your toes for 10m Walk lifting your knees up high for 10m. You can help lift your knees higher with your arms. Walk keeping your legs straight and lifting each leg to knee height for 10m Walk very slowly taking very long strides for 10m. Let each knee drop almost to the floor and keep your body vertical. Jog slowly for 20m holding your arms behind your back and flicking your hands with your heels Jog slowly for 20mlifting your knees high Run quickly for 20m burst and repeat 4 or 5 times You are now ready for your training session! 13/8/10 Page 2

3 4 Running Routes (routes and tips) Mile University loop (1.33 miles including 1 mile loop) Short run or interval loop (footpaths and roads) From the traffic lights on Kirby Corner Road, run around the Learning and Development Centre Run along the footpath and turn left by the car park Run to the end of the road and then turn right around the building, along the footpath and then around the filed towards the road Run across the barrier then turn left and follow the road around to Lynchgate Road in front of Tescos Take a sharp left onto Sir William Lyons Road and left again onto Milburn Road up unto the footpath You can repeat this loop around the University of about 1 miles or run around the Learning and Development Centre to the traffic lights 13/8/10 Page 3

4 1.2 Heron Bank loop (2.29 miles) Short run or Hill Session on Heron Bank (footpaths and roads) From the traffic lights on Kirby Corner Road, run around the Learning and Development Centre and onto the footpath joining the University Road. Follow the road around to the Health Centre Road and turn left Run to the end of the buildings and turn right onto a footpath and follow it to a roundabout at Gibbett Hill Road Go straight across to Scarman Road and follow it around back to Gibbett Hill Road where you turn left Turn right back into the Learning centre Car Park and run back to the traffic lights Hill Session (Suitable for Winter months) Just before mile marker 2 there is a barrier on Scarman road. The hill is gradual and runs to another barrier. Various different hill reps are possible. 13/8/10 Page 4

5 3.3 Summer Interval sessions (2.38 miles) Short run or interval session From the traffic lights on Kirby Corner Road, run around the Learning and Development Centre and onto the footpath joining the University Road. Follow the road around to the Health Centre Road and turn left Run to the end of the buildings and turn right onto a footbath and follow it to a roundabout at Gibbett Hill Road Go straight across to Scarman Road and turn right through a gate onto the fields Interval session (On grass) You can do an interval session in either field around the cricket pitches or around the field. The one at the end of the route is 0.85 miles around. 13/8/10 Page 5

6 3.4 Summer Hill sessions (3.71 miles) Short run or hill session From the traffic lights on Kirby Corner Road run to the roundabout and turn left onto Gibbett Hill Road. Run to the roundabout and turn left onto Scarman Road for about 50m and turn right before Scarman House Run to the end of the car park, up the bank and follow the footpath onto the trim track. Follow the track for about a mile and a half until you reach the path by the rugby pitch and run over to the far posts. Hill session (On grass) The hill runs from the rugby posts up to Scarman Road giving you the option of running various lengths of hill 13/8/10 Page 6

7 3.5 Trim Track and University (3.8 miles) Short Run for the summer months (road, paths and off road) From the traffic lights on Kirby Corner Road run to the roundabout and turn left onto Gibbett Hill Road. Run to the roundabout and turn left onto Scarman Road for about 50m and turn right before Scarman House Run to the end of the car park, up the bank and follow the footpath onto the trim track. Follow the track for about a mile and a half until you reach the path by the rugby pitch. Follow the path around the pitch and run straight onto the field by the cricket pitch. Run half way around this field and to the 2 nd cricket pitch field down to the gate by Gibbett Hill Road Cross the road and climb over the gate and run along the path to the lake. Run along the lake and continue on this path until you cross a small bridge then turn left Follow the path until you reach the road barrier and onto the road along the back of the halls of residence until you reach Lynchgate Road in front of Tescos Take a sharp left onto Sir William Lyons Road and left again onto Milburn Road up unto the footpath. Run around the Learning and Development Centre to the traffic lights 13/8/10 Page 7

8 3.6 Cannon Park (3.84 miles) Medium run around Cannon Park From the traffic lights on Kirby Corner Road, run around the Learning and Development Centre and onto the footpath joining the University Road. Follow the road around to the Health Centre Road and turn left. Run to the end of the buildings and turn right onto a footbath and left at the end of the 1 st building onto the footpath up to the Students Union. Turn right on the left onto Gibbett Hill Road to Moreall Meadows. Take a left and onto heritage court where you take a right. Follow the road for about 100m and turn into a footpath between the houses that takes you to Riverford Croft Follow the road into the Shrubberies and then Cannon Park Road until the Fletchamstead Highway. Turn left until Charter avenue and then go as far as Sir Henry Parkes Road. Cross at the pedestrian lights and run onto Kirby Corner Road. Take a right turn onto the footpath through the University buildings and on through the car park turning right onto Avon Road. Turn left at the end and run almost to the end of the road where you turn right up a short footpath and right again. Turn left by the tennis centre and run back to the running track A variation of this run is to Follow Gibbett Hill Road to the Kenilworth Road then down to Fletchamstead Highway. 13/8/10 Page 8

9 3.7 Crackley Lane (5.36 miles) Hilly run around country lanes From the traffic lights on Kirby Corner Road, run to the roundabout and carry on up Westwood Heath Road to Bockendon Road Turn left onto Bockendon Lane and follow the road around Crackley Lane Turn left onto Cryfield Grange Road as far as the Kenilworth Road where you turn left Turn left onto Gibbett Hill Road across 2 roundabouts and turn left into the learning and Development centre car park Run around the building and back to the traffic lights This is a hilly route 13/8/10 Page 9

10 3.8 Tile Hill lane Park (5.59 miles) Medium run around Tile Hill From the traffic lights on Kirby Corner Road, run to the roundabout and carry on up Westwood Heath Road to Burton green. Turn right onto Cromwell Lane, continue over the railway line until Tile Hill Lane. Turn right and continue to Fletchamstead Highway Turn right onto Sir Henry Parkes Road and go across Charter Avenue Take a right turn onto the footpath through the University buildings and on through the car park turning right onto Avon Road. Turn left at the end and run almost to the end of the road where you turn right up a short footpath and right again. In the winter you will see the floodlights for the pitches. Turn left by the tennis centre and run back to the running track Good tempo route and during the winter 13/8/10 Page 10

11 3.9 Earlsdon loop (5.9 miles) Medium run to Kenilworth Road and Earlsdon From the traffic lights on Kirby Corner Road, run around the Learning and Development Centre and left onto Gibbet Hill Road, Run to Kenilworth Road and turn left. Continue across Fletchamstead Highway and down to Earlsdon Avenue South where you turn left. Turn left at the High Street and continue to Bates Road where you turn left. Turn right at the Riddings and follow the road to Canley Road Run to Fletchamstead Highway, cross over carefully and run through the pub car park to Charter Avenue and turn right to Sir Henry Parkes Road. Cross at the pedestrian lights and run onto Kirby Corner Road. Take a right turn onto the footpath through the University buildings and on through the car park turning right onto Avon Road. Turn left at the end and run almost to the end of the road where you turn right up a short footpath and right again. In the winter you will see the floodlights for the pitches. Turn left by the tennis centre and run back to the running track 13/8/10 Page 11

12 3.10 Mount Nod (5.9 miles) Medium run to Mount Nod and Tile Hill Start from the track, turn left as far as the tennis centre, turn right onto the footpath and follow it to the end of the building where you turn left. Run along Avon Road and take the 1 st right as far as the car park and aim for a gap in the building and onto Kirby Corner Road. Run down to Fletchamstead Highway turning left. Cross Tile Hill Lane, Broad Lane and then run down the road parallel to the Highway to the end where there will be a subway. Go left onto a footpath and follow it around onto Nod Rise and turn right. Run to Sutherland Avenue, turn left and left again onto Alderminster Rise. Run across Broad Lane onto Jobs Lane, across Tile Hill lane onto Templar Avenue. Turn right onto Torrington Avenue and left onto Wolfe Road, under the bridge and left onto Charter Avenue. Run to Kirby Corner Road, turn right and back the way you came through the University to the track. 13/8/10 Page 12

13 3.11 Crackley Lane long loop (6.82 miles) Hilly run around country lanes From the traffic lights on Kirby Corner Road, run to the roundabout and carry on up Westwood Heath Road to Bockendon Road Turn left onto Bockendon Lane and follow the road around Crackley Lane and follow the road as far as the Coventry Road where you turn left Turn left onto Gibbett Hill Road across 2 roundabouts and turn left into the learning and Development centre car park Run around the building and back to the traffic lights This is a hilly route 13/8/10 Page 13

14 3.12 Disused Railway Line (7.02 miles) Tempo or long run in the summer as there are no light along the disused railway line From the traffic lights on Kirby Corner Road, run to the roundabout and carry on up Westwood Heath Road to Burton green. Turn left on Cromwell lane past Hodgetts Lane to the gate for the disused railway line Run down the path to the line and carry on until the gate at the end in Kenilworth Turn left onto Kenilworth Road and run up to Gibbett Hill Turn left onto Gibbett Hill Road across 2 roundabouts and turn left into the learning and Development centre car park Run around the building and back to the traffic lights As a tempo run, jog to the railway line then run at your tempo threshold. Option to hold your tempo speed to the end of the railway line, Gibbett Hill Road or back to the traffic lights. 13/8/10 Page 14

15 3.13 Red Lane Short or Long (9.8 or 11.1 miles) Long run to Red Lane From the traffic lights on Kirby Corner Road, run to the roundabout and carry on up Westwood Heath Road to Burton green. Turn left on Cromwell lane to Red Lane and turn left. Follow the road around to the T junction and turn left. Turn left again onto Beehive Hill as far as Hollis Lane where you turn left. Follow the road around onto Crackley Lane Lane and follow the road as far as the Coventry Road where you turn left Turn left onto Gibbett Hill Road across 2 roundabouts and turn left into the learning and Development centre car park Run around the building and back to the traffic lights You can extend this run by continuing along the Kenilworth Road as per run 3.6 around Cannon Park. This is a long run with a few hills in the 2 nd half. 13/8/10 Page 15

16 3.14 Burton Green Long Run (13.6 miles) Long run to Red Lane From the traffic lights on Kirby Corner Road, run to the roundabout and carry on up Westwood Heath Road to Burton green. Turn right onto Cromwell lane, over the bridge and left onto Duggins Lane. Turn left at Truggist Lane and left again onto Hodgetts Lane. Continue to the T junction and turn right onto Cromwell Lane. Turn left onto Red Lane and follow the road around to the T junction and turn left. Turn left again onto Beehive Hill as far as Hollis Lane where you turn left. Follow the road around onto Crackley Lane and follow the road as far as the Coventry Road where you turn left and continue to the Fletchamstead Highway where you turn left. Turn left at Charter avenue and then go as far as Sir Henry Parkes Road. Cross at the pedestrian lights and run onto Kirby Corner Road. Take a right turn onto the footpath through the University buildings and on through the car park turning right onto Avon Road. Turn left at the end and run almost to the end of the road where you turn right up a short footpath and right again. This is a long run with a few hills in the 2 nd half. 13/8/10 Page 16

17 5 Training Sessions Long Runs Long runs are important in developing your fitness and stamina and should be done before attempting the other training sessions. Consider Hills Once you have built your distance you will be ready to develop your strength. You can do this by adding some routes with hills and then doing some hill sessions. Hill sessions involve running faster than your normal pace up a hill and then jogging slowly down to your starting point to recover. You can then repeat the hill rep. Ideally you should run slowly to the hill to warm up and can very the length of the hill rep as well as how steep a hill you choose. Consider 3.2, 3.4, 3.6, 3.7, 3.11, 3.13, 3.14 Tempo The next step is to build some speed. Choose a longer course and jog easily for at least a mile. Then speed up until you find yourself needing to take deep breaths to talk. Continue at this pace for the duration of the tempo run, ideally 3 miles or more, then jog to the end of the run to cool down. Consider 3.6, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.12 Intervals Build more speed with intervals where you should run for short burst faster than your interval speed. On a medium length run you can try short random burst of speed between landmarks such as lampposts or trees. This is called a fartlek. Alternatively your can use a track, cricket pitch or set route for your intervals. Initially try alternating fast laps with slow laps, Then run fast laps with a short rest interval of a minute of two to recover. Repeat 3 or more times. Consider 3.1, 3.3 Summer Consider 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.7, 3.11, 3.12 Winter Consider 3.6, 3.8, 3.9, /8/10 Page 17

18 6 Cool Down After your run it is important to cold down gradually. Walk for 5 minutes and left your heart rate gradually return to normal, then stretch the main muscles in your legs. a. Calf stretch gastronemius Heel of back foot flat Back straight Both feet point straight at wall Keep rear leg straight Feel stretch at back of rear lower leg Hold for 20 seconds Change legs b. Calf Stretch - soleus Heel of back foot flat Back straight Both feet point straight at wall Bend rear leg Feel stretch at back of rear lower leg Hold for 20 seconds Change legs c. Quad Stretch Knees level Support leg slightly bent Stand tall with tummy in Feel stretch on front of thigh Hold for 20 seconds Change legs 13/8/10 Page 18

19 d. Hamstring Stretch One leg in front of the other, straight knee Hands on bent knee Sit back on support leg with bottom out and straight back Feel stretch on back of thigh of straight leg Hold for 20 seconds Change legs e. Inside Thigh Stretch - Adductors Stand with feet a little over shoulder width apart Keep back straight Feet face forward Lean to one side, bending that knee Feel stretch on inside thigh of straight leg Hold for 20 seconds Change legs f. Outside Thigh and Hip Stretch IT band Cross one foot behind the other Keep back straight Push hip of back leg away from centre of body Feel stretch on iouter side of rear thigh and hip Hold for 20 seconds Change legs 13/8/10 Page 19

20 7 Advice for Runners 10 Useful Items for New Runners This list gives you our top ten useful items to help you get going. 1. The right running shoes the most important thing to get right, a good running shoe will support you and help prevent injuries. So don t run in trainers designed for other sports or fashion trainers as these will not offer the support you need. Visit Coventry Runner and we will do our best to kit you out using our gait analysis service and by understanding your running schedule and goals. When choosing shoes, always allow plenty of time and try on a range of brands and styles. 2. A good sports bra if you are male evidently this is not essential to you, but that is the only excuse for not buying a good sports bra to support your breasts as you run. Once the ligaments around the breast stretch there is nothing you can do to shorten them again and this is certainly worth avoiding. 3. A technical t-shirt Today s modern fabrics are a big improvement on the heavy cottons of the past and work by moving sweat away from the skin and allowing it to evaporate more easily. This will help keep you cooler and more comfortable. 4. A training log every run you complete is an achievement and logging your sessions will not only give you a sense of satisfaction but allow you to keep an eye on how much training you are doing and any patterns that lead to either success or problems. Record as much or as little as you want (weather conditions, distances, routes, times etc.) and watch your running take off! 5. A bag of frozen peas the quicker you can ice an injury the better! This is the best way to minimise tissue damage and prevent trips to the physiotherapist. Wrap the bag of peas in a towel and press it to the site of the injury for approximately fifteen minutes. Repeat hourly (or as often as possible) for the next couple of days (or longer if you feel twinges when you stretch the damaged area on subsequent days). If you want to go a little more up-market then invest in an ice pack from Coventry Runner. 6. A complex-carbohydrate energy drink a purpose made sports drink is a good way to get large quantities of easily digestible energy. A sports drink is also a convenient way to restore muscle fluid and glycogen after a training session. 7. A comfortable drinks carrier it is very important to drink regularly during longer runs as you can lose significant amounts of fluid through sweating. If you do not replace this water your performance will be affected and so you may need to top up as you run. The bottle you use will depend upon your own personal preference belt bottles carry more but are a little heavier. Hand held bottles hold less liquid but are easy to carry and drink from. 8. A lightweight jacket makes training in cold or wet conditions more comfortable. Your jacket needs to be able to breathe and allow sweat to escape and evaporate. A shower-proof, breathable jacket is a very good option and if it is in a bright, visible material it will also help keep you safer on those dark winter nights. 13/8/10 Page 20

21 9. A sports watch if you are running more seriously a good sports watch may enable you to train faster and better. Being able to record times and distances will enable you to focus on the detail of your running and see patterns in your training that can help identify mistakes. Coventry Runner offers several different watches with basic or more complex functions. 10. A heart rate monitor this will help you judge the effort you are putting into your training, something that can be difficult to do. A heart rate monitor gives you an objective snapshot and helps you know whether you should be speeding up or slowing down for the particular session you're doing. 8 Running Gear Essential Summer Kit With (hopefully!) more hours of daylight, the summer months are an excellent time to step up training; however it is important to remember that summer training has different requirements to winter running, as your body has to cope with different conditions. Even in a British summer there is the potential for heat or sun related problems, such as heatstroke and sunburn, all of which can be avoided with careful planning. Chose your running gear carefully. Cotton will soak up sweat and make your clothes heavy and uncomfortable, and may cause painful rubbing. Opt for technical fabrics instead. These are specially designed to wick perspiration away from the skin so it evaporates quickly, technical fabrics will also keep their shape rather than clinging and rubbing. The lighter the fabrics the better and also remember that a larger looser t-shirt will offer more protection from the sun than a crop top. It might seem a good idea to go without a hat when running, as a lot of the body s heat is lost through the head, however this is not a sensible option as wearing a hat helps protect you from sunstroke and sunburn. Most modern running hats and caps are made from fabrics that will wick sweat away from your scalp to help keep you cool. If you soak your cap in water and then chill in the fridge it can be even more comfortable on a really hot day. A pair of sports sunglasses will protect your eyes on bright days and help visibility. Coventry Runner has a good range of sunglasses, purpose built for running. When training in warmer weather and particularly when completing longer runs, water is essential to keep you hydrated and working at your optimal level. Medium sized and large running bottles are available at Coventry Runner and these are specifically designed to be carried comfortably when training or on long runs. When training is at its most intense, you may feel that water isn t enough. If so, a full range of energy drinks are available at Coventry Runner. These are designed to be used before, after and during training. Check elsewhere on the website for details or call in and we ll be happy to help. Invest in sweatproof suncream to protect your skin from the sun s glare and prevent long term damage. Special sweatproof suncream helps your sweat 13/8/10 Page 21

22 evaporate, crucial to help your body keep itself cool. For long summer runs, leave warm winter socks in the wardrobe and use thinner socks to avoid sweaty feet, blisters and conditions such as athlete's foot. Essential Winter Kit It is important to dress to the occasion in any situation and this includes winter running. Cold and wet conditions can make training a grim affair but the right kit will help alleviate the worst of the winter blues. Whether you wear long or short bottoms is a matter of personal preference, but most people tend to cover their legs during the winter months. A wide variety of options are now available. Shorts come in a variety of lengths and now have a choice of inners to maximise warmth and comfort. If complete cover is your choice tight fitting running tights or looser fit tracksters are both good options. All are available at Coventry Runner so if you are unsure, call in and we ll show you our range of products and find you something that you will be comfortable in. For your top half, layering is a good idea when it is cold and a t-shirt or vest coupled with a long sleeved top will keep you warm without weighing you down too much. A wicking technical fabric is a good option as you will still sweat in winter and this fabric will help keep you warm and dry. Gloves are of course optional but can offer good protection against winter winds and cold. They have come a long way since the heavy, woolly specimens of yesteryear and modern fabrics ensure that weight is minimal and hand temperatures are optimised. Likewise with hats. Gone are the days of thick woolly hats, appropriate only for the coldest of winter days. Modern fabrics ensure that today s hats provide protection and temperature regulated comfort from chilly autumn through to artic winter. Call in and see our range and protect your head this winter. A lightweight jacket can make training in cold or wet conditions more bearable. Your jacket needs to be able to breathe and allow sweat to escape and evaporate. Most choose a shower-proof jacket with lots of vents, maximising protection from wind and light rain, whilst allowing good ventilation freedom of movement. 13/8/10 Page 22

23 9 Injuries The following guide is appropriate to the inflammatory phase of soft tissue injury (especially the initial 48 to 72 Hours) but should be initiated as soon as possible after injury. With serious injury medical help should be sought. 1. Protection a. Remove from scene of injury b. Protect tissues from further damage c. Use sling crutches where appropriate 2. Rest a. To reduce metabolic demands of injured area b. Non tensioning of injured area (5 days approx.) c. To protect fibrin framework d. Uninjured areas gentle exercise 48 hours+ 3. Ice a. Reduces temperature and thereby metabolic demand b. Local vasoconstriction and thereby local bleeding c. Aids pain relief d. Should be applied immediately following injury e. Apply for minutes and repeat 2 hourly f. Crushed ice or frozen peas in damp towel g. After 48 hours the only effect will be pain relief h. Care should be taken with reduced sensation 4. Compression a. Limits swelling b. Helps control fibrin levels (scar tissue) c. Pressure must be uniform and not exceed weight of hand d. Not in combination with elevation e. Check circulation after application 5. Elevation a. Lowers blood pressure and limits bleeding b. Aids removal of swelling c. Injured part should be above level of heart d. Injured part should be adequately supported 6. NSAIDS (Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs) a. Use should be under medical direction (GP or Pharmacist) 7. Physiotherapy a. Arrange assessment and treatment as soon as possible 13/8/10 Page 23

24 10 Help Training Times Tuesdays and Thursday evening 6:30pm to 8:00pm. Sundays 10:30am Long Run There are a number of groups that you can join depending if you want some structured training or just want to run. Club Officials Aaron Bodycote - Chairman Bill Adcocks - Secretary Charlie Kelly - Treasurer Julie Beckford Assistant Treasurer Useful links for further information: Coventry Godiva Harriers Our club web page with information on club races, results and a coaching section. Run In Britain The official web page managed by the Sport for everything you want to know about road running. Contains a comprehensive race diary with advice on training, nutrition and injuries. Coventry Runner Our local independent specialist running shop, sponsor of local races and supplier a variety of club kit. Offers 10% discount to club members on production of current club membership. Nutrition for Athletes Two useful resources one is a document produced by the IAAF the international body that governs the sport of athletics Lucozade Useful site which supplies information on its product and training advice. 13/8/10 Page 24