Intervals:

Festive Fartleks

• You'll be wanting a route containing houses with decorations/lights.  If you did your homework last week, this should be easy.  :-P
• This is an escalating interval session with 4 levels:
• Recovery, this is easy... slow enough to get back to your warm up base level. Walk, if needed, but don't stop (for too long) - it's cold out, we want to stay warm and ready for next level.
• Moderate (50-60% Max)... you should still be able to manage most of a sentence. For me this is a bit quicker than the pace (at the start of a run) that I feel I could plod all day.
• Get a wiggle on (70%-80% max)... could maybe get a word or two in (if you had to or wanted). But you would start to feel a burn over a longer distance (5km).
• Santa Speed (95-100%)... slam the peddle to the floor, stand up on your toes, get the arms going and go for it.
• Method:
• After your warm up, each time you get to a decorated house, you are going to look up the road and pick a house for your next interval.  At that house, look ahead and pick another.
• Build from slow to fast and then loop back to recovery and repeat.
• Aim for at approximately 100m segments. But... run to your body/ability... It's not unrealistic to bias the recovery a bit longer (up to 400m) and drop the sprints down to 50m.
• Aim for 20-30 minutes (excluding warm up/cool down).
  
  
• Variations:
• You could use fixed markers on a circular route... like you would on a track.... *snore*...
• If running with a buddy, alternate who gets to pick the destination (next house).

• OTF event link

Hills:

Done-dulation

• Warnings:
• This is probably NOT a suitable session, if conditions are icy.
• This is a tougher one, but don't be scared. It's an opportunity, to earn a few mince pies. As usual, go at your level.

• For this session we're looking for a long-ish (subjective) hill with varying gradients. e.g. Eythrope, Elmhurst road (from Dairy Maid up to Bierton Road), Bicester Road (AVDC up to Town).
• Goal: 20-30 minutes (excluding warm-up/cool-down):
• Attack the hill... Your pace should be one at which you reach the top tired, but can still keep going. i.e. you should feel the burn, but not be pooped out.
• At the top spin about and head back down. You don't need to go full out, but you also don't want to be jogging along in recovery mode either. Aim to get (keep) legs turning over nicely. Open up your stride and let gravity pull you down the hill. See if you can keep pace, but get you muscles to relax/stretch out a bit. Ideally, what is happens is you recover the speed you lost climbing the hill, but expend a bit less effort.
• You should reach the bottom again, feeling better than at the top - but not fully recovered.
• Now, take 30s - 2minutes to full recover. Walk about (keep warm), but get your heart-rate down and breathing under control.
• As soon as you are recovered (back to warm up levels / comfortable), go again. Repeat until time is up.

• Bonus Level: Constant cadence.
• Try for a constant cadence (steps per minute) - and not constant speed - through the hill climb.  You don't need a fancy watch... you should be able to feel your step rate slow as you get tired or hit a steep bit and slow down. Try  shortening your stride and/or more vigorous arm drives to boost your kickstart your feet into your chosen rhythm.

• OTF event link

• Notes:
• If you need 10-20 seconds at the top of the hill to recover, before heading down, don't beat yourself up... aim to shorten this on the next round, maybe dial back the pace a little on the next climb too.
  
• Your recovery should get you back to your warm up breathing rhythm. Slower is better.
• Keep your posture up-right and use your arm drives - especially on the steeper bits.
• You might need to shorten your stride up hill.
• If you get a bit wobbly on the down hill, try opening up your chest and lifting your arms up and out for balance.

Fitness:

Warmup Workout

• I came across this RunCoach's warm up, while training for a Marathon last year. I think it could make for a pretty good running workout on its own.
• You'll want a 100m+ straight or a nice flat route. Well lit.
• Take a 5min+ easy warm up jog (just to get the chill out of your muscles).
• Run through the exercises in the routine:
• Start with only 10 reps of each exercise.
• Do the 2 sets of the rhythm skip (1 for each side).
• Do all 3 x 100m sets of the strides, with a bit of a walk/light jog between each.
• When you complete the circuit, rinse and repeat.
• Add 2 reps to each exercise.
• On the explosive, exercises - knee raises, bounds, strides, etc... start slow (easy) and build intensity on each repetition.
• Go for 20-30 minutes (5-10 cycles).
• Cool down
  
  
• OTF event link

• Notes:
• The RunCoach blog has video tutorials for each exercise that are probably worth a watch.
• Tip: a scrap of paper with exercises listed, this may be useful for first couple of rounds.
• It's okay have a light-hearted giggle at yourself for a lack of co-ordination on the rhythm skip exercise.
  

Fun:

Whose Carol?

• Social/Fun Run for the more out-going...
• Belt out a line (or two) from a Christmas carol (festive song) each time you cross (or are waiting to cross) a street.
• Bonus points for getting someone to smile/laugh (with you).

• Be CV-safe, don't sing when close to other pedestrians.

• OTF event link

Fun-da-mentals:

Vorsprung durch Technik - (2) Be Upright

• Background: Many of us have a habit of hunching over (bending at the hips, slouching shoulders) when we get a bit tired (perhaps when climbing a hill).  Not only does this restrict our oxygen intake, but it can also affect our form and efficiency.

• Posture: Ideally, we should all run up tall, chest open and shoulders back and relaxed. Take a look at a video of professional marathon runners to see the form. Those of us who spend a lot of time at a desk (computer) will 'naturally' hunch over and roll our shoulders inwards... this is not ideal.

• This session should be quite an easy run and would be ideal as a recovery run - after a particularly hard work out run or leg day.
• Pick an (easy-ish) undulating route that you would be comfortable running as a social run. This is also your target effort level.
• Your route should be well lit and have a good surface.

• Indoors - should only take a couple of minutes:
• It might be helpful to have large mirror to check your posture.
• Stand in a relaxed neutral stance - feet more or less shoulder width apart. Arms relaxed by your side.
• Raise your hands into your running stance. Then try to open up your chest by pushing your shoulders back. Try a couple of arm swings - like you would running.
• Chances are this is NOT what we are looking for.... Did your shoulders feel tight, forced, like you are forcing your chest out or are just generally uncomfortable... i.e. like you are fighting your own body?
• Yes, good.... let's try something else.
• Return to your relaxed posture.
• Now imagine someone has tied a helium balloon to the crown of your head. Look forwards (chin up/level) and imaging that gentle pull on the top of your head. You should feel your neck lengthen and your shoulders naturally drop.
• Now bring your hands up and try a few swings. Try a little jogging on the spot if you feel like it.
• This relaxed up right stance is what we will be targeting during the run.
• If you still feel really uncomfortable (even with the second exercise) you may want to look into some flexibility exercises for your chest and shoulders and/or consult a professional for a bit of advice.
• Go Run:
• Spend the first five minutes of your warm up - without consciously trying to change anything. Just notice what you naturally do.
• The second 5 minutes, try to run a little taller (if you aren't already).
• For the remaining 20+ minutes, check in with your posture every couple of minutes. Notice what happens when you start to fatigue a little or when you hit a gradient.
• If you're feeling frisky, bump your pace for the last 5 to 10 minutes.

• OTF event link

• Notes/Tips:
  
• Your posture should not feel forced. I.e. it might be a bit unusual, but should not feel uncomfortable or (like it is going to) hurt. If you do get sore, then stop.
• Ideally, your head should remain upright all the time. So looking ahead you would be scanning the road well ahead and only looking down your eyes when needed and not tilting your neck forwards. If your neck, middle of your shoulders get sore/tight during longer runs, then this could be a cause. Easier said done, which is why this session calls for a well lit route. Reasoning: your head is heavy (at least mine is); biasing all that weight in front of your hips, naturally makes you want to bend forwards and compress your chest.
• Ditto arms (elbows). Jump any running footage in this highlights video of this years London marathon. Notice the position of the elbows. If when you run, your elbows always remain level with or in front of your hips, all the weight of your arms are biased forwards of your hips - making you want to lean over forwards.