In 2020, we have several athletes looking to complete their first Spartan Trifecta, and lots looking to make a return to the Spartan course for a Sprint or Super. I’m really pleased to see so many of you sharing my enthusiasm for the challenge of Spartan races, and I look forward to an even more successful year on the mountains and trails in 2020!
So far, all of you who are part of The BTG Spartan Team for 2020 have run at least one Spartan race before, so you have a good idea of the basics. We’re going to take things up a notch (or three!) in our preparation for the 2020 races to get you all to where you’re not just completing your chosen races, but to where you can feel that you’re actually “competitive” and putting in a performance you’ll be really proud of.
Because most of the races we have on our tentative schedule take place on challenging, mountainous courses, prepping your legs for that challenge will be our main focus. We want to build speed, power and durability so that you can crush those hills and still feel relatively fresh when you get to the obstacles.
Plan Overview
The running portion of our training plan will begin with two assessments – a flat run pace assessment at Willband Creek, and an elevation gain/loss test at the Auguston Stairs. We will revisit these assessments every fifth week during our training to adjust our training targets as we progress. Aim to complete these tests on consecutive days if possible, with the run test the first day, and the stairs the second day.
The ramp-up for pace and distance will be planned out over 20 weeks, starting the week of October 27. That will put us at our target pace by mid-March, about 2 months ahead of the Big Bear Beast, so we can then have a couple of months to work at developing durability and working out the details of our nutrition, hydration and gear over the full distance. The Super and Sprint teams will have several months of consistent work at their full race distances (or beyond), or for those who are interested, a further ramp-up to a longer distance (Super or Beast) for the Calgary or BC races.
The required parts of the run plan in the beginning are a mid-week pace-building run and a weekend trail run/hike each week. We’ll run the periodic pace and stairs assessments on weekends, but normally it will be up to you to put in the work on your run pace mid-week, whenever you can fit it in. Plan to meet up with some of your Spartan teammates if possible to run together!
These mid-week runs don’t HAVE to be at Willband Creek, but for the sake of consistency, all of mine will be. If you want to run somewhere else, just make sure it’s a relatively flat route throughout, and preferably on some sort of dirt, mulch or gravel path / trail rather than pavement – your joints will thank you!
Optionally, you can also pay the Auguston Stairs a visit once a week, though my intent is that we will only do that on assessment weeks. If you’re a bit unsteady or lack confidence descending, however, practicing at the stairs can help your footwork, foot speed and agility for sure.
Should / can you do more? What if you can’t run 5K or 10K yet? Read the FAQ at the end…
Pace & Elevation Gain/Loss Targets
You will notice as you read through the info below that the targets for pace and elevation gain/loss which are evaluated via the assessments are the same for the Super and Beast/Trifecta teams. This is not a typo.
The speed and power-endurance demands for both events will actually be very comparable, because the length of the individual sustained climbs and flat running sections on both events are usually pretty comparable…there’s just twice as many of them on a Beast! For the Beast, we will need to get better at recovering on the move between hard efforts so that we can keep up a strong pace throughout. These are aggressive targets, but I know you guys are up for the challenge!
The Sprint team’s targets are quite challenging as well. They are beyond what I would probably target for first-time Sprint athletes because none of you are first timers…LOL! You’ve put in the work to just “complete”, now let’s aim to “compete”!
If you can already meet these targets, great! You’ve got a great base to work from as we ramp up the trail run/hike duration and elevation. Instead of running to a specific pace, we’ll have you run more by feel so that you can cover the same distance just as fast, only easier.
If you’re “way off” these targets, that is no problem. That’s what the ramp-up is for. Trust the process.
If you are considering running a Super but can’t run a flat 10K continuously yet, do the 5K Assessment and use this first ramp-up to build pace for the Sprint distance, and then we can do a second ramp-up in the spring to build you up to the longer distance.
Spartan Sprint Team Targets
Flat run pace target – 35-minute 5K, ideally better than 30-minute 5K
Elevation gain/loss target – 10 sets @ Auguston Stairs under 60 minutes
Mountain / Trail build to 5+ KM / 600m+ climbing in under 60 minutes
Spartan Super Team Targets
Flat run pace target – MAXIMUM 57:30 10K, ideally better than 50-minute 10K
Elevation gain/loss target – 15 sets @ Auguston Stairs under 90 minutes
Mountain / Trail build to 10+ KM / 1200m+ climbing in under 2 hours
Spartan Beast Team Targets
Flat run pace target – MAXIMUM 57:30 10K, ideally better than 50-minute 10K
Elevation gain/loss target – 15 sets @ Auguston Stairs under 90 minutes
Mountain / Trail build to 20+ KM / 1500m+ climbing in under 3 hours 45 minutes
Flat Run Assessments
NOTE: Aim to get this assessment done at some point over the next few weekends. Your assessment results have to be in to me by October 20 so I can give you your pace targets for the following 4 weeks’ runs.
I will be running my own initial test the morning of Saturday, October 12 (on the Thanksgiving weekend) starting at 9 AM if anyone would like to join me!
Using MapMyRun
For the initial flat run assessment and the follow-up assessments throughout the training plan, you MUST use a run tracker. I highly recommend the paid version of MapMyRun to give you pace coaching to help with increasing your speed throughout the training program. The MVP version costs $5.99 US per month or $29.99 US per year.
To configure the app for the initial assessment:
From the main menu, go to Settings
Set Voice Feedback to ON
Set Units to Metric
Leave all other settings at their defaults (just make sure Auto-Pause is OFF)
From the main menu, go to Track Workout
Touch the settings icon (the little gear in the top right)
Set the Activity Type as Trail Run or Run
Make sure Auto Pause is OFF
For the initial assessment, leave Coaching set to OFF (we’ll use that in the subsequent runs to set our target pace).
Under Voice Feedback:
Turn Feedback on
Set Update on to Distance
Set Update interval to 1.00 km
For Stats, disable everything except Total distance, Total time, Pace/Speed Average and Splits
If you need help with any of these settings, see Coach JP at the gym or before a run.
Recommended Loops
Willband Creek 5K loop – South Loop clockwise, Full Loop counter-clockwise, plus a little bit to complete 5K.
Willband Creek 10K loop – Full Loop clockwise, Figure 8 (counter-clockwise South Loop linked to clockwise North Loop), South Loop clockwise, North Loop counter-clockwise (partial) to complete 10K.
The loops above will have you finish the prescribed distances near the parking lot, and have you run loops in both directions to somewhat average out the minimal elevation changes at Willband Creek. Alternatively, you can just run whatever route / loops you want, as long as you are tracking the distance! Just try to do the same thing each time you do the assessment runs for the sake of consistency.
Guidelines:
We will be setting your training target paces based on your performance in the assessment, so give it a good effort!
You should be pushing the pace, but not killing yourself – keep the effort around an 8 out 10 in terms of exertion the whole way. We want to build a sustainable pace, not one that you can only sustain for 5-10K and then you’re completely destroyed!
NO STOPPING. Ideally, you should always be moving faster than a walk, but if you need to walk to recover a bit, do what feels right. Likewise, if right now you’re only able to walk, not run, due to injury or other issues, just walk the distance as fast as you can.
DON’T FORGET TO START YOUR TRACKER!
Record your total distance, total time, and your split pace and email / text it to me. I’ll enter it into the run plan to give you your target paces for your mid-week runs during the ramp-up.
Elevation Gain / Loss Assessment (Auguston Stairs)
NOTE: Aim to get this assessment done at some point over the next few weekends. Your assessment results have to be in to me by October 20 so I can give you your pace targets for the following 4 weeks’ runs.
I will be running my own initial test the morning of Sunday, October 13 (on the Thanksgiving weekend) starting at 9 AM if anyone would like to join me!
As noted earlier, ideally you’ll run this assessment the day after you do the flat run pace assessment. Yes, your legs might be tired and that will affect your results - that is on purpose. As we work through the run plan, your body should adapt to where it can easily and comfortably recover from a run of that distance, and be good to go again by the next day.
Each set (up and down) of the Auguston Stairs represents an elevation gain and loss of about 200 feet. 10 sets is approximately the same total elevation gain / loss we saw on the 2019 Whistler Sprint.
Guidelines:
We will be setting your training targets when we are at the stairs instead of on a trail run / hike on weekends based on your performance in the assessment, so give it a good effort!
Each of the subsequent assessments will be 15 minutes longer than the one previous, until the Sprint team is at 60 minutes and the other teams are at 90 minutes.
Use a countdown timer (E.G. on your phone) to time your assessment
Start at the top of the stairs, off of Tom Thompson Court
1 set = all the way down to the trail, and all the way back up to the top step
Count only complete lengths (up or down)
If you run out of time on the way down, count your last full set.
If you run out of time on the way back up, count that as a half set because you completed the down length.
Rest as needed!
DON’T FORGET TO START YOUR TIMER!
Sprint Team
Complete as many sets as possible in 30 minutes.
Super/Beast/Trifecta Teams
Complete as many sets as possible in 60 minutes.
Can I Do More?
That’s totally up to you. Base whether or not you can do more on how your body is recovering. If you’re constantly feeling run down and beat up, cut back to just the essentials.
SHOULD I Do More?
It should come as no surprise that I am a firm believer in daily physical activity, but it doesn’t have to be a flat-out, 100% effort each day.
A quick, 10-15 minute daily movement practice first thing every morning (like going through our BTG Warmup) is a great way to start your day and will help keep things moving well as your training ramps up. Set your alarm 15 minutes earlier and get it done. ;)
If you feel that your running ability is lacking, it might be a good idea to get in one or two more short, easy-paced runs each week for the first while to work on your running efficiency and your breathing. Ask Coach JP for some help with how long and how fast you should be going on these to fit them into our overall plan.
If you have time, you could also work on some easy paced, non-running, no impact endurance work to further build up your aerobic base without taxing your joints too much. Cycling, swimming or rowing are good options.
I Can’t Run Well / At All Yet - What Should I Do?
A quick, 10-15 minute daily movement practice first thing every morning (like going through our BTG Warmup) is a great way to start your day and will help keep things moving well as your training ramps up. Set your alarm 15 minutes earlier and get it done. ;)
In addition to that, walk briskly for 30-60 minutes EVERY DAY (E.G. on your lunch break). When you feel like you’re up to it, run a bit, then go back to walking. Don’t over-complicate it, and don’t worry about a certain pace when you run - just move faster than a walk. Over time, make the running bits more frequent / longer, and the walking bits less frequent / shorter. Eventually, you will be running for 30 minutes non-stop.
If you have time, you could also work on some easy paced, non-running, no impact endurance work to further build up your aerobic base without taxing your joints too much. Cycling, swimming or rowing are good options.
Questions or Concerns?
If you have any questions or concerns about the above, feel free to contact Coach JP directly to let me know. If you don’t currently train with us, and are interested in joining us, also feel free to reach out. ;)