Hannah England is a British middle-distance running athlete who specialised in the 800m, 1500m and mile run. She is the 2011 World Championship silver medallist at 1500m and she also competed at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Now a Moor Pool resident, we asked Hannah to share her top tips for those of you running the Moor Pool 5k Summer Challenge.
I moved to Moor Pool in 2013, when I was still training to be an international 1500m runner, and a big part of us choosing the neighbourhood was the great places to run – so it’s fun to see this Moor Pool 5k Summer Challenge!
The routes required to be eligible for the challenge are going to be quite hilly so be sure to factor that into your pacing and any training you might do to prepare for taking part and be sure to do a couple of practice runs to figure out which route choice might suit you best. It might also pay off to choose a Saturday or Sunday morning to go for your fastest time as the roads will be quieter – or even the Bank Holiday Monday on 25th August!
Here are some fun training ideas to get you ready for a fast 5k, be sure to do a light jog before and after the intermediate, advanced or hill sessions:
20 mins of run/walk – start with 1 min running (1 min walking), and then progress the running period by 1 min at a time, while always keeping the recovery to 1 min walking.
5 mins at 5k effort (1 min jog/walk recovery), 4 mins at 5k effort (1 min jog walk/recovery), 3 mins at faster than 5k effort (1 min jog/walk recovery), 2 mins at faster 5k effort (1 min jog/walk recovery), 1 mins at faster 5k effort.
Acceleration run – run out in one direction (maybe along the walkway!) for 2.5k, turn around and try and get back faster. This is a fun way to challenge yourself to run fast when you are tired, and also test your ability to judge your pace correctly!
Hill running is always a good way to build fitness – Carless Avenue could be a good choice as there are less roads to cross, but Margaret Grove would be a more challenging gradient!
Try sets of 5 x 30s hills, jog down recovery and then walk down every 5 hills. Aim for 2, 3 or 4 sets depending on your familiarity with running.
Click here for details of how to register for the Moor Pool 5k Summer Challenge. Registration is open until Monday 4th August.
Moor Pool Hall
37 The Circle, Harborne,
Birmingham, B17 9DY
Registered Charity Number: 1148252
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