Our Runs
Main Club Session
Our main sessions are suitable for anyone who is already able to run continuously for at least 20 minutes (regardless of pace). Our leaders deliver a mixed programme of training that is designed to help members improve their pace, endurance and general fitness. Each session will focus on one of the following:
- hill work (for strength and speed),
- running drills (to improve technique),
- intervals / repeats (to improve pace),
- steady paced runs (for endurance).
Our weekly timetable operates a rolling programme. If you attend on more than one evening in any week, you won’t do the same thing twice. Check our calendar to see the full programme.
In each session you can expect to find people of varying abilities; the fact that everyone runs at a different pace is taken in to account when we plan our runs. You can be assured that whatever your pace, no-one ever gets left behind.
Speed and endurance (Monday)
This session is open to everyone but offers more intense training than our main club sessions. It’s suitable for those who have some experience and who want to improve their pace for races or to boost their fitness in a short space of time. Each training session incorporates the same type of activities as our main programme but you can expect to run faster, for longer and with fewer rests in between. The session is challenging but you will only be required to run to your own level of ability.
Long steady run (Sunday)
Sunday morning we just go for a run; no sprints, no drills, just a nice steady paced, social run at a conversational pace. Distances will vary but are usually 5 – 7 miles.
Beginners’ Course
Suitable for those who are just starting out or who are returning to running after a long break, the programme for the course is designed to help you to safely and gradually build your fitness until you are able to run continuously for 20 – 30 minutes, before graduating to the main club sessions. Courses are for 10 weeks and are run several times throughout the year. Starting dates for courses will be advertised here and on our social media pages.
Social runs: Being part of a club means more than simply attending club training sessions. Many of our members organise their own runs together throughout the week. If you want to run on a specific day or time, ask around at a club session or post a message on our members’ Facebook group to see if others want to join you. We currently have a couple of unofficial ‘social’ groups who run together at the same time each week and lots more members who arrange to meet up with friends at times that are mutually convenient.
Support for race training: At any given point in the year we will have members who are training for races, whether that’s a 5k, a marathon and everything in between. Leaders are able to give advice about training programmes and often tailor training sessions to fit in with forthcoming races. Every year we offer support for people who are preparing for the Cardiff Half-Marathon when the distance of the Sunday runs gradually increases to half-marathon distance over a period of 12 weeks. Thinking of doing a marathon? Most years we have several members (and usually at least one leader) who are training for a spring marathon; this means that people are able to train together and find others to support them on their long runs.