We’re two weeks in and it’s been great hearing about the commitment to training. 

Get through the next three weeks, and you’ll be on the home stretch. Speaking of the home stretch, do you actually know where it is? Training for any event is important but knowing the course and identifying how to train for it is critical. This is what is referred to as ‘Training Specificity’.

The Surf T’ Surf course is hilly. With every change in inclination, you are relying on different muscles and drawing on strength from various areas of the body.

It allows time for the muscles we use when we are flat road running, to relax and recover. So for this reason, in this week’s training program is a little more ‘specificity’. I have included some hills into the sessions.  

This week, familiarise yourself with the course. Go out with your group and run up Pertobe Road. Test out the undulation along Lava Street behind Fletcher Jones, up and over to the cemetery. If Hickford Parade hill is more accessible, you could try out your session there and finish with some recovery in the ocean.

The one that sticks out in my mind is the hill as you run toward the city centre on Nicholson Street. In the race week of my first Surf T’ Surf in 2015, uncle Anthony Mahony passed on some wise words from his Surf T’ Surf experience. He told me I should go hard and give it my all from the start but just keep a little bit left in the tank for the Nicholson Street hill. “That’s the one that’ll get ya’ mate”. Thanks uncle Ants. While it’s not the toughest hill you’ll face, it’s around the 8km mark, just when you think all the hard work is done. Tackle it a few times in training and you’ll find yourself looking forward to it, not dreading it.

Shout out this week goes to a colleague of mine, Marc Favre, who read the article on social media, decided to go out and give it a crack. 

Week 1: Beginners

Session one – 5 minute walk, 5 minute jog include some hills, 5 minute walk

Session two – 2 minute walk, 8-10 minute jog, 2 minute walk (3 repetitions), finish with a walk

Session three – 50 minute jog/walk

Week 1: Intermediate

Session one – Mona Fartlek -

Session two – 2km warm up, 5km Park Run (or Threshold if you can’t make Park Run – this means you sit

just below race pace but you are ‘on your limit’)

Session three – 12km easy pace

Cross training (walking, cycling, swimming, gym work on the off days)

Recovery: Sungold Milk (small FM within half an hour of your session).

Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.