Expert: Byron Collyer - 10/3/2009

Question
I am a 12 year old girl and recently began running track for my school. I consider myself to be fairly athletic and would appreciate any training tips for distances of around 6 km.
Thanks  

Answer
At your age, it's quite simple. You should be concentrating on building your cardio up. This can be done with a combination of long runs up to and at 6 k distances and tempo runs or interval runs that are a combination of 30 secs of faster pace running combined with 1.5 mins of slow pace running adding up to a total of 15-20 mins. These runs should always be done on separate days to help ensure you get optimal recovery and you should never train more than 3 days in a row without taking a day off before training again. I'd max your training at 4-5 days a week. Alternate between interval runs and longer slower distance runs for the time being and if you need more guidance, I'd suggest getting in touch with a track club in your area and seeking some one on one instruction.

As well, try to keep your core engaged during the majority of your run which entails drawing your stomach in towards your spine. try to draw your lower stomach in-not your upper stomach. think of the center point being about 2 inches below your belly button. Draw that part in and try to keep it engaged while you run. It'll be a bit challenging at first but over time, this will greatly improve your technique and overall performance.

hope this helps.

Byron.

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