PREPARING FOR A NEW TRAINING BLOCK - The FOD Runner

Aug 13, 2025

Intro: This is a quick summary of PREPARING FOR A NEW TRAINING BLOCK from The FOD Runner. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the workout today. Be sure to check out the full video for all the details.

Key Points:

The week’s focus is tiny speed work (6‑8 min total) combined with aggressive hill training.
Andy runs a 1‑minute hard uphill / 1‑minute easy jog repeat on a ~1‑mile long hill (called “Autumn half‑marathon Hill”).
Total hard effort for the week is about 13 minutes spread over a few hill repeats.
Gel testing is woven in – try new gels on easy runs first, then use them a few minutes before a hard effort to see gut tolerance.

Workout Example:

Warm‑up easy on trails for 5‑10 min.
At the base of the hill, start the interval:
- 1 min hard uphill (aim for a heart‑rate around 140‑146 bpm, effort just below sprint).
- 1 min easy jog or walk downhill or on flat to recover.
Repeat 5–6 times (≈5‑6 min total hard work).
Cool‑down easy for 5‑10 min.

Optional: If you’re comfortable, you can do a longer hill run of ~8 min at a steady 6:12 – 6:13 min per mile (≈5:35 – 5:40 min/km) as a single effort.

Practical Tips:

Use a lap button or a simple interval timer; no need for a fancy workout file.
Test new gels on an easy run first, then take them ~5 min before a hill repeat to gauge stomach comfort.
Keep the session short – the goal is to spark intensity without adding fatigue before a race week.
Adjust the hill‑repeat pace to match your current fitness; you can set the paces in the Pacing app to suit miles or kilometers.

Closing Note: Give the 1‑minute hill repeat a go this week and feel free to tweak the number of repeats or the effort level to match your own paces in the Pacing app. Have fun, stay fueled, and keep building that hill strength for the next block! 🚀