NUK SOO RUNNING

We are designed to run, and we are designed to be in nature. Ideally, you can combine the two as the feeling you get jogging on a sandy beach at sunrise or speeding through a mountain valley is pretty awesome and I want you to have that feeling too. Running is also a great way to manage weight, look after your cardiovascular fitness, keep your bones strong and feel connected in mind & body.

I always advise first time users of NUK SOO to do the 90-day plan and nothing else. However, after your first round of the 90-day challenge, you may want to add in new movements and challenges to stimulate your mind and body. (please see the Lifestyle section for more on this). Running is a great choice of activity as it’s easy, natural, you can do it outside, and it compliments both the aesthetic goals and mind-body ethos of NUK SOO. See below for my programs and tips to help you awaken your inner-runner!

Anaerobic Challenges on a 400m Track 

  • 10 sets of 100 sprints at 90% max effort – 90s break between sets
  • 6 laps of sprinting the straights and jogging the corners
  • 10 sets of 60m Sprints – 45s rest between sets
  • 4 laps of jogging with very high knees on straights, + side-stepping the corners
  • Run 3 laps backwards followed by  1 max-speed lap forwards

 

Aerobic Challenges (park/beach)

  • 5k run – fast as possible (fap)
  • 2 x 5k with 20min walking break
  • 10k (fap)
  • 15k (fap)
  • 20k (fap)
  • 30k (any pace)
  • 1/2 marathon  (any pace)
  • Run as far as you can at a slow pace. (stop as soon as you walk)
  • Join a running club for 12 weeks

 

 

NUK SOO 5k RUNNING PLAN

Over the next 8 weeks, this plan will help you become a runner, from zero to hero, Couch to 5k from sloth to gazelle! As you already know,  getting into something new is so good for the body and soul.  If you shy away from running, don’t think it is for you, hate it or haven’t run 5k in the last couple of years, then I have created a program just for you:

  • Warm-Up: Mobilise lower back & hamstrings
  • Cool Down: Stretch off Glutes, Calves and Hip Flexors
  • Eating: Gave an empty stomach when running (but don’t have low blood sugar)
  • Drinking: Drink 60-45 mins before a run. For <5k, you don’t need to have water with you
  • Recovery: A balanced high protein diet, baths with magnesium, sleep, massage, theragun, rollers – all solid choices
  • Listening to your body: If you do NUK SOO, then you are not a beginner. Push hard, but don’t run through pain.
Program Terminology 
  • Slow Walk = 20% slower than your normal walking speed. 
  • Normal Walk = Your typical walking speed.
  • Power Walk = The late for an important meeting, but don’t want to get sweaty speed. Long strides, talking should be a lot harder.
  • Slow run  = Able to maintain a conversation.
  • Normal Run = Jogging speed. (this is different for all of us!) your ‘normal’ speed will naturally increase in time)
  • Fast Run = one notch below a sprint. This should feel pretty unpleasant! Long, powerful strides, fast feet, Arms driving up & down 
  • 15 mins Intervals = The first number is the number of strides to run (either normal or fast depending on how you feel), and the second number is the number of strides to walk. E.g. 10/20 is you run for 10 strides and then walk for 20 (as your recovery)… and then repeat until 15 mins are up. This is very difficult but an important part of your fitness & running development.

Week 1

  • Mon: 1k Normal Walk 
  • Tue:
  • Wed: 1k Normal Run 
  • Thu:
  • Fri:
  • Sat: 1k Slow Walk 
  • Sun: 1K Slow Run

Week 2

  • Mon: 1k Power Walk
  • Tue:
  • Wed: 1K Fast Run 
  • Thu:
  • Fri: 
  • Sat: 3k Slow Walk
  • Sun: 2k Slow Run

Week 3

  • Mon: 2k Normal Walk 
  • Tue:
  • Wed: 2k Slow Run 
  • Thu: 1k Normal Walk 
  • Fri: 15 mins 15/30 intervals
  • Sat: 3k Slow Walk
  • Sun: 2k slow Run

Week 4

  • Mon: 1k Power Walk 
  • Tue:
  • Wed: 1k Fast Run 
  • Thu:  4k Normal Walk
  • Fri: 15 mins 20/30 Intervals
  • Sat: 3k Slow Walk
  • Sun: 3K Slow Run

Week 5

  • Mon: 2k Normal Walk 
  • Tue:
  • Wed: 2k Fast Run 
  • Thu:  4k Normal Walk
  • Fri:
  • Sat: 4k Slow Walk
  • Sun: 3k Slow Run

Week 6

  • Mon:2k Power Walk 
  • Tue:
  • Wed: 1k Fast run 
  • Thu:  3k Normal Walk
  • Fri: 20 mins 25/30 Intervals
  • Sat: 3k Slow Walk
  • Sun: 3k Normal Run

Week 7

  • Mon:2k Power Walk 
  • Tue:
  • Wed: 2k Fast Run 
  • Thu:
  • Fri: 15 mins 30/30 intervals
  • Sat: 5k Slow Walk
  • Sun: 4k Slow Run

Week 8

  • Mon: 2k Power Walk 
  • Tue:
  • Wed: 1k Fast Run 
  • Thu: 2k Normal Walk
  • Fri:
  • Sat: 2k Slow Walk
  • Sun: 5k Slow Run (GOOD LUCK) 

I love a 10K run, it’s my fave distance. Tiring but not too stressful on my joints or my diary and the perfect moving meditation to help me clear my head. If you have completed one round of the 90-day NUK SOO challenge, then you should be able to run 10k in less than an hour.

This section is designed for regular runners that want to improve their 10k time. I’ve taken several different approaches with my private clients to achieve PB’s… and while a specialist running coach will be able to help you in a more bespoke fashion than I can here, below are some programs for you that will definitely help you. Please pick one, commit to it, and let me know how it goes.

4 Week Plan

This is suitable for running with a 45-55 min/10k. This plan is 4 x week running to help improve your PB. Please note if you have fundamental muscular weaknesses/imbalances or bio-mechanical issues identified by a running coach, then address these before or during this program and If lactate buffering is an issue, then throw in more tempo runs… and if you have no idea what I’m talking about.. please see the tips section!

Weeks 1 & 2

  1. Fast 12k.
  2. 2 sets Fast 3k (with a 10 min walk between sets).
  3. Ladders: start off at a 4 min/km pace. Then go 20 seconds faster every km for 7 km. (so at 1km mark do 4.20, then 4.40, 5.20, 5,40, 6, 6.20).
  4. Anaerobic Threshold run. 15 mins normal pace, 20 mins very fast. 15 mins normal.

WEEK 3 & 4 

  1. 1 X Fast 10k (competition pace).
  2. 2 x Fast 4k (with a 10 min walk between sets).
  3. 5 sets of 5 min fast runs (with lowering rests between sets). Start with 180 seconds walking recovery and take an additional 15 seconds off each time).
  4. 3 x 5 min fast runs (with 60s walking rest between sets).

6 Week Plan

This is suitable for running with a 50-60 min\10k

Weeks 1-3 = 3 runs per week… with 1-day rest between runs.

  1. 1 x fast 10k (competition speed)
  2. 1 x fast 5k (fastest you can)
  3. 1 x 90 min’s Intervals 5 mins fast (80% of max speed) + 5 mins walking.

Weeks 4-6 = 3 runs a week

Over the last 28 years, I have had the honour of helping many private clients prepare for running events, including helping Team GB 100m sprinters prepare for national championships and a plethora of people doing their very first 5k, 10k, 1/2 Marathon, Marathon, Ultras and I’ve also trained up a handful of clients for multi-day running events such as the infamous Marathon De Sabre in Africa.

Aside from all the fitness stuff I’ve studied… I am also a certified athletics and running coach with UK Athletics.  As a writer, I’ve had my own monthly column in two running magazines (Men’s Running UK and Women’s Running) and have both written for and been interviewed by Runners World. I’ve also given talks about running and held running-based events for various brands.

I’ve seen so many clients go from hating running to loving in a matter of months, seasoned runners getting PB’s they never thought possible and many others tell me that running has become their mediation. These first-hand stories about the power of running from my clients, along with my own experiences as a runner, inspired me to add this little section to NUK SOO.

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