Continued TempoFit success leads to further running season

Continued TempoFit success leads to further running season

Keeping active during the colder, darker days of winter is a big challenge. To help Wellington locals avoid the winter workout rut, the third season of group running programme TempoFit will kick off on August 1.

TempoFit is a community-based running programme designed for the everyday jogger, plodder and weekend warrior, developed by Hayden Shearman, author of books Runners Guide to Wellington and Runners Guide to London.

In Wellington, TempoFit is delivered through a partnership between Athletics New Zealand, Athletics Wellington and local athletics clubs. Each TempoFit season is six weeks long with three coach-facilitated sessions a week focusing on running technique, speed and endurance.

TempoFit caters for all abilities, from runners who have only just run their first 5km non-stop right through to the speedsters.

“The way we design workouts allows people to run at their own pace but to still have the company and support of the crowd. Plus TempoFit-ers are super supportive so you won't lack for encouragement at workouts,” says Shearman.

As well as keeping motivated, participants in the programme have seen significant improvements in their running times. After participating in TempoFit, Angela Prestige reduced a minute off her 5km time and a minute and a half off her 10km which she had been struggling to do for months.

The next Wellington TempoFit season will run for six weeks in five locations. Early morning sessions are held in Tawa, Ngaio, Wellington CBD and Lower Hutt, and a new one in the evenings in Porirua, meeting at Aotea Lagoon.

The sessions include a technique and conditioning workout, called TLC, and another ACCELERATE – a speed workout. Longer runs are also held at 8am on Sundays and have been popular.

Each participant undergoes a 5km time trial at the beginning of each programme, and another one at the end to assess improvement. The training paces during the course are tailored to the individual to avoid over-exertion and injury and the workouts are designed to keep everyone together, building that team-training element.

Shearman says running is a simple exercise.

“Regardless of your speed or experience, we are all doing the exact same action – we are putting one foot in front of the other.”

ENDS

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