The Big Sipper: Free Experienced Training Plan

Experienced 16 Weeks / 4-5 days a week
21km Trail Half Marathon Training Plan

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Before starting this program you should be running around 4 to 5 hours per week, which includes a long run of around one hour to ninety minutes on the trails.

This program will build on your previous trail racing experience and tailor your training to complete The Big Sipper, 21km.

PS. If you are training your first 21km trail race, you might like to check out our Free 21km Trail Half-Marathon training plan.

Download 21km Experienced Training Plan

Coach’s Notes

WARM UP AND COOL DOWNS:

Workouts always have a 10 minute warm up, drills & strides, as well as a 10 minute cool down. Warm ups and cool downs should be run very easy. You should be able to hold a full conversation. If at the end of completing a warm up you feel any pain or have a niggle, then the workout should not be completed. Workouts to be completed on a flat road or grass, unless specified otherwise.

DRILLS

Drills are movements like A/B/C skips, side shuttles, grapevines, leg swings, high knees, fast feet. Completing these regularly will help improve running technique, as well as ensure muscles are activated before starting a workout.

STRIDES

Strides are around 60m to 100m in length. They are sometimes called run throughs or accelerations. A stride is not a sprint, rather you increase speed as you go and focus on having good form and being in control. Walk or have a rest for as long as you need in between each stride. They can also be completed uphill.

TEMPO RUNS

Tempo runs should be run at a pace you can hold for 40mins to 1hr. It is not flat out. You should be huffing and puffing, but not red lining. You should be able to speak in single words only, not sentences.

LONG RUN

The weekend long run is the most important run of the week and should be completed on trails that are similar to race day. The Guzzler is 21km with 740m of elevation/- climbing/hills, which works out to be around 370m of elevation per 10km. This can be a good goal for your long runs to ensure you are getting enough elevation.

Wear your vest full of the race mandatory gear. Your long run is a time to test out gear for race day and practice race day nutrition. Take notes of nutrition that works, gear that works and what doesn’t. This will help you prepare for race day.

Your long run should be run at an easy pace and you should be able to hold a conversation. Think of it as time on feet but try not to stop your watch and spend too long standing around. Long runs are completed to time and not distance. Chasing distance does not take into account hills, conditions, and tests your ability to recover rather than giving you a specific training benefit. Over training is prevalent in trail and ultra so be conscious to not fall down this rabbit hole.

REST DAYS

Rest should have sleep and food prioritised as these are the best recovery tools. Resting is training and rest days are when your body can absorb and adapt to the training taking place. Don’t skip rest.

Base building phase

Focus on getting into a good routine this four week block. Take runs a bit easier and don’t force anything. You need to store up motivation for later in the training block so don’t use it all now. Week 4 is a deload week so the volume comes down to let your body recover.

WEEK	MON	TUES	WED	THURS	FRI	SAT	SUN
1 31/03–06/04	Rest	Easy 40mins + 4x strides	Easy 20mins + 4x strides	Easy 1hr	Rest	Easy 40mins + 4x strides	Easy 1hr – trails/hilly
2 07/04–13/04	Rest	Warm up 10mins + drills & strides / 10x1min hard 1min jog recovery / Cool down 10mins	Easy 20mins + 4x strides	Easy 1hr	Rest	Easy 40mins + 4x strides	Easy 1hr 15mins – trails/hilly
3 14/04–20/04	Rest	Warm up 10mins + drills & strides / 8x400m hard 1min standing recovery / Cool down 10mins	Easy 20mins + 4x strides	Easy 1hr	Rest	Easy 40mins + 4x strides	Easy 1hr 30mins – trails/hilly
4 21/04–27/04	Rest	Warm up 10mins + drills & strides / 6x800m hard 90secs jog or walk recovery / Cool down 10mins	Easy 20mins + 4x strides	Easy 1hr	Rest	Warm up 10mins + drills & strides / parkrun / Cool down 10mins	Rest

Building Mileage

The volume increases in this block and the Thursday mid-week long run should now be completed on hilly trails if you can. If you need to hike a climb, hike. You will be hiking on race day so get used to doing it in training. Week 8 is a deload week so the volume comes down to let your body recover.

WEEK	MON	TUES	WED	THURS	FRI	SAT	SUN
5 28/04–04/05	Rest	Warm up 10mins + drills & strides / 5x1km hard 90secs jog or walk recovery / Cool down 10mins	Easy 30mins + 4x strides	Easy 1hr 15mins	Rest	Easy 40mins + 4x strides	Easy 1hr 30mins – trails/hilly
6 05/05–11/05	Rest	Warm up 10mins + drills & strides / 5mins tempo 2mins jog x4 / Cool down 10mins	Easy 30mins + 4x strides	Easy 1hr 15mins	Rest	Easy 40mins + 4x strides	Easy 1hr 45mins – trails/hilly
7 12/05–18/05	Rest	Warm up 10mins + drills & strides / 8mins tempo 2mins jog x 3 / Cool down 10mins	Easy 30mins + 4x strides	Easy 1hr 15mins	Rest	Easy 40mins + 4x strides	Easy 2hrs – trails/hilly
8 19/05–25/05	Rest	Warm up 10mins + drills & strides / 20mins tempo / Cool down 10mins	Easy 30mins + 4x strides	Easy 1hr 15mins	Rest	Warm up 10mins + drills & strides / parkrun / Cool down 10mins	Rest

Specificity Phase

This four week block is the biggest volume and most race specific. Try to get onto the trails as much as possible for your runs and get onto the hills. There are hiking repeats because hiking fast is a skill that needs practice. Everyone will hike at some point come race day. If you can do your long runs on the course, and try doing some night runs to get used to running in the dark with a headlamp. Week 12 is a deload week so the volume comes down to let your body recover.

WEEK	MON	TUES	WED	THURS	FRI	SAT	SUN
9 26/05–01/06	Rest	Warm up 10mins + drills & strides / 10x1min runnable hill easy down / Cool down 10mins	Easy 40mins + 4x strides	Easy 1hr 30mins	Rest	Easy 40mins + 4x strides	Easy 2hrs – trails/hilly
10 02/06–08/06	Rest	Warm up 10mins + drills & strides / 6x1min runnable hill 6x30secs runnable hill / Cool down 10mins	Easy 40mins + 4x strides	Easy 1hr 30mins	Rest	Easy 40mins + 4x strides	Easy 2hr 15mins – trails/hilly
11 09/06–15/06	Rest	Warm up 10mins + drills & strides / (90secs – 1min – 30secs runnable hill) x 3 / Cool down 10mins	Easy 40mins + 4x strides	Easy 1hr 30mins	Rest	Easy 40mins + 4x strides	Easy 2hr 30mins – trails/hilly
12 16/06–22/06	Rest	Warm up 10mins + drills & strides / 3x90secs - 3x1min - 3x30secs runnable hills - / Cool down 10mins	Easy 40mins + 4x strides	Easy 1hr 30mins	Rest	Warm up 10mins + drills & strides / parkrun / Cool down 10mins	Rest

Taper / Race Phase

Week 13 is the highest volume so keep the effort easy. After this week it is time to start tapering for race day. Tapering means the volume decreases, but there is still some intensity, allowing your body and mind to recover for race day. A lot of people will do too much during taper and show up to race day still fatigued. Don’t sabotage your race day. Let your body recover. Use your extra time from the decrease in training to prepare mental strategies, drop bags, organise crew plans and visualise your race day.

WEEK	MON	TUES	WED	THURS	FRI	SAT	SUN
13 23/06–29/06	Rest	Warm up 10mins+ drills & strides / 3x(3x1min hard hiking uphill reps with easy down, 10min tempo, 2mins rest) /Cool down 10mins	Easy 40mins + 4x strides	Easy 1hr 30mins	Rest	Easy 40mins + 4x strides	Easy 2hr 30mins – trails/hilly
14 30/06–06/07	Rest	Warm up 10mins + drills & strides / 3x3mins hard 3mins jog recovery / Cool down 10mins	Easy 40mins + 4x strides	Easy 1hr 30mins	Rest	Easy 40mins + 4x strides	Easy 2hr 45mins – trails/hilly
15 07/07–13/07	Rest	Warm up 10mins + drills & strides / 5x2mins hard 90secs jog recovery / Cool down 10mins	Easy 30mins + 4x strides	Easy 1hr	Rest	Warm up 10mins + drills & strides / parkrun / Cool down 10mins	Rest
16 14/07–20/07	Rest	Warm up 10mins + drills & strides / 10x30secs hard 30secs standing recovery / Cool down 10mins	Easy 20mins + 4x strides	Rest	Rest	Optional 15min shakeout	Race Day

Post-race Phase

Post-race do not rush back into training. At a minimum, the next two weeks should be spent sleeping, eating, going for gentle walks and doing gentle movement, but most importantly celebrating your achievement.

These training programs are intended as a general guide only and may not be suited to everyone. They should not replace advice from your healthcare providers and the use of these programs as a training tool will be at solely your own risk and discretion. Always take your individual health, safety and circumstances into consideration before following any portion of the programs.

About the coach

Meagan Brown

Meagan Brown has been trail and ultra running for over a decade and heads up Brisbane-based coaching business Shakeout Running.

Shakeout Running specifically supports female trail and ultra runners, as Meagan hopes to see participation increase in these events.

Through Shakeout Running, Meagan has coached athletes to podium finishes and age group placings as well as runners who have tackled The Guzzler as their first ultra event finish.

Meagan has also been on The Guzzler podium in both the 21km event and the 50km events and run some of the most iconic races in the world; such as Western States, Lavaredo and CCC. She has also represented Australia twice: at the 2019 World Mountain Running Championships and at the 2022 World Sky Running Championships.

For more information:
www.shakeoutrunning.au
IG: @megatron_brown

21km Experienced Training Plan