We believe it’s easier to train with a group than on your own – it’s always more fun and often more productive. This page is meant to explain the training groups available and the sessions we run throughout the week!
Training Location
Most training (apart from gym sessions) start from DVC (Dick Vet Corner) at the east corner of the Meadows, by the kids’ playground and opposite the old Dick Vet School (now called Summerhall). See the location as the blue flag on the map below:
Club Training Groups
We as a club provide believe it’s really important that if you’re a Haries member you find the right training group and structure that suits you!
We have 2 different training groups on offer :
Andy’s Group
Our official club coach Andy Kitchin leads sessions every Tuesday at 6.15pm on the Meadows. These sessions are designed to help everyone improve—whether you’re new to structured training or an experienced athlete who prefers a balanced approach. The emphasis is on building fitness in a supportive, social environment, while still offering plenty of challenges for those who want to push themselves. Athletes in this group can also join in on a XC focused Saturday session (read below).
Example Tuesday Session : 6/8 x 600m with 2 minutes recovery at 8/10
External Group coached by Jonny
As outlined on the performance page, the University has a scheme designed to support athletes competing at a high level. However, if you are highly motivated to train but do not meet the performance standards, Haries club members and non-university athletes still have the opportunity to take part in the same training sessions and structure, led by ERA coach Jonny Whan. These sessions are longer and more intensive, with a focus on building towards key races. They are best suited to runners who already have some experience and are looking to take their training to the next level.
If you are interested in joining this group, please read the following information and complete the following form: H&H External Group . Once completed, you will be added to a group chat where the session information will be communicated.
- Sessions will be twice a week – Tuesday Evenings and Saturdays Mornings.
- Tuesday sessions will be on the meadows for the first half of the semester and Saturday sessions will be a XC focused session in likely Holyrood High or Holyrood Park.
- Saturdays will always run as normal throughout the semester but, around halfway through the semester the ERA athletes will move with coach Jonny to the track and unfortunately there will be a capacity limit so not everyone from the club who wants to go to the track will be able to.
- However, identical sessions will still run on the meadows led by the Captains! (It is also likely that many ERA athletes will also like to remain on the meadows due to its convenience.)
Example Tuesday Session : 2x8mins 7/10 with 2mins jog recovery in between, followed by 2x4mins 7/10 with 1mins jog recovery in between, followed by 2x2mins 7/10 with 30s jog recovery in between.
Choosing the Right Training Group
If you are unsure of what group you should be in, we highly recommend you join in with Andy’s Group to begin with and see how you get on. You’re also welcome to get involved with the Saturday session if you’d like an extra session, and it’s always possible to move between groups during the semester. Just email us and we’ll coordinate with both coaches!
Both coaches are flexible, there’s no pressure to complete every rep or push beyond your limits. Adapting sessions (half reps, doubling up, etc.) is totally fine. The most important thing is enjoying your training.
Also, if you’ve been apart of the run club and want to start interval training then feel free to join in with Andy’s session whenever you like (but if you want to continue you’ll have to upgrade your membership).
Weekly Training Schedule
This is the rough outline of our weekly training, plus the times for our Haries Run Club (more information here). For regular updates regarding cancellations or changes please join our WhatsApp Group. We’ll also include it in the Captains’s Sunday Email if you prefer that sort of communication, so make sure you’re on the mailing list to keep up to date.
| Monday | Club Run | @DVC Haries Monday Run!Easy club run in different paced groups led by various members of the club! If your confident enough to lead a group feel free to reach out to the captains, we are always excited to find new routes around the city!The groups are as follows :6:25pm – 8km at ~5.00/km (1/2 groups depending on numbers)6:35pm – 6km at ~5.30/km (1/2 groups depending on numbers)We will likely be running a hilly option and a flat option for those who want to get that elevation training in!NOTE – It gets very dark in the winter so please bring a head torch if you have one!! |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | Meadows Session | ~6:15pm @ DVCOne of the sessions where the hard work is really done.As outlined above there will be sessions for the different training groups going on. The time above is roughly when athletes of any group join together to warm-up before splitting off.All information regarding exact timings, locations and details of the session will be communicated through our WhatsApp community! |
| Wednesday | S&C | 6pm @ St. Leonards Free Weight RoomA coached S&C session with Katy! A perfect chance to improve mobility, injury resilience (defos!) and work on those gains. |
| Thursday | Run Club | 6:30pm @ DVC for the Haries Run Club.There may also be another club run going on such as a sunrise/sunset event! But this will be communicated closer to the time. |
| Friday | There may also be another club run going on such as a sunrise/sunset event! But this will be communicated closer to the time. Friday is regularly a pre-race day so expect some pre race shakeouts and strides throughout the year! | |
| Saturday | Training or Race Day! | Saturdays are usually taken up with XC business. There will be a XC training session going ahead or a race!! All are welcome to join the Saturday session! |
| Sunday | Run Club and Long Run | 10AM @ DVC for Haries Run ClubThis run will end at our sponsor cafe Summerhall so if your also out doing some Sunday morning miles feel free to meet up after for some coffee! |
You can come to as many or as few of the sessions as you like, and if you’re keen to race then come along to as many as you can manage. You will benefit the most by coming regularly, especially with Tuesday’s interval sessions, which sees the difficulty increase as time goes on. The plan for training will be built around several key races:
- Scottish Universities Cross Country Championships (start of December)
- BUCS Cross Country (start of February)
- Alan Scally Road Relays which double as the Scottish Uni’s Road Relay Championships (start of March)
You can also message on the WhatsApp group if you want someone to run with on non-club run days. Someone will be happy for your company!
Advice
It’s always a good idea to keep a ‘running diary’, or a simple note of what training you do each week to learn what works best for you, keep track of your progress and make sure you don’t overdo things. It’s nice to be able to see progress, and keep yourself motivated!
On another important note – whilst running can be a hugely positive part of your life, there are times when it can upset the balance and provide more stress than stress-release. Many haries have been through times like this so reach out and seek help and advice!