Team Standard are ready for race day

After 13 weeks of training and learning the concepts behind Runnovation, Team Standard look forward to this Sunday’s British 10K London Run

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11 July 2014

For the past 13 weeks we have been following the progress of Team Standard as they prepared for the Vitality British 10k London Run on Sunday. Along the way, they have received help and motivation from New Balance technical representative Bradley Howarth, who introduced them to the concept of Runnovation.

Howarth created individual plans for the team, based on the core principles of Runnovation, which are designed to make training for the British 10k London Run fun, different and inclusive.

This year, the run welcomes New Balance as its official sporting goods provider. The brand remains committed to manufacturing in Britain, making this event the perfect partner for them. The team have incorporated altitude training, stair climbing, hitting the wall, park running, run2work, high-impact exercise and night running into their preparations as well as learning the importance of good preparation and recovery.

They are all now ready to take on this weekend’s race, which will take in some of London’s most famous landmarks, starting on Piccadilly, then heading to Horse Guards Parade, down to the Embankment and along to St Paul’s Cathedral, before heading back to Westminster Bridge and the finish on Whitehall.

“Overall, I hope that the team have learned that running can be fun and does not have to be monotonous,” said Howarth. “I really tried to mix things up on the training plans in an effort to keep everyone motivated for the whole 13 weeks.

“Changing your surroundings and environment can also help transform your running and you don’t also have to go out for long runs when preparing for a 10k race.”

The team have now done as much as they can, here is what they have learned and what their expectations are ahead of Sunday’s British 10k London Run...

Mark Burborough

(Supplements manager)

How has your training gone?

I’ve had a couple of setbacks with injuries and illness but am okay now.

What has been your favourite part of Runnovation?

Running in the morning and taking part in run2work was great.

What are your expectations for the 10k?

I’d like to think I can get under 50 minutes, but am not going to beat myself up if I don’t. As long as I beat Steve, then I’ll be happy!

Jonathan Boseley

(Head of programming, London Live)

How has your training gone?

Up and down. I’ve focused on building my stamina over a number of short runs but, due to work, I just haven’t really had much opportunity to run some longer distances.

What has been your favourite part of Runnovation?

It’s given me a kick, and a reason to motivate myself to hit a milestone in the diary.

What are your expectations for the 10k?

I’m not sure I’m going to beat my sub-40 goal, which I’d love to do, so I’m just aiming to have a good run and enjoy myself.

Russell Lynch

(Economics correspondent)

How has your training gone?

Started well, but tweaked the back in mid-May, which set me back slightly. Too many beers around World Cup football hasn’t helped either!

What has been your favourite part of Runnovation?

Definitely, seeing more of the capital on foot with run2work.

What are your expectations for the 10k?

After missing two weeks of training with injury, I will now be happy to get around in under an hour. May need some race-day adrenalin to achieve it.

Steve Cording

(Commercial editor)

How has your training gone?

I was steadily improving after receiving some very handy advice from The Running School before injuring my hamstring four weeks ago.

What has been your favourite part of Runnovation?

Definitely the run2workday. Being able to avoid public transport on a hot day made commuting to the office much more fun.

What are your expectations for the 10k?

I think I have benefitted from having two weeks off with injury and am hopeful of getting around in sub-50 minutes.

Deborah Rosenegk

(Head of strategic partnerships)

How has your training gone?

Really enjoyed learning different ways to improve my fitness. Having a few goals in the distance certainly keeps you more focused.

What has been your favourite part of Runnovation?

Definitely the run2workday. Never thought about it before taking part in this and surprised myself that I actually really enjoyed it.

What are your expectations for the 10k?

Been running most weekends as part of the training, so I should be able to get around without embarrassing myself!

Kiran Randhawa

(Senior News Reporter)

How has your training gone?

So-so is the best way to describe my training! I’ve not been running with gusto, but I am going to step it up a bit before race day and keep my fingers crossed.

What has been your favourite part of Runnovation?

I enjoyed running in the altitude chamber. I think regular training in one would really help with my performance.

What are your expectations for the 10k?

I’d like to run it in around 50 minutes but I will probably go a couple of minutes over. It’s my first competitive 10k so I don’t want to be too ambitious!

Lucy Tobin

(Senior News Feature writer)

How has your training gone?

Very pleased that I managed to run 13km from home on run2workday and actually managed the first 10k in under an hour.

What has been your favourite part of Runnovation?

Definitely run2work . Gave me the confidence to know I can run a fair amount now without collapsing!

What are your expectations for the 10k?

Who knows! My main aim is just to get around the course in one piece.

Phoebe Luckhurst

(Feature writer)

How has your training gone?

It’s been quite relaxed – the advantage of having trained for a marathon is that sustaining the momentum for a 10k isn’t too difficult! I’ve been mixing it up with cross-training and tennis to keep things interesting.

What has been your favourite part of Runnovation?

Having a good, healthy excuse to be outside in the open air.

What are your expectations for the 10k?

Hopefully my recurrent knee injury won’t scupper my running and I’ll be able to do it comfortably within an hour.

To find our more please visit

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Team Standard are ready for race day

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