Welcome to our training hub! The training hub will help you whatever challenge you’re taking on. The challenge team has a wealth of advice to help you. You can download training guides and other hints and tips below. If you have questions on any element of your training, email the Challenge team who will be very happy to help.
Eat right, train well
With all training programmes, it’s very important to ensure that you are eating right and staying hydrated. Download our Nutrition and hydration document for our five golden rules to enhance your training experience.
Obstacle Course Racing
Obstacle Course Races are becoming hugely popular – they’re a great way to test yourself, have a laugh with friends and, of course, raise money for Sparks.
Anyone who signs up for an obstacle course race with Team Sparks will be entitled to exclusive training hints and tips from the UK’s number 1 obstacle course racer, James Appleton and his coach, Doug ‘The Beard’ Spence. You’ll be sent links to their videos regularly to make sure you’re prepared for whatever you might have to face! Check out the teaser video below.
Cycling
Download our Training guide for 100 miles for everything you need to prepare you for a long distance cycle challenge, including a week by week training guide and how to find your perfect bike without breaking your bank balance.
Running
Running any kind of distance can be a daunting prospect and if you’re not sure what a race day is like, it’s easy to feel nervous. We’ve created a Half Marathon Training Guide and a Marathon Training Guide that can get you started. The guides include everything from what to wear, what to expect on the day of a race and a week by week training programme.
The guides are aimed at beginners but if you’d like guides for a more experienced runner or for a different distance, please email the challenge team who will be able to provide them.
There are some simple things you can do before and after a run to help you stay injury free. Download our Pre and Post Run Advice document that will give you the best warm ups and cool downs to keep you in the best shape for your runs.
There are lots of pace calculators available on the internet which you can use to work out your target pace for race day.