OLYMPIC marathon runner Derek Hawkins will be leading a training session and seminar on preparing for the Babcock 10k Series in Helensburgh on Tuesday, 11th April at 6.30pm.

We enter week four of Hawkins’ free training program for the Babcock Helensburgh 10k.

Details of the venue are still to be confirmed, but make it a date in your diaries if you are aiming to run a personal best in the series which begins in Helensburgh on Wednesday, May 3 and continues with the Babcock Dumbarton 10k on Thursday, May 11.

The series concludes in Glasgow on Sunday, May 28 with the new Babcock Shettleston 10k.

There will be a chance to run with Derek and take part in a short training session before listening to how he progressed from schoolboy champion to Olympic athlete, alongside his brother Calum with their father Robert as their coach.

He will share with you some of his own training, tips for racing, selection of kit, refuelling and diet before focusing in on how you can apply some of the same successful principles to your own training.

The Kilbarchan AAC athlete, who battled through injury in Brazil last summer at the Rio Olympics, will help you achieve your goal, be it a 40-minute, 50-minute or 60-minute finish for the 10k.

Easy: In general, easy running is running at a comfortable, conversational pace, which certainly may vary daily, depending on how you are feeling.

If you use heart rate training, the effort should be around 65-79 per cent of your Maximum Heart Rate (HR max).

Tempo: The effort for these runs can be described as a “controlled discomfort”.

Paces for these are approximately 10secs/mile slower than 10k or 88-92 per cent of HR max.

Marathon: These runs are performed at current marathon pace. If you don’t have a PB then add 33-38 secs/mile on to your 10km race pace or it can be roughly worked at around 80-90 per cent of your HR max.

60 minutes

Day 1: 20 mins walk/rest

Day 2: 10 mins easy + 4x3mins at 5k pace [90sec jog] + 5mins easy

Day 3: Rest

Day 4: 10 mins easy + 15mins 10k pace + 10 mins easy

Day 5: 5 mins walk, 20 mins easy run

Day 6: Rest

Day 7: 40 mins easy

50 minutes

Day 1: 20 mins walk/rest

Day 2: 10 mins easy + 8x90secs at 3k pace [60sec jog] + 10 mins easy

Day 3: 30 mins easy

Day 4: 10 mins easy + 10 mins tempo + 10 mins easy

Day 5: Rest

Day 6: 5km time trial or park run

Day 7: 50 mins easy

40 minutes

Day 1: 30 mins recovery

Day 2: 10 mins easy + 8x90secs at 3k pace [60secs jog] + 10 mins easy

Day 3: 45 mins easy

Day 4: 10 mins easy + 10 mins tempo + 10 mins easy

Day 5: Rest

Day 6: 5km time trial or park run

Day 7: 75 mins easy