Track workout

Intervals.

If your logs are accurate, you're going to see greater gains staying off the track, and running more miles on your hilly loop.

Yep, run more.

What you do is dependent upon what your fitness, running experience and goals are.

My "A" races were a half-iron triathlon and a marathon.  So my goals would be different than someone running 1500m to 5k races.

Once I got into the 30mi/week range, I added about 2 interval sessions per month into my routine.  Typically VO2max work - 4x1000m at about 5k pace with 3min.  Occasionally, I would do my weekly tempo work as intervals; e.g. 4x1600m at T pace with one minute recoveries.

If your repeats get slower or you need more rest, you're going too fast.  These should not be all out and you should finish knowing that you could've done more.  They aren't races, so save that kind of effort for race day.  A thorough warm-up and cool-down are vital as well.  For me, this is running a minimum of a mile at an easy pace and some light stretching.

Depending on your level of fitness, warm up with six to ten laps of slow running.  Then stretch a bit.  Then do one of these: 6 to 12 x 400, 3 to 6 x 800, 2 to 3 times 1600.  You will have to figure out your pace on your own, but it should feel difficult without being overwhelming.  You should feel like you can do at least one more repeat after you finish.  Cool down with a few laps of jogging (it helps to go clockwise here to give your joints a break).  I love track work, and I hope you enjoy it too.

I do a weekly group track workout, its my favorite training session.

We have a coach that tells us what to do but it is usually some mix of 400's, 800's, 1000's and sometimes a 3000m.

Last nights session was different for me as I am tapering but the group did: 2x400m, 3x1000m, 2x400m. Recovery is usually 2 minutes of EZ jogging. I've watched my times go down significantly in the 6 months of track workouts and my race speed has increased, plus its fun to run fast!  

I started using our local high school's track due to the tunning surface.  All of the "convenient" places to run near my house consist of cement sidewalks.  I found that for the speed work I was starting to do that the synthetic surface of the track was a leg saver.  I try to mix up my surfaces that I run on (trail, asphalt, cement and track).

I also found that for running intervals the track makes it easier as I don't have to keep checking my watch to know how far I've run. 

I just started back going to the track 1x per week now that my mileage base is back up and I do a 1 mi. w/u then do "run the straights and walk the turns" (about 120 yd. straight and then walk) the straight is not a sprint but is faster than 5k pace.  I am on an 8 lane track and I do 16 of these (4 miles of work)  I start in lane 1 and go out to 8 and repeat coming back 8-1...then do a 1 mi. c/d.  I mainly focus on form and turnover rate and keeping a consistant pace as I go through the drill.

Steve

Track workouts are great for monitoring your fitness gains.  Whether you do 1/4, 1/2, or mile repeats depends upon what you are training for.  Most injuries stem from intense exercise, so I'd advocate starting slowly and build.

Matt Cazalas
Technical Writer

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