I have a couple of half IMs I am preparing for this year (July and Sept. - Racine and Muskoka). I was wondering if anyone had any good track workout suggestions. I’d like to incorporate track workouts maybe 1x per week or every other week as time permits. I have a local high school track that is a nice 2 min jog away from my house. I totally dig track workouts, but I am at a loss as to how fast is effective, and what to do, etc.
In high school I was a sprinter (100m, 200m) and never ‘learned’ how do to track workouts for longer distances.
I have been doing about 25mpw this winter with a regular long run of about 9mi. Right now that’s all the time I have in my schedule as I am working full time and taking two classes in the evening.
In the next week or two I’ll be getting a sub-max heart rate test to determine HR training zones.
Maybe it can give you some ideas on interval lengths and pacing. FWIW, I followed the intermediate plan and did the track workouts on a treadmill. Come race day I was very well prepared.
mile repeats work up to x 5
1200 repeats work up to x 6
800 repeats work up to x 8
5-4-3-2-1 (5 laps, 4 laps, 3 laps, 2 laps, 1 lap w/ 400 jog b/w each)
800/400 x 4-6
Those are some that my hubby/track coach had me do. I run a 1:34 1/2 mary and 1:44 off the bike; 42 min 10k, and 45 off the bike… Not flying, but considering I too was a 200, 400, hurdler (100 & 400) and triple jumper, we’re thrilled!
FWIW, the following was one of coach’s classic workouts when I ran high school track, and I still try to do it a couple of times a month when I’m gearing up for a half IM or an Oly:
Warm up 1 mile
12 x 400m intervals, with a 400m recovery jog in between each interval. For the intervals, I usually do 3 sets of 4 descending: for example, 400m on 75 sec, 400m on 70 sec, 400m on 65 sec, 400, on 60 sec; then repeat that set twice more.
Warm down 1 mile
Stretch, go home, collapse.
Given that your weekly volume is 25 miles, at 8 miles this workout may be a bit much and run the risk of injury - maybe try starting with 4 x 400m or 6 x 400m, and work up from there, as time and inclination allow.
And obviously, the times that you’re running the intervals on is dependent on your fitness level; the point I try to make in my own workouts is to run sets where each quarter mile is at a faster pace than the last, with the easiest quarter mile being at about 80% effort, and the fastest being pretty close to a dead sprint.
I did the exact workout last week, only with 200 jog (about 1 minute) between each 1, 2, 3 of each 4x400 set. I took a complete lap between each set (1-4, 5-8, 9-12). And a bit longer warm up with drills and cool down.