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How to incorporate some summer track racing with marathon training? (Read 54 times)

Joann Y


    Maybe I shouldn't? But there is a free track series on Thursday nights during the summer that is hard to resist. The main question is for next week. I would like to run either the 2 mile (cause I've never done it), 1 mile, or 800 m (yikes, never done this either), but I'm not sure how to modify my other workouts for the week so that I don't overdo it. I'm already riding a little bit of a line running more miles than I ever have before and seem to be handling it okay, but I don't want to tip over the edge. Should I modify one of the other workouts next week or just skip a workout or is it dumb to be racing on the track while marathon training?

      It's not dumb at all. If you're doing 2 workouts per week + a long run, just make the track race one of your workouts.

      Runners run

        Joann,

         

        Since you appear to live in the same area as me, I was wondering if these track races are open to everyone? If so, can you point me to more information on them? I'd like to do more shorter races this summer, and I can't see to find any advertised.

         

        Thanks!

        Joann Y


          Tom, it's at the University of Chicago and open to everyone. I ran the 1 mile there last year and had a blast. You should come. It's a little far but summer doesn't last long and it's really fun.

          http://www.uctc.org/schedule2.html

           

          Thanks MM. I guess I was afraid to just dump a workout for a race. Maybe I'll drop the hill workout (and keep the threshold run), move the progression up by a day, and run the 2 mile race. Is that reasonable?

            Thank you!!

             

            Tom

              We are talking about next week on your training plan? What day is the race? Oh, Thursday ... duh.

               

              You're not dumping a workout--you are doing a different workout. Possibly even a better workout. And you can always add on a tempo run or some additional work after the race to make it still a pretty big workout day.

               

              I ran my "old man" 3000m and mile PR's while marathon training. Those were Saturday races, so easy to fit into marathon training since I just took it easy on my Thursday workout and did my normal long run Sunday (albeit a bit slower than normal.) For a weeknight race I'd just replace a workout with the track race plus possibly a tempo or some hills after.

               

              mta: okay so based on next week's planned workouts and a Thursday race ... yes, I'd probably move the progression run up a day (to Tuesday) then either add on hills OR some threshold running after the race, and make Friday an easy/recovery day. Thursday with warmup, the race, recovery mileage, workout, cooldown could be a pretty big mileage day as well, so keep Friday very easy. My .02.

              Runners run

              Joann Y


                Great, that makes a lot of sense. It didn't occur to me to do additional "work" on Thursday. Progression on Tues, easy Wed, race Thurs with recovery then threshold after, recovery Fri, weekend long run. Thank you thank you! That is very helpful.

                 

                Tom, if you decide to head over there one of these Thursdays, let me know and I'll keep my eye out for you.

                kcam


                  I've done a lot of track racing when marathon training over the years (with very similar mileage to what you're currently running) and I always found that 200, 400, 800, Mile and even 2 Mile races took pretty close to zero out of me ... as long as I only raced one of those per evening.  If I started to get greedy and try to run 2 or more of those track races (cuz, hey, you can ... for free right?!) then I'd start to notice that I had to plan recovery from those.  Now I stick to just one event per meet.

                   

                  Our all-comers track series is also on Thursday evenings in the summer, Saturdays in the winter.  I always find it very difficult to race well on those Thursday meets.  The first running events start at 6PM so I have to leave work a little early, drive through rush hour traffic and jump right into it with little warmup if doing the 800 as it's the first event.  Not conducive to great racing but an excellent mental toughness exercise.

                   

                  Those track races are some of the only running I do that I will call actual 'fun'.  Well, maybe not the mile or 2 mile ...or the 400 come to think of it.  Hell, maybe only the 200 is 'fun'!

                  rmcj001


                    Ken - where are the track races?  This is near San Jose, right?  30 years ago ran a bit of Corporate Cup Relays, wasn't fast but had fun.

                     

                    Thanks!

                    Ray


                    Ray

                     

                    Joann Y


                      Those track races are some of the only running I do that I will call actual 'fun'.  Well, maybe not the mile or 2 mile ...or the 400 come to think of it.  Hell, maybe only the 200 is 'fun'!

                       

                      Oh my gosh, don't tempt me. I would absolutely love love love to run the 200 but damn it, I honestly don't believe that I could get through it without pulling a muscle. Hmmm, unless I start a program of deadlifts and squats and all around strength training. The 200 was my event in high school; oh man what a thrill it would be to do it again. In order to avoid feeling sad, I try to not even look at the shorter events on the list (4 x 100!, 200!, 100!) and tell myself those are for the kids. I do wonder about the 400 and 800, sprinting but not quite all out sprinting...

                      jpdeaux


                        Weekly (free!) track racing sounds like a lot of fun and a great way to do a compound workout. In support of others' points, making it a shorter but faster part of a longer workout makes a lot of sense. Nearby here there is an inexpensive ($2) weekly 5K I often run. I don't race it every week, but often do turn it into a workout. What I don't do, but will now think about doing, is to run it as part of a longer workout, say a 6 mile tempo run. The assisted aspect of the race means that I would have company for the earlier half, or even better, the later half of a longer tempo run. Then running the 2 miles to and from home would give me a solid 10-11 miles and a quality workout on a weekday.

                         

                        If there was a free race series nearby, I'd be doing it as much as possible. But, yes, keep a close eye on that line you're riding.

                        NHLA


                          Respect your speed work. You only run 3 miles but treat it like a 6 mile tempo run as far what it takes out of you.

                          Running with a group makes speed work easier plus you get some compitition so you run faster..

                          WhoDatRunner


                          Will Crew for Beer

                            Weekly (free!) track racing sounds like a lot of fun and a great way to do a compound workout. In support of others' points, making it a shorter but faster part of a longer workout makes a lot of sense. Nearby here there is an inexpensive ($2) weekly 5K I often run. I don't race it every week, but often do turn it into a workout. What I don't do, but will now think about doing, is to run it as part of a longer workout, say a 6 mile tempo run. The assisted aspect of the race means that I would have company for the earlier half, or even better, the later half of a longer tempo run. Then running the 2 miles to and from home would give me a solid 10-11 miles and a quality workout on a weekday.

                             

                            We've done something like this with the Blame Spaniel (BS) 5Ks we've run. It's 2 mile's to the High School from Spaniel Farms for a warm up. Then a 5K on the track where I get lapped multiple times. Then a 2 mile cool down back for beer.

                            Rule number one of a gunfight, bring a gun. Rule number two of a gunfight, bring friends with guns.

                            wcrunner2


                            Are we there, yet?

                              Tom, it's at the University of Chicago and open to everyone. I ran the 1 mile there last year and had a blast. You should come. It's a little far but summer doesn't last long and it's really fun.

                              http://www.uctc.org/schedule2.html

                               

                              They still have those at Stagg Field? I ran those back in 1961-62 when I was in high school.

                               2024 Races:

                                    03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles

                                    05/11 - D3 50K
                                    05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour

                                    06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.

                               

                               

                                   

                              Joann Y


                                 

                                They still have those at Stagg Field? I ran those back in 1961-62 when I was in high school.

                                 

                                Yeah, Stagg Field. How old are you?!

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