Tonight I did my first track workout. It wasn't easy, but I loved it! Does anyone else do them and what do you do? My goal is to improve on my 5k time. So, with some help from a friend we came up with this plan for me to work on once a week. Two mile warm-up. Ladder... 100 sprint 100 jog 200 sprint 200 jog 300 sprint 300 jog 400 "sprint" 400 jog and then reverse and go back down the ladder. REST and then 800 tempo 100 jog TWICE REST and then 100 sprint 100 jog TWICE Two mile cool-down. Tonight I did the warm-up and the ladder up, but not back down. Then I did the 800's and the 100's and the cool down. Does this sound like a decent work out for once a week? Should there be more or less?

I have done a few track workouts this year, but not as many as I would like. Starting next week, I plan to go to the track once a week, and do this workout: 2 mile warm up (run/jog to track) 5 X 1K @ ~10K race pace with 1 to 2 minute recovery quarter mile to half mile recovery then 4 X 200M striders with 200M recovery 2 mile cool down (job back home) My goal is to improve my 5K time also. _______________ You asked for comments about your workout: Have you had success with it in the past? For me, I get more out of four to six 800M to 1000M @ 8K to 10K race pace with one to two minute recoveries, than several 100M to 400M @ faster than 5K pace. However, we are all different, so you never know unless you give them a shot - good luck!

I like how your workout sounds. I tried striders the other day too, but just for the last 1/4 mile of my run. They felt good, I was surprised. I have never done track workouts before, so I'm not sure what will work best for me. The only thing that I've done are some speed intervals on my treadmill. I found that intervals on the treadmill really helped me last winter. I'm hoping that the track workouts are just what I need to get that extra speed to reach my goal for a sub 21 5k. I liked the 800M workout that I did the other night so I can see me doing more of those. Thanks for sharing! Good luck with getting more track time in your schedule.

Tomorrow is my second track workout. I'm thinking about dropping the 100 and 200 intervals for the ladder. We'll see.

I hope it goes well! I am heading to the track today also. I ran a 21:08 5K last Saturday. McMillan calculates a 4:23 per Kilometer 10K pace so that is what I am shooting for during the "5 X 1K @ ~10K race pace with 1 to 2 minute recovery." Edit: results of the workout - 2.282 mile warmup jog to track (love info garmin provides) 1K - 4:20 (had to hold back a bit) 1:13 recovery (200M jog) 1K - 4:20 (wish all were like this one - felt just right) 1:16 active recovery (200M jog) 1K - 4:19 (oh oh - had to work kind of hard to keep the pace) 1:12 recovery (200M jog) 1K - 4:29 (decided not to do the 5th one - too hot; getting too hard) 5:00? recovery (messed up - stopped garmin; thought I just pressed lap button. Walked one lap - not sure of time) 200M strider 0:44? (thought watch was going - it wasn't. I think I did 200M faster than 44 seconds) 2:28 recovery (300M jog / got the garmin watch going) 200M strider 0:44 (then called it a day) 2.262 mile cool down jog back home Next time I will keep same paces, but instead of taking 1:12 to 1:16 breaks between reps, will take closer to 1:30 and plan to do 5 X 1K intervals and 4 X 200M striders.

My workouts mix up the track intervals. Here are a few of what I have done recently 14 x 600 with 200 jog recovery 5 x 1 mile with 1 minute jog recovery 8 x 1000 with 200 jog recovery 10 x 600 with 200 jog recovery (but slightly faster than when I did 14) I personally think that any speedwork you do (even just throwing in some strides at the end of a run) will only help. Best of luck Jeff

Thanks Jeff. I like having different options so I'll keep these in mind as well. No matter what, I think that just getting to run all out will do me some sort of good.

There is another option you could consider - for example, do your original track workout one week, then alternate with another (ie: Dean's) the next week. After a few weeks of alternating you will begin to gravitate toward what works for you best and what you like for your specific needs. Soon you would have your own track workout customized to you. Bill

I think this is what I'm doing. I went to the track this past Wednesday expecting to do one thing and I ended up doing something new. Next week I want to try something else that is new to me as well. So, I guess at this point I'll just go week to week trying to figure out what I like the best. I was foolish at the end of this week's workout. While doing striders at the end of our cool down mile, I challenged my 17 y/o to a mini race. So, we sprinted in the last 100 yards. He beat me, but not by too much. Well, since that little sprint, my right hamstring has been giving me some pain. I know better than to push it like that, I've had issues with that hamstring in the past.