Forums >Running 101>Track Workouts
Michelle
Lazy idiot
Is anyone else new to track workouts and do you have any suggestions on what NOT to do?
Tick tock
Why is it sideways?
I'm fearing that I'll be in some pain for the first few workouts! Is anyone else new to track workouts and do you have any suggestions on what NOT to do?
Don't fear the pain. Embrace the pain.
rectumdamnnearkilledem
Pain after a hard workout is like a reward. It tells me that I worked hard.
Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to
remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
~ Sarah Kay
Abs of Flabs
Consistency in your times is key. Like Drew said, don't give everything up on the first few, only to find you can't finish all the sets, or start missing the times.
Another vote for consistency. I noticed that when runners do track for the first several times, they tend to run the first several intervals too fast and end up dragging the last few. This applied to experienced runners that never did track work as well. I have a friend that did several marathons and still ended up running too fast. Consistency is the key.
Yeppers--I totally get that, too! I really wish I had a running club around here to do track workouts with. I'm a member of a small club, but they mostly just do Sat. runs, which I often can't make. I'd love to have a group to do track intervals with. k
Don't fear the pain. Embrace the pain. Relax in the pain. Speed workouts are all about breeding familiarity with pain. Make pain your friend. He will thank you for it later by lopping big chunks off your PR's.
That's what I finally learned to do during my track workouts. I use to slow down when I started feeling "pain"... I eventually figured out that it wasn't pain, it was just uncomfortable. Now when I feel uncomfortable during a track workout I push harder. Eventually the uncomfortable feeling subsides (or as Jeff said, relax in the pain) and your body does what it knows it's supposed to do. If you're actually feeling PAIN and pushing yourself to injury, you'll know it, and only then will you know the difference between "pain" and "uncomfortable". Tonight for instance, I was still tired and sore from my 20 miler on Sunday but I pretty much nailed my workout even though I thought I was in "pain". The body knows the difference, the mind doesn't. You have to overcome the mind.
#2867
do you have any suggestions on what NOT to do?
Run to Win25 Marathons, 17 Ultras, 16 States (Full List)
Do NOT start your track workout without first getting in a good warm up, especially that early in the morning when you won't even have the benefit of having been up and moving around for most of the day before you start running fast. Easy jig jogging for at least 10 minutes is called for.
I just started track workouts late this year. Seems to help. Started with 30/30s (30 second hard, 30 seconds easy) for up to 16 intervals. When I got comfortable with that, moved to 60/60s. Then, 800s. And, finally, mile repeats. Usually, I do at least 1 mile warm-up and 2 mile cool-down. I'll never win any races, but my times have really improved (even for a slow-poke like me!) I really noticed a difference in my last HM. I was able to push my pace, and relax in the discomfort. My km splits were incredibly consistent (w/in 5 seconds of each other for a stretch of several km) and my last 2 k were my fastest. Result: a PR by over 20 min. Now, I've started introducing 8-10 pick-ups/strides/ fartleks into 1-2 of my regular training runs/week and I am getting much more comfortable running faster for longer periods without 'sandbagging' it, worried I might run out of steam.