Runs4Sanity
First off, hi there I just want to mention that my life was turned upside down a couple weeks ago and I won't be participating in my first Ultra this year....... if ever.....right now that kind of training is apparently too demanding on the family... aka DH. Stress with America's future, and our business being affected by that (aka: our livelihood) which causes much stress on DH alone, so when he is robbed of his sleep by a little boy either due to waking up early, wetting the bed or something else while I am out running... it can make for a very, very, very irritable day.
I'm just trying to run when I can, trying not to get fat and trying new things (track workouts). I still hate short distances like 5k's but I figure since I am not putting in high mileage, I might as well try some new things. A friend of mine goes to the track on Sunday nights, I can't remember her workout (I am going to try and meet up with her) but I think she said she runs a mile, then hits the stadium stairs, something else and then runs another mile before repeating it. I am not sure how long she is out there, but I am sure I'll find out.
So a track is 400 meters long if you stay in lane 1? I see a track workout that says 3 x 1,000 M.....
Basically, I need help understanding this lingo and the different workouts AND what workouts would be good for me as a beginner.
http://www.runnersworld.com/workouts/combo-track-workouts
http://www.active.com/running/articles/how-to-use-track-workouts-in-endurance-training
http://running.competitor.com/2014/08/training/track-workouts-for-beginners_85938/2
*Do It For Yourself, Do It Because They Said It Was Impossible, Do It Because They Said You Were Incapable*
PRs
5k - 24:15 (7:49 min/mile pace)
10k - 51:47 (8:16 min/mile pace)
15k -1:18:09 (8:24 min/mile pace)
13.1 - 1:53:12 (8:39 min/mile pace)
26:2 - 4:14:55 (9:44 min/mile)
From the Internet.
This post is my favorite quick reference for workout types/purposes!
Are you still doing a fall marathon or is that out the window too? If you're still running that, I'd stick to longer intervals for now - 800m-1 mile, start off about 10K pace, maybe work down to 5K pace if that feels good, and go for ~2 miles total of work and see how that feels the next day. I tend to be majorly sore after track workouts when I haven't done them in a while so you may want to ease into it a little. 3-4 miles total of intervals in a session is plenty on lower mileage with shorter race goals.
I always need a more thorough warmup for track workouts than other more long-distance-type workouts. My usual routine is 2-3 miles of easy running, starting off nice and slow but ramping up to just below tempo effort/heart rate by the end, a few strides, some dynamic warmups like butt kicks and high knees and leg swings.
If you aren't running the marathon, might be good to pick out a shorter goal race, or if not a specific race, at least a timeframe (say, running a fast 5K sometime in October, or something like that) and tailor workouts to that goal. Tempos will help for shorter races, too, and are fun and don't require getting to a track if that happens to become an issue at any point - 20 minutes at ~10-15k pace, plus warmup and cooldown, is a good solid workout for short races.
At this moment, I still have a Fall half marathon planned. But unless I can find a marathon within 30 minutes to an hour's drive, it won't be until next May or April. I am contemplating the timed race that is on the same day that the MTE 50 is (September 17) but I haven't signed up for it yet and I would probably just aim for a 50k distance and be done.
Right now (the last 3 weeks), most of my runs are with my son and the longest has been 9 miles, but I have been doing doubles. Even in the heat, I try to ensure that my shortest run is not shorter than 4 miles but aimed around 6 miles mostly.
All my current 5k races involve my son so it won't be fast at all, and I haven't signed up for anything else other than the Evansville Half Marathon.
I don't have a printer here at home, I am going to have to write one of these workouts on my arm for tonight.
Do you have a Garmin? Depending which one, you can program workouts on the website and then transfer them to your Makes it way easier than trying to remember.
Alternatively, if you have the run/walk alert, you can use that to do intervals too.
Do you have a Garmin? Depending which one, you can program workouts on the website and then transfer them to your Makes it way easier than trying to remember. Alternatively, if you have the run/walk alert, you can use that to do intervals too.
I've got the Garmin 220. And I've never used it for anything other than my normal runs (start, only pause when I have to, and then stop and save when finished).
How would I want to set it?Interval:
Rest:
Are we there, yet?
If you've never done intervals before, even if you're pretty fit, you should ease into them. The progression I often recommend is to start with 10-12 x 200m (half a lap) at 5K race pace and jog a half lap for recovery which brings you back to the start. I bump that up by 2 each week for a couple weeks, then switch to 8 x 400m intervals initially with a 400m jog recovery. Bump that up by 1-2 intervals for a couple weeks, then shorten the recovery to only a 200m jog for a couple weeks. Only then do I move up to 4 x 800m or 3 x 1000m intervals at 10K pace trying to still keep the recovery at a 200m jog and work up to 6 x 800m or 5 x 1000m. That's roughly 3 miles of intervals which is enough for shorter races. Sometimes just to keep up the speed I'll add 2 x 200m at 5K pace at the end.
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.
You can program workouts for the 220. You need to go on the Garmin Connect website (not the app). On the menu bar, there is an option for Workouts. You can create workouts from there. The workouts then update to the app (if you use it) and you can send it to your phone from the app, or if you use the cable, you can transfer that way (I think).
I've been doing most of my interval workouts by time and not distance. I like 1 minute hard, 1 minute recover. For me, it works out to roughly 200m.
Some of the earlier interval workouts I did were from Shape's Drop 10 workouts. I can't find a good link, if you use Pinterest, it looks like you can find them there. Basically, they are HIIT workouts, you can do them running, spin, etc.
You can program workouts for the 220. You need to go on the Garmin Connect website (not the app). On the menu bar, there is an option for Workouts. You can create workouts from there. The workouts then update to the app (if you use it) and you can send it to your phone from the app, or if you use the cable, you can transfer that way (I think). I've been doing most of my interval workouts by time and not distance. I like 1 minute hard, 1 minute recover. For me, it works out to roughly 200m. Some of the earlier interval workouts I did were from Shape's Drop 10 workouts. I can't find a good link, if you use Pinterest, it looks like you can find them there. Basically, they are HIIT workouts, you can do them running, spin, etc.
I've been playing with my 220 today, the interval and rest part, and the warm up and cool down. I kind of like the distance better than the time part though, like .25 intervals and then maybe .25 rest/recover. I'll be headed to the track here shortly, we'll see how things go. I'd like to add some stair workouts to it, but I think I'll just go with intervals this round.
Okay, so I am back from the track. Let's see if I can speak the lingo
I decided on a 4x400m interval.
Two laps to warm up at the very beginning.
1 lap at 10k-15k pace
1 lap easy pace
Repeat 4 times
Cool down lap - total of 2.84 miles
1 lap to warm up
1 lap cool down - total of 2.5 miles
Then, since I was feeling real good still.... I hit the stairs for stair bounds - 14 ups while skipping a step, and 14 downs all in 5:49 or .2 miles
I am going to be feeling this tomorrow but I very much enjoyed it.
Okay, so I am back from the track. Let's see if I can speak the lingo I decided on a 4x400m interval. Two laps to warm up at the very beginning. 1 lap at 10k-15k pace 1 lap easy pace Repeat 4 times Cool down lap - total of 2.84 miles 1 lap to warm up 1 lap at 10k-15k pace 1 lap easy pace Repeat 4 times 1 lap cool down - total of 2.5 miles Then, since I was feeling real good still.... I hit the stairs for stair bounds - 14 ups while skipping a step, and 14 downs all in 5:49 or .2 miles I am going to be feeling this tomorrow but I very much enjoyed it.
When you've been running at a steady pace for a long time, intervals are loads of fun.
I feel good.....surprisingly. I want to obsess over it, but I think I'll be smart and do intervals once a week.
When you've been running at a steady pace for a long time, only have to do four of them and they are at 10k-15k pace, intervals are loads of fun.
I wanted to do more, but decided it would be safer to be cautious And technically I did 8, or two sets of the 4x400m
I'm contemplating on increasing it just a little next Sunday, maybe 4x800m and see what happens.
Okay, this garmin thingy is a little confusing. When creating a workout, it has either Add a Step or Add a Repeat, well I want to repeat the workout 3 or 4 times.
I wanted to do more, but decided it would be safer to be cautious And technically I did 8, or two sets of the 4x400m I'm contemplating on increasing it just a little next Sunday, maybe 4x800m and see what happens.
Being cautious is good. I just meant, yours was fun because it wasn't too hard of a workout. Although, in general, I don't mind 400's.