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Track Workouts for January & February 2011

Apologies for the late posting of these workouts.  We will have the Washington & Lee track available on Wednesdays through the end of February.  March availability will depend on the as-yet unknown spring sports schedule.  So, we will post only through February at this point.  

The workouts for Marathon Training Program and the "regular" group will now merge. Adjustments are at the discretion of the directors of the MTP.  

Participants in the Half-Marathon Training Group should also follow the direction of their coaches.  The suggested workout pattern is to alternate workouts of 400M repeats and 800M repeats, at a comfortably fast and even pace, for the next six weeks or so.  Rest interval should be a jog of half the distance of the repeat (200M and 400M respectively).  This will seem repetitive, but when starting out with track work, that kind of repetition is beneficial. 

The February 23 workout is intended to mimic the famous "Yassoo 800s". This will be be explained at the track; you can also ask the program coaches.  

On to the workouts:  

January 12:    3 - 4 x 1600M    CIP (10K)   400M jog recovery. 

January 19:    5 x 1000M         TIP  (10M)   200M slow jog recovery. 

January 26     12 - 14 x 400M   CIP (10K)   100M jog recovery. 

February 2     3 -4 x 1600M      CIP  (10K)  400M jog recovery. 

February 9     6 x 800M            IP   (5K)     400M jog recovery. 

February 16   2 x 15:00           TP   (10M)   2:00 recovery. 

February 23   8 x 800M            IP    (5K)    400M recovery. 

Track Workouts: December 2010

Welcome to Winter Running! 

This winter, our Wednesday Night program is expanding, due to the influx of participants in the DCRRC Spring Training Program for the Marathon and Half-Marathon. By January, the workouts for the training group and the regular Wednesday night group will largely be the same. But December's workouts are bifurcated, see below charts.  I will make adjustments as the season progresses, and obviously if the weather dictates. If it is so cold that a simple 20-minute tempo run and then a dash to the car is all we can handle, that it what we will do.

Workouts for the training program will start at 7:00. Those in the full or half-marathon training programs should be warmed up, stretched, and ready to go at 7:00.

Workouts for the "regular" Wednesday night group will start at 7:15. This should reduce congestion on the track between the two groups. But, if congestion problems remain, we will move back the training group start time to 6:45.

Please remember the Lane One Rule at all times -- run your "fast" repeats in Lane One, hugging as close to the inside line as possible. Do not run side-by-side. Leave Lane Two clear for passing at all times. Jog your recoveries in the outer lanes, or inside the track on rhe grass/turf.

The following workouts are designed for both the marathon and half-marathon. Most of the work during December and January will be done at three paces: Tempo Run Pace (TRP), Tempo Interval Pace (TIP), and Cruise Interval Pace (CIP). (These terms can be found on the McMillan Running Calculator©, accessible from this page.)

For Wednesday night regulars, TRP and TIP are 10-Mile race pace -- but as you can see from the McMillan calculator, TIP (used on shorter tempo intervals) is a bit faster than TRP (used on steady interval runs of 15 minutes or more).Cruise Interval pace approximates your pace for a 10K. For the regular Wednesday night group, weather permitting, we will throw in a couple of Interval or 5K pace workouts -- in February and March.

Many ask whether they should base their speed on their past times, or the times they are shooting for. As long as your goal pace is realistic, it’s fine to train at that pace. But be careful about over-doing things, and it is a good idea to start at the slower end of the pace ranges found in the McMillan Calculator©.

Some hints, particularly for those in the training programs: Workouts can be customized, but preferably, such “customization” should take place by varying paces. This should be done in consultation with one of the coaches. For examples, some might wish to do some faster speed (“Interval Pace”) work later in the program. This can be accommodated.

The schedule here is not set in stone, either for individuals, or for the group. Individual coaching means just that. These will be the basic workouts for the group; we will adjust as the needs of the group and weather conditions warrant. In addition, you should consult with your coaches regarding questions on the number of repeats or intensity that you should be dong.

Finally, for those who cannot make the workouts: These workouts can be done on a treadmill, or on a measured trail (preferably flat). If that is not available to you, a good all-purpose workout is Hill Repeats. Try a half-dozen repeats up a moderately steep hill of 150M to 200M in length. Run the hills up comfortably hard – not all-out. Jog down the hill for your recovery.

Everyone should begin the workouts with a warm-up jog of at least 1 mile, preferably 2 miles. Warm down should be at least 1 mile of jogging, plus some stretching.

Now, the workouts:

Remember:
Tempo Run Race = TRP = 10-Mile to Half-Marathon race pace.
Tempo Interval Pace = TIP = 10-Mile race pace or slighty faster.
Cruise Interval Pace = CIP = 10K race pace.

REGULAR GROUP WORKOUTS

January-March Workouts to Come!