Wednesday Track Workouts

Welcome to the DCRRC Wednesday Night Track Workouts. In conjunction with our year-round distance-specific training programs, and our regular Saturday Long Runs, these workouts aim to give runners of all abilities the fitness to reach their goals. For the novice or casual runner, these workouts will challenge you to a higher level of running fitness. For the competitive runner, track workouts are an essential means to reaching personal bests and to succeed at whatever level you are competing.

Where & When

Unless otherwise noted, workouts are held on the track at Washington-Liberty (formerly Washington-Lee) High School in Arlington. We meet near the concession stand (northwest corner) at 7:10pm and start the workout at 7:15pm. Warmups, drills, etc. are on your own.

Philosophy

Our workouts focus on two of the three forms of speed work used by distance runners from the 5K to the Marathon: Stamina Training (10K race pace or slower) and Interval Training (around 5K race pace). We also do a limited amount of Speed Training (faster than 5K race pace) especially during the summer.

Do not worry if this is new to you, and especially if you feel that track workouts are for "fast" runners. Our posted workouts are suggested "maximums," and can be individually tailored to your current level of fitness and specific running goals. Our coach, Ed Grant, has been leading these workouts for 20 years, and is happy to customize a workout plan to meet your needs.

Paces

To get a sense of how fast you should run during these workouts, we encourage you use the McMillan Running Calculator. You can plug in a recent race time and a goal race time, and the Calculator will churn out Training Paces (click on that term) for everything from long runs to speed paces. We recommend applying Mark Hadley's temperature + dew point adjustments in warm and humid weather. Temperature and dew point forecasts are available from the National Weather Service.

Track Workouts for August 2014

Written by Edward Grant

Sunday, 03 August 2014 14:34

Members & Guests:  

After a couple of good weeks, the steamy weather has returned.  Our workouts in early August will accommodate this fact with shorter distances and lengthier recoveries; we will switch to slower paces, longer repeats, and shorter recoveries at the end of the month as we transition to more 26.2/13.1/10M-focused workouts.  

A look ahead:  Due to scheduled high school games at Washington-Lee, it now looks like we will "lose" the track on Wednesdays September 3 & 10, and October 1 & 15.  Fortunately, the schedule presently shows that the track will be open on the TUESDAY of each of these weeks.  So, please be prepared for our workouts to shift to Tuesday nights during these four weeks.  More updates when we post the fall training schedule later in August.  

Training Programs:  At this point, most MTPers should be able to "carry" these workouts, or a slightly modified version.  Please see Coach Ed with any questions or for suggested modifications.  Those in 10-Mile/Half training should attempt reduced versions of these workouts; also consult Coach Ed for specific guidance.  ed@dcroadrunners.org

Finally, for all runs/races in August, please remember our Temperature + Dew Point Index.  Add those two numbers (dew point always available on weather.com). If the total is over 140, which is common, adjust to slower pace and, preferably, shorter distance than you would in more cooler and drier conditions.  Above 150, consider no workout or race at all (depending on your level of fitness and tolerance), or modify pace/distance more stringently.  Anything approaching or exceeding 160 should keep you running indoors or limited to a very easy workout outdoors.  The weather will eventually break, and you be more fresh and ready to roll if you follow these guidelines (which are meteoroligist/runner approved!) 

 

Wednesday August 6:  10-12 x 400M @ 5K pace (accommodating for predicted heat/humidity).  400M recovery.  Take a hydration break halfway through.  

Wednesday August 13:  6 x 800M @ 5K pace.  Slow 400M recovery.  8 repeats okay depending on fitness and weather conditions. 

Wednesday August 20:  3-4 x 1-Mile @ 10K or "Cruise Interval" pace.  (See McMillan Running Calculator).  Best to start at 10M pace for first repeat, then work down.  Finish after a break with 2 x 400M # 5K pace, 200M recovery. If hot weather intercedes, we will shift to 400M repeats at 10K pace with 100M recovery.  

Wednesday August 27: 2 x 12:00 tempo run.  2:30 recovery. Aim for a long warm up and warm down on this one.  We will build up to 2 x 15:00, then 20/15, and finally, 2 x 20:00 in October.  

See you at the track!

 

Wednesday Track Workouts for July 2014

Written by Edward Grant

Tuesday, 01 July 2014 17:56

Members & Guests:

Here are workouts for July 2014.  Two workouts are pre-empted by scheduled races (July 16 and 23) but workouts are posted for the benefit of those not doing the races or training on their own or with the Thursday morning group.

Remember we start the workout proper at 7:30 pm to allow other groups to finish.

July 2:  500M repeats @ 5K pace.  300M jog to recover.  Aim for 8-10 repeats.  Less experienced traning group participants should aim for 4-6 repeats.  Coach Ed will not be present, but Brian will lead the workout.

July 9:  10 x 400M repeats @ 3K pace (or faster).  Full 400M jog recovery.  This is a chance to run close to full racing speed, and get a full recovery.  We will repeat this workout in August. Less experienced traning group runners aim for 6-8 repeats.

July 16:  No Wednesday Night Track.  Bluemont 5K.  Suggested workout: 6 - 8 x 800M @ 5K pace. Slow 400M jog recovery.

July 23: DCRRC Track Championships.  Alternate workout.  2 x 400M @ 10K pace.  200M recovery jog.  Then, rest 1 minute.  Then, 2 x 1-Mile.  Pace: Aim for under 5K pace.  Take a full 5-7 minutes between the miles to recover.

July 30: 200M (200M recovery) -- 400M (200M) -- 500M (300M) -- 600M (400M) -- 800M (400M).  Take short hydration break, then repeat in reverse, starting with 800M.  All repeats at 5K pace.

 

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Directions to Track

Track workouts are held on the track at Washington-Liberty (formerly Washington-Lee) High School.

From Washington DC: take I-66 east to the Glebe Road exit, turn right on Glebe, right on 15th Street for about 0.4 miles, to Stafford Street, turn right and cross over I-66 and the school is on your left.
From Vienna and points west in Virginia: take I-66 east to the Fairfax Drive exit, follow Fairfax Drive for about 0.8 mile to Stafford Street, turn left for about 0.3 miles and the school is on your right.
From Alexandria: take Glebe Road going north until turning right on 15th Street, and proceed as from DC.
Metro: Washington-Liberty is a short walk from both the Virginia Square and Ballston Metro stations (Orange/Silver lines).

 DCRRlogotypeRRCA member

The DC Road Runners Club is a member of the Road Runners Club of America and is also affiliated with USA Track & Field. We provide a year-round schedule of running events that offer everyone a chance to participate regardless of age, gender, or athletic ability.