The Tuesday Track Workout

We are taking a Hiatus. Once we clear up this covid thing and we get back to being able to spend more time together in public, we will make an announcement here.

To Be Continued...

Have you always wanted to run a little stronger, a little faster, and have some motivated people around to help push you along? Well now you can have all of those things at the best Track workout ever.

Interest peaked? Read on for more details including the weekly workout.

Meet outdoors (year round) at the Harvard Track at the corner nearest the parking lot. During the winter when the track is buried we meet in the parking lot. We base our workout on intervals around the Harvard Colosseum (~600m). View Larger Map (https://maps.google.com/maps?q=mccurdy+track&ie=UTF8&hl=en&hq=McCurdy+Track&hnear=McCurdy+Track,+Boston,+Suffolk,+Massachusetts&t=h&cid=4187297081850575590&source=embed&ll=42.366202,-71.128482&spn=0.002774,0.00456&iwloc=A)

The workout is a simple speed workout designed to add some variety to your run.

The rest of this details the workout and highlights a few things I think are important to remember. Skip it if you would rather just wing it and meet us at the track. We'll fill you in there.

If you have never run on a track before, don't worry if none of this makes sense right now. As much as I will try to prep you, it usually just takes a few laps around the track for all of this to sink in.

The Workout

The workouts vary on a weekly basis and are usually interval based. We sometimes do workouts that are fun and different. Come see what this weeks workout is!

What does that mean?

1. The distances (200, 400, 800, etc.) are the distances we run on the track. Each lap around the track is 400 meters.

2. Each lap is supposed to be run at a certain speed, based on your 5k pace. Don't know what your 5k pace is? Read my instructions below to calculate your 5k pace.

*3. The recovery interval (RI), which is indicated in parentheses, may be a specified timed interval or a distance that you walk/jog.

Things to remember

Track workouts are supposed to be FUN! Don't be intimidated or dread a track workout. This is supposed to be a fun supplement to your other "normal" runs. With all of us out there encouraging each other it should be a blast.

Bring a running stopwatch/wristwatch if you have one! Using the start/lap/stop function will help you pace yourself on each lap.

Don't push it! If something hurts or starts to feel tight, don't risk an injury because you ran too hard on your first track workout of the summer. We have plenty of time to ease in...

Bring water for the end!!!

5k pace instructions

Decide how fast you would like to run a 5k. Choose a time that is reasonable yet challenging. Convert that time to seconds, and divide the seconds by 12.5 (the number of 400 meter laps it takes to run 5k). That is your 5k pace.

As an example, I might decide a reasonable yet challenging goal time for a 5k is 24 minutes.

24 minutes x 60 seconds per minute = 1440 seconds

1440 seconds divided by 12.5 laps in a 5k ~= 115 seconds / lap

This means that I will run the workout according to a pace of 115 seconds / lap.

I will also have pacing charts available at the track, so don't fret.

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