Training
Time to Hit the Track By Ray Orchison
For the uninitiated , track-work can appear to be mundane and boring , but once you begin to see the benefits , you ’ ll be wishing every day was track day .
So , what ’ s all the hoohah about track anyway ? For starters , track sessions break the monotony of pounding the same old tar or trail routes day in and day out . Track brings something new , something different , and something that can be a lot of fun . However , chances are that your first thoughts of track involve a lot of running as hard as you can , until you either throw up , or get taken out by a hidden sniper ! ( In other words , you tear a hamstring .)
That really doesn ’ t sound like fun , and it ’ s really not the purpose of track sessions , nor what they ’ re all about . Of course , there are times when track sessions are extremely hard , and in some cases may result in lunch beginning to move in the wrong direction , but that type of session would only be given to an extremely strong and experienced runner . And even then , there would have to be a very clear objective before pushing anyone to that point . So , unless you ’ re an elite athlete , I ’ d leave these flat-out sessions , as the risk in terms of injury is far greater than the reward .
For the Silver Runners
If you are aiming to run silver medal times in various distance races , are capable of handling 100km-plus per week , and are currently doing some track work .
• Expert # 1 : 20min easy , then 10-15x400m at 15-20sec faster than current 5km race pace with 45 to 90sec rest between repeats , then 20min very easy .
• Expert # 2 : 20min easy , then 6x1000m at 15-20sec faster than current 5km race pace with 2-3min easy jog between repeats , then 20min very easy . Alternate this session and session # 3 every second to third week , then include once a week 4-6 weeks from start of race week .
• Expert # 3 : 20min easy , then 2-3x2000m at current 10km race pace with 3-5min easy jog between repeats , then 20min very easy .
The biggest mistake runners make when first incorporating track work into their programme is doing way too much , way too fast . You need to understand that for however long you ’ ve been running slowly , you ’ ve been conditioning your body and mind to function a certain way , and that is slowly . Track work gets you running faster , and thereby begins to change your biomechanics to be better suited for running faster , including more muscle fibre recruitment , improved metabolic function and the creation of new neural pathways … but these adaptations take time , and the more gradually you build up the speed work , the better off ( and more injury-free ) you ’ ll be .
The pace at which you should be doing your track intervals or repeats depends largely on the training adaptation you want to bring about . In other words , are you looking for aerobic or anaerobic improvements ? Do you want to enhance your aerobic power , or push back your lactate threshold levels ? Or are you trying to teach your body to better handle excess lactic acid accumulation ? As you can see , there are many ingredients that make up a track session , so let ’ s keep this practical and give you a few sessions you can actually use .
A Good Place to Start …
If you ’ ve never done track or speed work before , or if you ’ re coming back from a long lay-off .
• Beginner # 1 : 15-20min easy running , then 4x200m at 10-15sec per / km faster than your current 5km race pace , with 200m jog between repeats , followed by 15-20min very easy cool-down jog . Increase by two repeats each week , up to eight or 10 repeats . Once you start to get comfortable with eight repeats and the current speed , then begin to increase your speed gradually up to 15-30sec per / km faster than your current 5km race pace .
• Beginner # 2 : 15-20min easy running , then 2x800m at current 5km race pace with 3-4min easy jog between repeats , then 15-20min very easy cool-down jog . This type of session can be done every second or third week , adding an additional two reps every second or third session . Keep the pace relative to your current 5k race pace .
If Slightly More Experienced …
If you ’ ve done some quality work before , like hill repeats or tempo sessions , or even a few track sessions , and you can comfortably handle 60 to 90km of training a week .
• Intermediate # 1 : 20min easy , then 8-10x400m at 15-20sec faster than current 5km race pace , with 90sec very easy jog between repeats , then 20min very easy .
• Intermediate # 2 : 20min easy , then 4-6x1000m at 5sec faster than 5km race pace , with 3-4min easy jog between repeats , then 20min very easy . Alternate this session and session # 3 every second to third week .
• Intermediate # 3 : 20min easy , then 2-3x1600m at current 10km race pace with 2-5min easy jog between repeats , then 20min very easy .
Ray Orchison is a South African-born running coach and therapist . He has completed the Comrades Marathon eight times , with a best of 7:08:52 , and also boasts personal bests of 33:55 for 10km , 1:14:17 for 21.1km and 2:48:00 for the marathon . He has completed USATF and NAASFP coaching courses , and provides personalised training programmes to his clients . Now based in Perth , Australia , you can find him at https :// runetics . com . au .
70 ISSUE 156 | www . modernathlete . co . za