By Jon Stoehr; Manager, Fleet Feet Sports; Winner of the ’09
Spinx Run Fest Half Marathon and ’10 Greer Earth Day Half Marathon
As serious runners, we often become obsessed with our weekly
trips to the local track for our speed work. The track is a great resource – it
gives you an accurate distance and a flat surface – that provides a consistent
assessment of your fitness. The problem is that when you make the track your
only speedwork option, you may be forced to skip it more often.
In addition, while we’re running on a track we often focus
more on our watches than our bodies. It’s important to listen to your body
while you’re putting in a hard effort. It can tell you some amazing things
like, “This pace is easy...” or, “Better back off if you want to finish this
workout.” When you’re not obsessed with each split, it’s far easier to hear
these signals. You’ll find that you feel much more prepared on race day because
you’re aware of how you’ll feel during the race.
So what are some viable options for speed work without the
track? Let’s say you had planned to do a 6 x 800 meter workout at 7:00/mile
pace on the track. If you can’t get to a track, then head out onto the roads
for a Fartlek for six hard efforts at 3:30 minutes each (6 x 3:30).
When possible, opt for a road that is relatively flat
without many busy intersections. In Greenville, the Swamp Rabbit Trail is a
fantastic option. It has nice stretches between road crossings and it’s fairly
flat. The small inclines and declines that it does offer will help you add a
little strength with your speed.
Remember that during a Fartlek, your watch should never
stop. You should have a designated rest goal to use between each interval and
keep the watch running between those intervals. For example, if you had planned
to use a 2:00 rest after running 3:30 hard, your second interval will begin
when the watch reaches 5:30. Being strict with your rest will help you reap the
maximum benefits of the workout. On a track it’s easy to extend our rest by
waiting to reset the watch or slowly trudging back to the starting line.
Throughout the workout be sure to stay focused on keeping a
consistent effort. These extended efforts of focus – with no splits – have an
added benefit. They will help you focus better for extended periods of time
during long road races like a 10K, half-marathon, or even a marathon.
Another workout option is Hill Repeats. Sure, this wouldn’t
really qualify as “speed” work, but it’s a great change from the ordinary
routine and offers some real benefits. Hill repeats not only will make you a
stronger runner and allow you to better handle hills in a race, but also offer
great psychological benefits. Using a long, steady climb (about 400 meters) and
running all the way through the crest of the hill will give the most benefits.
8-10 repeats with a quick jog back to the bottom is recommended for advanced
runners while 4-5 will provide a sufficient amount of pain for a more novice
runner.
My favorite workout is a Fartlek that incorporates speed and
endurance. I’ll do hard efforts for 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00, and 5:00 while
taking a rest for half the amount of time that I just ran. Once I complete my
5:00 interval, I head back down – 5:00, 4:00, 3:00, 2:00, 1:00. In total, I get
30 minutes of hard running with less than 15 minutes of rest.
Next
time you find yourself dreading another upcoming workout at the track, try
taking it to the roads. After all, don’t we almost always race on the roads?
