Setting up a track workout
Hi folks,
I need some advise. Some of my running buddies want to organize group track workouts. Some of these folks are triathletes, and some are runners. Some looked at hiring a coach, but I thought we might be able to organize it ourselves.
Of course, the question is - how to get a hold of some decent track workout plans. With some variety from week to week?
I know a few of you run participate and help organize your group's track workouts, so I'm looking for some advise on how to start and how to get a set of workouts that we can use.
Any advise from the team?
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Comments
Mike -
hard to say when we know nothing of what the group is trainnig for.
I would reach out to Carrie Chavez; she's been running track workouts for FMRC for 5 years...
P
The group I run with basically just has about 6 workouts they rotate through. With so many different people doing different workouts it is hard to do anything that will work for everyone. Plus there are usually anywhere from 40-80 people that show up. That said they do adjust for time of the season.... i.e. the two months leading up to the Chicago Marathon are 1mi, 1000m and Yasso 800s much more than short stuff.
1 mi (3')
1000m cruise intervals (2.5 laps hard/.5 lap easy)
800m (2')
Yasso 800s
400m (1')
200m (1')
We do an informal 1-2 mile WU and then 6 100m strides as a group.
After the workout we do another set of strides as a group and then CD on our own.
We have 5 pace groups and each group does a different number of intervals at a different pace. For example on mile repeat days group 1 typically does 5 at 5:30 pace, group 3 does 3 at 7:30 pace and group 5 does 3 at 9:30 pace. This way eveyone has a group to run with. The groups each start together but people break up into sub groups. 5A ends up coming in at about 5:10, 5B is right at 5:30, 5C is around 5:50 and so on.
To control the crowd we also assign lanes sometimes. Like Group 1 and 2 stick to lanes 1 and 2 and start together as 1 will not lap 2 but will lap groups 4 and 5. Group 3 gets lanes 3 and 4 because it is the biggest group. Groupd 4 and 5 get lanes 4 and 5. Yes, 4 and 5 end up running slightly further but the goal was to make it simple.
My old Running Club (which was awesome by the way) had weekly track workouts. They used to have a slightly more complicated schedule, but now they have a simply 6 week rotating plan- makes it easier for folks to show up, know what the workout is, and get going. you can find info on it here:
http://www.mcrrc.org/training/track.php
and the actual 6 week schedule here:
http://www.mcrrc.org/training/wotable.php
Like Patrick said I have been hosting my local teams track for years.
In winter lately we have done a variation of the OS intervals, then I give a marathon option for peeps running a marathon. They follow the Boston Marathon plan from the BAA site.
Right now we are building to race fast 5 and 10 K's which helps all runners. 800, 1200 or mile repeats at between 5-10K pace always with the goal of negative splitting the workout.
We do 1-2 mile warm up
drills
2-4 x 100 strides
then 2.5-4 miles worth of intervals depending on intensity.
Hope that helps,
Carrie
Carrie