Week 12 - last workout of the year

Hey everyone,

We're pushing the speed this week.  This workout will help you learn to keep increasing your speed even when fatigue is setting in.

Workout:
1200
800
800
600
600
600
400
400
400

Give yourself enough rest to keep the paces very high.  It's low total mileage so let er rip.  You'll know you are doing it right if you feel like you want to throw up during your 600s.  When you get to your 400s go faster.  I listed three of them, but try to do as many as you can at a fast pace.

Race:
 The 911 5k is coming up.  It's on Saturday September 10th.  We've entered a team for the past few years and managed to win the Open Team competition 4 times.  It's a fun race and a great after-party.  Sign up here and look for Team Tracky Tuesday.  All are welcome.

Run Fast!

Week 10 - Phase 4 (the fast stuff)

Sign up for the 911 5K and join Team Tracky Tuesday.  All are welcome.  Fun Saturday night race with a great after party.   

Moving into the last phase of the summer we are putting on some speed.  Same overall distance, but shorter intervals to really get you moving.

Workout:

1200- just cruise this one.  I want you saving enough to go fast in the following intervals.
4x800 - For the first lap you need to go about the same pace as you did for the 1200.  On the second lap step up the pace.  Push it hard, but not quite an all out sprint.
600
600
400
400
Full rest after each of these.  Get enough rest so that you can keep your speed up.

It's so hot.  Be careful out there.

RunFast

m

Week 9

What happened to week 8?  Well, life got a little hectic and I had to take care of family.  That always comes before running.  Hope you were able to adapt and get a workout in or use the opportunity to take a week off.  Let's jump right back in.

The Workout:
600
Full rest
1600
Full rest, then do the following 3 times:
   800
   1 minute rest
   400 fast
   full rest

Finish the workout with a hard 1000.

Stay cool out there.  Run Fast.

m

Week 7 - Phase III

Hey, remember the 4 phases of the summer?  It's time for phase 3 which means we are upping the distance of each interval.  That's hard.  What's harder is the reduction of number times you rest in the workout.

1600
800
1200
800
1200
800

Full rest after each.

A note on pace:  A few of these intervals are longer than what you've been running, but really try to keep the pace the same as the previous workouts.  You'll have more in the tank than you think. 

Watch the heat and stay hydrated.

Run Fast

m

Week 6

There hasn't been a year of these workouts that hasn't included one or two ladder workouts.  Mid point in the year is a good place to get it in before we start shortening up the rest.

400
800
1200
1600
1200
800
400
Full rest after each.

The trick to a good ladder workout is to pace it out so you aren't sprinting the 400s and you aren't jogging the 1600.  What I do is pace out like I'm doing a 1200 and try to do that for all intervals.  If I still have a little left in the tank I pick up the pace for the last 2 or 3 intervals.  If you get to the 1600 and think "there's no way I can't keep up this pace" you're probably doing it right.

Stay hydrated.

Run Fast.

m

week 5

Sorry for the late post.

The Workout:

400
1000
1000
1000
1000
600
600
600
600

That's 4.25 miles.  Full rest after each one.

Stay hydrated.  Run Fast.

m 

Week 4

We're in phase 2.  In this phase we keep on with the moderate interval distance, but we are upping the mileage to 4 or more miles. 

The workout this week is going to test you.  It's an inverted pyramid.  That means longer stuff at the beginning, short stuff in the middle and then you finish with more long stuff.

1200
1000
800
400 - no need to sprint here.  Keep the pace just slightly faster than the longer intervals
800
1000 - you are going to start feeling like do-do here.  Really try to keep the pace up.
1200 - YeeeeeHAAAW!

Full rest (2-4 minutes) after each one.   

Run Fast!

m

Week 3

VA people - We're back at Wakefield again this week for a 7pm start.

The workout:

We're starting to up the total milage.

800
1000
1200
1000
800
400

Give yourself full rest after each one.  This means you have your breath back.  If you where a heartrate monitor your heartrate is back down and leveled off).  It should be 3 minutes or so.  No more than 5.  If you need more than 5 minutes you are probably going too fast.

This workout is 3.5 miles long.  That's .5 more than the previous weeks.  You should try to keep the same pace as the last workout.  The important part is keeping up with it though the 1200 and 1000's.  If you back off too much on those and then sprint the last two intervals you've missed out on the benefit of the workout.

Stay hydrated.

Run Fast.

m

Week 2 - 2016

Learned something new last week.  When picking a track for a workout, make sure that it's a welcoming place for runners.  The near collisions and darting around soccer players and bystanders might not be worth the new surface.

VA people, if this week is like last week we'll switch back to W&L.

Workout:

Sticking with moderate intervals, big rest, and 3 miles of total distance.

1000
800
1000
600
1000
400

Pace this out so that when you finish the 600 you feel very ready to be done.  Full rest between each.

It's going to be much hotter than last week.  Be careful out there.

RunFast,

m

Week 1 - 2016

New time and new track for the Virginia folks- We start at 7pm at Wakefield. 

For the DC folks- you guys are awesome.  Keep me posted on how your workouts are going throughout the year.  Hope to see you at the 911 5k.

The plan for 2016.  This year will have four phases.
We'll start out with moderate interval distance and moderate total distance.  Think 800s for about 3.0 miles total.
Then we'll start adding intervals to up the total miles to about 4.
The 3rd phase will be to starting increasing the length of the intervals while totals will remain about 4.
In the 4th phase we'll start pulling back on interval length, but upping the speed.  
By Week 12 you should start to feel pretty greasy.

The workout:

400 - take er easy and get a feel for the right pace.  Err on the side of going too slow and adjust later on the next one.
1200 -
800
800
800
800

Full rest after each one.  Take as much time as you need to feel recovered before each interval.  Usually when we are chatting and laughing again it's about time to go.

Be careful in the heat.  You're still acclimating.

Run Fast,

m
 

Tracky Tuesday is spinning up June 14th

Tracky Tuesday is back!

This year is going to be a good one.  I've dialed up some old favorites and have a few new surprises in store.

Hey, recruit some friends and co-workers to join us.  They don't have to be fast, just have a good attitude and enjoy tough workouts sprinkled with snarky commentary.  More people = more fun.

And also, we did not win the 911 5k.  Let's get the belt back. 

More info as we get closer to the 14th.