your favourite track workouts--let's catalogue them!

[ultraslacker]

I'm jumping the gun a bit since I can't do proper speedwork right now, but I want to start building the habit of a weekly track workout. As someone who gets bored easily, I thought it would be fun to compile everyone's favourite track workouts so we can try different things. So let's have them... your favourite ladders, intervals, and whatnot... mix it up a bit, tell us what you like about that workout and what kinds of training you use it for. :)

[eljeffe]

Favorite?

Let's go with most effective. I like the Yasso 800s, I do 10-15 minutes of warmup laps, the 8-10x800m hopefully at the highest effort I can sustain so that they are all within a few seconds of each other. Recovery time is equal to the time it took to complete the 800m.

I've been skipping the track in favor of the Seawall lately. I just run max effort for 1 km, recover 1 km, repeat.

[Jwolf]

I like 800's too, either on the track or the treadmill. I do them as a VO2max workout at 5K pace (so a bit faster than Yassos), with a 2-3K warmup and cooldown. I use Daniels' guidelines to limit my speedwork base on my total mileage, so if I'd want to be doing 80K/week to build up to 8 x 800s (you can do them on less weekly mileage if you do them a bit slower than 5K pace). If I'm only doing 50-60K/week I'll do 5-6 reps.

I'll often do speedwork on the road, but I'll do it by time and not distance. Always with a good warmup and cooldown.

For marathon training I also like mile repeats at 10K pace (tempo intervals) with 60-90 sec rest.


Early in training if I want to do speedwork, I'll just do informal fartleks by speeding up for short bursts (30-60 sec) with long recovery (double) or longer times (2-3 minutes) and then slowly jogging for the same time to recover. Again, I'll limit the fast portion based on my weekly mileage.

[jgore]

There's the hell workout that Denis Grant was given by some speedster he was interviewing: 30/30/30. That's 30 seconds as fast as possible, 30 seconds slow jog, repeat 30 times. The 2 times I tried it I managed 30/30/10 (x2). After the 10th 30-second sprint I was ready to puke, so I jogged for 4 or 5 minutes, then did another 10.

[MichaelMc]

There's the hell workout that Denis Grant was given by some speedster he was interviewing: 30/30/30. That's 30 seconds as fast as possible, 30 seconds slow jog, repeat 30 times. The 2 times I tried it I managed 30/30/10 (x2). After the 10th 30-second sprint I was ready to puke, so I jogged for 4 or 5 minutes, then did another 10.

That is a Billat VO2 max workout. Veronique Billat is a French researcher: http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0896.htm

That one is tough, the 2 minute/2 minute one is a KILLER.

[ultraslacker]

There's the hell workout that Denis Grant was given by some speedster he was interviewing: 30/30/30. That's 30 seconds as fast as possible, 30 seconds slow jog, repeat 30 times. The 2 times I tried it I managed 30/30/10 (x2). After the 10th 30-second sprint I was ready to puke, so I jogged for 4 or 5 minutes, then did another 10.

That is a Billat VO2 max workout. Veronique Billat is a French researcher: http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0896.htm

That one is tough, the 2 minute/2 minute one is a KILLER.

both of those sound insane!!

will have to wait until I'm stronger to try them, but thanks for the ideas.

keep them coming! :)

[bruyere]

I've had to do 12 x 2 min hard/1 min easy... that was fun and challenging.
How many times does this workout have you repeating 2x2?

Lately, I've done 4 x 1 mile and 12 x 400m, at pretty specific paces, always getting increasingly faster each interval, but tiny amounts. I find that the most difficult and challenging -- getting the paces right. I tend to go too fast because I don't know what the given pace should feel like. Then I see after a quarter or half lap that I'm too fast, but am too scared to back off because I worry about backing off TOO much. So it's a mental thing, for me.

[QuickChick]

I found 3000 (just off 5K pace), 2000 (5K pace), 1000 (faster than 5K) to be one of the tougher ones I did this spring. I really like mile repeats too.

[runshorts]

Pyramids (400m, 800m, 1200m, 1600m, 2000m, 1600m, 1200m, 800m, 400m), rolling peaks (800m, 1600m, 800m, 1600m, etc.), Yasso 800s, and mile repeats are my main track workouts. I also like the speed workouts in Run Less, Run Faster - the repeats tend to be a bit longer.

[Robbie-T]

Haven't been to the track in years, 4-5 1k intervals down the road/trail ~5k pace, no stopping between 500m easy pace.

[scrumhalfgirl]

Karen Smyers gave us a neat one on the weekend - 2 miles on the track at an average of 10km pace, but you alternate 400s @ 5s faster than 10km pace and 400s @ 5 s slower. So (for ease of math) if your 10 km time was 50:00 (5min/km pace) - your average would be 2:00/400, but you do 400 in 1:55 / 400 in 2:05 / 400 in 1:55 / 400 in 2:05 etc. You can start with 2 x 1 mile with some active recovery in between if you want, and then build up eventually to 3 miles.

[ultraslacker]

Haven't been to the track in years, 4-5 1k intervals down the road/trail ~5k pace, no stopping between 500m easy pace.

Unfortunately, that's difficult to do around here since there are very few (if any) flat stretches that aren't on tracks. You're either doing a significant uphill or a significant downhill (which might be ok for speedwork for someone who is very strong, but not for me right now!). There's one *almost* flat stretch near my house but it's still inclined so I could only run it hard in one direction... couldn't run it hard on the downhill until my hip is better.

[eljeffe]

Haven't been to the track in years, 4-5 1k intervals down the road/trail ~5k pace, no stopping between 500m easy pace.

Unfortunately, that's difficult to do around here since there are very few (if any) flat stretches that aren't on tracks. You're either doing a significant uphill or a significant downhill (which might be ok for speedwork for someone who is very strong, but not for me right now!). There's one *almost* flat stretch near my house but it's still inclined so I could only run it hard in one direction... couldn't run it hard on the downhill until my hip is better.

The Seawall is a good place to go. If you start at Science World, it's 20k around Stanley Park that you can go without having to stop or go up any hills.

[ultraslacker]

Pyramids (400m, 800m, 1200m, 1600m, 2000m, 1600m, 1200m, 800m, 400m), rolling peaks (800m, 1600m, 800m, 1600m, etc.),

what do you do for recovery time on these ones?

[ultraslacker]

Haven't been to the track in years, 4-5 1k intervals down the road/trail ~5k pace, no stopping between 500m easy pace.

Unfortunately, that's difficult to do around here since there are very few (if any) flat stretches that aren't on tracks. You're either doing a significant uphill or a significant downhill (which might be ok for speedwork for someone who is very strong, but not for me right now!). There's one *almost* flat stretch near my house but it's still inclined so I could only run it hard in one direction... couldn't run it hard on the downhill until my hip is better.

The Seawall is a good place to go. If you start at Science World, it's 20k around Stanley Park that you can go without having to stop or go up any hills.

the seawall is awesome, just not practical for an evening run for me, at least until summer (as in, by the time I would get there from here after work, it'd be dark).

[ian]

There's a bit of a difference between the track workouts that I like (e.g., Yasso 800s or 8-12x1K threshold intervals) and track workouts that I would recommend to others in good conscience. Probably the most versatile bit of speedwork is a "step ladder fartlek": 10 steps hard (counted on one side), 10 steps easy, 20 steps hard, 20 steps easy, 30 steps hard... all the way to something like 80 or 100, and then back down again. It's very distracting and can also be done on trails.

[ultraslacker]

There's a bit of a difference between the track workouts that I like (e.g., Yasso 800s or 8-12x1K threshold intervals) and track workouts that I would recommend to others in good conscience. Probably the most versatile bit of speedwork is a "step ladder fartlek": 10 steps hard (counted on one side), 10 steps easy, 20 steps hard, 20 steps easy, 30 steps hard... all the way to something like 80 or 100, and then back down again. It's very distracting and can also be done on trails.

cool!

[Nicholas]

There's the hell workout that Denis Grant was given by some speedster he was interviewing: 30/30/30. That's 30 seconds as fast as possible, 30 seconds slow jog, repeat 30 times. The 2 times I tried it I managed 30/30/10 (x2). After the 10th 30-second sprint I was ready to puke, so I jogged for 4 or 5 minutes, then did another 10.

I remember doing this many years ago down on the Canal. Total of 30 minutes (plus w/u & c/d) and made it up for myself...never having heard of Madame Billat. I still remember that workout! I did it once more soon after but not since. Wonder why?

[ultraslacker]

There's the hell workout that Denis Grant was given by some speedster he was interviewing: 30/30/30. That's 30 seconds as fast as possible, 30 seconds slow jog, repeat 30 times. The 2 times I tried it I managed 30/30/10 (x2). After the 10th 30-second sprint I was ready to puke, so I jogged for 4 or 5 minutes, then did another 10.

I remember doing this many years ago down on the Canal. Total of 30 minutes (plus w/u & c/d) and made it up for myself...never having heard of Madame Billat. I still remember that workout! I did it once more soon after but not since. Wonder why?

what I like about this is that it's simple, and you could adjust it to 1/1, 2/2, or whatever.

[Jwolf]

There's the hell workout that Denis Grant was given by some speedster he was interviewing: 30/30/30. That's 30 seconds as fast as possible, 30 seconds slow jog, repeat 30 times. The 2 times I tried it I managed 30/30/10 (x2). After the 10th 30-second sprint I was ready to puke, so I jogged for 4 or 5 minutes, then did another 10.

I remember doing this many years ago down on the Canal. Total of 30 minutes (plus w/u & c/d) and made it up for myself...never having heard of Madame Billat. I still remember that workout! I did it once more soon after but not since. Wonder why?

what I like about this is that it's simple, and you could adjust it to 1/1, 2/2, or whatever.

you can really do that for anything, actually. that's sort of the idea of fartleks. just run hard, recover, repeat. no matter what you do it has some benefit, but it helps to know specifically what you're trying to improve (and then therefore pick the right interval time). You'll likely improve no matter what you do (as long as you don't push too hard and get hurt), but you might get more specific results with targetted workouts, if you know what you're doing.

[Pat Menzies]

Most of the workouts mentioned are designed to keep the runner mentally interested rather than physically improving.

[ultraslacker]

Most of the workouts mentioned are designed to keep the runner mentally interested rather than physically improving.

If you don't feel that the workouts suggested are physically beneficial, do you have suggestions of ones that are?

also, doesn't keeping the runner mentally interested in speedwork help them anyway? Most of us wouldn't do it at all if we're bored to death by it. :)

[Jo-Jo]

Most of the workouts mentioned are designed to keep the runner mentally interested rather than physically improving.

If you don't feel that the workouts suggested are physically beneficial, do you have suggestions of ones that are?

also, doesn't keeping the runner mentally interested in speedwork help them anyway? Most of us wouldn't do it at all if we're bored to death by it.

I'm curious to read your suggested workouts.
I agree with Holly...for most of us if we're bored to death it won't get done

[Pat Menzies]

The most simple workouts will get the job done. I like stuff like 2x3000, 3x2000, 4x mile and 5 x1000. When you do workouts like that you are learning race pace and stride. Those are most useful when you can already at least run your goal race distance at a strong effort. I really don't see the point in worrying about workouts until you reach that level.
when I see people who like to just putter along on long runs jump into 'killer" workouts that may be useful for topping up the anaerobic capacity of an 800 meter runner I have to shake my head.
it is very easy to do stuff that makes you feel like you are really working hard but it is rarely in the right way. Short sprints with short recoveries initially work on a pace you're never going to see in a race and degenerate into a pace that gives the illusion of going fast but probably isn't.
Notice the biggest improvements from the people who just grind away with the basics.
You need some sort of plan rather than just leaping from one interesting workout to the next on a whim.

[QuickChick]

As a person who mostly likes longer races, I agree with Pat that those longer intervals are super effective if run at a fast enough pace. I always liked pyramids because there were so many short intervals (200, 400, 600) but I find it a lot tougher to hang on for a longer distance at a fast pace. The pyramids were nice because you only had to give 'er for a minute or a bit more or a bit less, and then I would get a break. The longer intervals keep me much more honest and for me, they're a much better workout!