Running Around 8.21.11

I'll keep the narrative short this week. It's going to be a tough week for milers. But the mile is a tough race, so you need to put in the work if you expect the results. For everyone else, we'll just do a basic 400m workout. Both workouts will be at R pace this week. Remember that R-pace is fast, but still in control. It's better to back off the effort a little to maintain your form, efficiency, and running economy. That's what we're working on here. Flailing away to hit a particular split is counter-productive. We want strong, steady, smooth and fast.


We have had a bunch of new runners over the past month. Welcome! I'll take a minute to explain some basics ... I use Jack Daniels' notation for workout paces. This week we are running R pace, which is the fastest. That also means it has the longest rest interval. It's close to the pace you could run for a mile race. In order to find your personal R-pace, look at the bottom of this message for the links. You can plug in a recent race result, and it will return your proper training paces (R, I and T). Do that before you come to the track so you know your proper pace for the workout. It's important to use a recent race result and not your upcoming race goal. The paces target your current fitness level.


A reminder that first KTC training run for Cross Knox 10-miler will be Saturday, August 27 at 8:00 am at Morningside Park. Check the KTC site for more details.


Drink lots, wear sunscreen, respect the heat.

Workout Summary


1. Choose one ....


A. Milers :Pyramid 200m, 400m, 800m, 400m, 200m @R pace with equal distance jog recovery. Recovery jog is based on the interval that comes before. So, 200m jog follows 200m; 400m jog follows 400m, etc. Modifications/recommendations based on mileage:

45+ mpw: Add an extra 1200m or 1600m @T pace with 400m jog recovery at the beginning AND an extra 800m in the middle (2 total): 1600, 200, 400, 800, 800, 400, 200
35+ mpw: Add an extra 800m in the middle (2 total): 200, 400, 800, 800, 400, 200
<=30 mpw: no modifications


B. Cross Knox and General Racers:4-10 x400m @R pace. 400m jog recovery. Total distance for the hard running should be 4-5% of your weekly mileage. Recommendations based on mileage:
50 mpw: 8-10 x 400m
45 mpw: 7-9 x 400m
40 mpw: 6-8 x 400m
35 mpw: 5-7 x 400m
30 mpw: 4-6 x 400m
<=25 mpw: 4-5 x 400m

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Plug in a recent race result to get your training paces here ...

• http://www.panix.com/%7Eelflord/vdot.html (if this one doesn't work, use the one below)
• http://www.attackpoint.org/trainingpaces.jsp
• http://www.runningforfitness.org/calc/racepaces/rp