Sarah Bowen Shea: 7 Tips for Track Workouts
Two things about track workouts are true: They are incredibly effective in honing speed, and they intimidate the shorts off many runners. Well, since we don’t advocate anyone running sans bottoms, here are seven tips to make circling the oval less intimidating and perhaps even a trifle enjoyable.
Go where the getting is good.
If the track nearest you is pockmarked and uneven, drive (or run!) to an alternate option. A well-maintained, rubberized track can be a (relative) joy to run on.
Have a friend join you.
Having someone by your side (or behind you) keeps you honest—and pushing hard.
Trade leads.
Your pal can take the lead on the first and third 800s (2x around the track), while you go first on repeats number two and four. On longer intervals, you can even alternate every lap, forcing one of you to speed up every other time around the track.
Crank the tunes.
When you don’t have an in-person wingman, have audio stand-ins like Macklemore, Linkin Park or Usher. Music gets helps get your rear in gear.
Do it in the dark.
It’s an inexplicable phenomenon, but 400-meter repeats hurt less when you can’t see more than 20 meters in front of your face.
Or do it in front of folks.
Run on a track while students are tramping across it to get to school, you’ll bust your hump to maintain some semblance of sports-ego.
Only hit the track once a week.
In an effort to avoid an intersection with injury, run just 10% of your weekly mileage hard or fast. Knowing your track workout is followed by six days of no visits to the oval makes the laps feel ever-so-slightly easier.