Need for Speed

Tonight I attended my first track workout, which turned out to be the group's second. (I missed the first one in Atlantic City. I win.), Our workout was based on running short distances at varying speeds. We used the track at Goucher College in Towson, which is a 400m (or quarter-mile) track, just like any other oval outdoor track you've ever seen at a high school or college. 200m is half a lap, 400m is one lap, 800m is two laps, and 1600m is four laps (and so on, but that's as high as we went. Here was the workout:

1 x 200 5K Pace

1 x 200 walk/jog

1 x 400 5K Pace

1 x 800 5K Pace

1 x 800 10K Pace

1 x 400 5K Pace

1 x 200 5K Pace

1 x 200 Walk/Jog

1 x 1600 easy for Beginners, 1/2 marathon pace for Advanced (I'm a beginner)

This workout was called ladders, and designed to build speed and endurance by keeping me running at a pace faster than my normal running pace. Unfortunately, I'm not sure I really have distinct jog, 5K, 10K, and half-marathon paces. I have "regular", "fast", and "ludicrous speed", which I only break out for the Harrisburg Mile. It's really not even all that fast. There was a guy running at the track that was probably putting down mile times in the low 5:00s and making it look effortless. I plan to run the marathon at "regular", and maybe even try to slow that down a bit to be sure I make it.

I hope that these track workouts will help me make "regular" faster, or at least make me a bit more sensitive to my pace.

It was different, which made it interesting, but it was also excruciating. I'm definitely in the slower end of the group, which I'm not really bothered by. I am somewhat concerned by how tired my legs felt at the end of this, though. I ran 13 miles on Saturday and my legs were tired. But, they're even more tired today after (drum roll, please)....

2.3 miles.