It is possible to design several workouts on a track for distance running.
Distance running requires stamina, health, and a good training regimen. Because long-distance running takes a significant amount of time, you'll need to plan ahead to use your available training time effectively. One good place to train for a distance running event is on a track, say at a local high school or college. The exact amount of known distance will help you plan your workouts. Vary your workout program to avoid plateaus in your training and to help avoid injury.
Tempo Run
A tempo run is a workout that seeks to improve the overall speed of the distance runner. Shorter than race length, a tempo run can train the body to run faster. Perform a tempo run by selecting a shorter distance on the track than the race you might be training for and aiming for a 10 percent faster pace than your race pace. Do a tempo run on the track at least once a week. Design a workout program to include a tempo run by planning to run three times a week. The first run is at your normal training speed; the second run is a tempo run; and the last run of the week is a long run. Be sure to reserve a day of rest or a non-running workout in between your running days.
Long Run
Because most high school tracks are slightly cushioned, the track is the perfect place to perform your long run. A long run is the longest training run of the week and it is the closest to the race distance you are training for. If your long run is going to take several hours, be sure to find out the schedule for the track and ensure that there are no events taking place within your training time. To incorporate a long run into workout program, aim to run three times a week. The first run should be normal distance and speed. Add ten percent distance to the second run of the week. Do your long run as the last run of the week. Include a day of rest or non-running exercise between each running day.
Fartlek Workout
A fartlek workout is a program from Sweden that focuses on working out a runner at nearly maximum effort. It is also known as high intensity interval training, or HIIT. On a track, the best way to accomplish a fartlek is to run short distance sprints with very short breaks in between, for at least forty-five minutes. For instance, you could run ten quarter-mile sprints with ten second rests in between. Performing a fartlek workout on a track will push the distance runner in both aerobic and anaerobic modes. To make a fartlek workout part of your program, sandwich your fartlek workout between your long run and and other training runs. Be sure to include at least one day of rest after your fartlek training, as the recovery time typically takes longer.
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