Trackwork 6/11/09

I plan on being at the track at noon and starting at 12:15

today....

1600, 1200, 1000, 800, 600, 400 all with a brisk walking - or timed-100M recovery. Negative split your pace as you descend the ladder.

So I intend to start at a 90 second pace and basis - and my recovery basis will be a consistent 75 seconds.

The 1600 = 6:00 (90s pace), send on 7:15

The 1200 = 4:24 (88s pace), send on 13:00

The 1000 = 3:35 = (86s pace), send on 18:00

The 800 = 2:48 (84s pace), send on 22:15

The 600 = 2:03 (82s pace), send on 25:45

The 400 = 80s

For all workouts other than speed/power oriented efforts I like to control the recovery for several reasons. it provides positive structure to the entire workout allowing us to incorporate the rest phase into the active phase of the workout, and it doesn't allow us to cheat the recovery. This type of training should keep you high in the aerobic zone for the entire workout and toggle your body in and out of the anaerobic zone. This will force your body to deal with the slowly accumulating byproducts of glycogen and oxygen rich energy consumption ultimately resulting in deeper aerobic capacity and a higher anaerobic floor, a phenomenon that ideally will be realized in faster results on race day. At least, thats what I think it does.

Also, my watch is kind of a pain to reset, so it is easier to keep it running.

All speed work should be contained and controlled. Necessarily it should get more difficult, even very hard as the effort evolves, but always controlled. Concentrate on your form and pace. As always, once you start catastrophically failing the workout as planned, quit it and call it a day...there is no lost honor in this. I quit several workouts a year because I overestimated my ability and simply went too fast with too little recovery or because I was too fatigued for the planned intensity.