Jake’s Thursday Night Track Workout


A Beach Runner Post Track Workout Meal

Tonight we did a track workout Steve style, hard and short. With that said, we were there almost two hours. There will be a RunCast about this, I just need to take more footage next week.

It started out with Body Loosners, Tai Chi exercises and other movement-based warm up. Then we ran an easy mile to warm up followed by some traditional tack workout warm up exercises.

We spread out on the track. The stopwatch started and we were off. These are 1 – 3 minute all out efforts depending on your speed. My lap speed was hanging around 1:25, not bad for my first track workout since my back injury.

Here’s what I saw. A lot of form breakdowns. I could spend days correcting arms and hands to get people swinging their arms right. Remember that your arms can drive your legs to increase your speed or slow you down if they don’t swing free and relaxed. Mark was able to take 6 seconds off a lap just by focusing on his arm swing.

Form gets lost at two points, when a person runs slow and when they run fast. These are the two points when it is the most difficult to feel, and have your body react properly. It doesn’t come naturally for most of us.

How sensitive can you become? Can you feel yourself falling when you go really slow. You have to understand (feel) your balance and gravity. It is hard to do. When you go fast, how can you lean enough? How can your hips rotate to give you the maximum stride length out the back? What is your cadence and can you run with shorter, quicker strides? There are lots of things to Think and Feel, especially when you are going fast.

We ended with what I thought was a moderate yoga practice. We worked a lot of upper body strength and lower body flexibility. It was a beautiful evening. Then some of us went out to eat. I guess we do, “Run to Eat” as Larry says.

Join Gary and I next Thursday at the CSULB track at 6PM. We will be making a new RunCast and you can be in it, if you show up.

Train Focused, Steve Mackel, Head Coach Beach Runners, MaraYoga Marathon and Half Maraton Training System.

August 9, 2007 | Filed Under Steve's Posts 

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