Speed Work Begins - Looking Scary

Monday was my first real day of speed work. While I am 45, I had never really spent a full hour on a track working on speed. Everywhere you turn, folks caution you about speed work and the probability of getting injured. I hope to beat the odds by closely following my plan. I am still running 7 days per week with 6 of these on the track. Hard interval days alternating with easier sprints. Here are the plan points:

• A 15 minute easy warm up. (it takes me about that long to the TCU track or the track I use in Austin).
• An interval workout or sprints as specified below
• A 15 minute cool down run home
• Post workout recovery (this is my own): (1) Stretching and hydration, (2) 5 minutes of kicking in the pool, (3) A bagel and protein smoothie (I take some powder and L-glutamine with me on trips to mix with juice) within the first hour as well as another 16 oz of water.

This goes on alternating days, 6 days per week (on Saturday or Sunday, you get a long easy run in) for 4 weeks. 24 total workouts.

As for the specific track work-outs:

On the Sprint days:

(1) 10-15 minutes of 70-100 meter extended strides with a 3 minute jog in-between sprints.

(2) 5 minute jog

(3) 10-15 minutes of 70-100 meter high knee upright on toes sprints with a 3 minute jog in-between sprints.

(4) 5 minute jog

(5) 10-15 minutes of 70-100 leg turn-over sprints (moving the legs as fast as possible) with a 3 minute jog in-between sprints.

Yesterday was my first day of sprints. It felt pretty good, though my form did not feel as good. The speed was a great feeling and I left with no injuries.

On interval days:

200, 400, 600, 800, or 1000 meter intervals with the same distance job between each. Total distance should be up to 5,000 meters. Your body has to be the judge as to how many to do I am told.

Today was my first interval workout. Read about it tomorrow once I know more about how I really feel….