Sometimes all you need to transition your fitness from "good" to "great" is the addition of a speed workout to your weekly runs. This can be accomplished on or off a track, but a track allows runners to assess their speed and improvement in a controlled environment where distance and terrain don't vary. Four laps will always be one mile on an USATF-approved track and there will be no elevation gain to interfere with your speed workout.
Seek nearby high schools that offer public access to their track at certain days and times or a running club that hosts a weekly workout at a local track. The Richmond Beach Running Club in North Seattle offers a wonderful, supportive running community for anybody interested in improving their fitness in the Seattle area, on the track and trails. If a track or club aren't an option for you, seek a street or park that has a flat, one-mile stretch where you can get your speed workout on.
Warming up before beginning any speed training will help your muscles ease into moving faster than they normally would. Run one lap (.25 miles) around the track at an easy pace before a few warm up aerobic exercises. Spend 10 minutes warming up with the exercises below and any others that will get your arms and legs loose and ready to move.
Emphasized skipping, pushing your knees as high as you can with each step.
Rotating your hips and legs in a linear direction while keeping your chest stationary.
Light skipping while swinging your arms in an exaggerated fashion.
More skipping to get your legs warmed up!
Run in a fashion where your feet kick your butt with each step.
Begin your workout with three repetitions of "Furious 40s," at the starting point of your one-mile mark, preferably at the waterfall line. Maintain a steady pace through the curve, before picking up speed along the straight. Run at full-throttle until your stop watch reads 40 seconds. Repeat twice, walking back to your starting point in between repetitions to catch your breath and take a break.
Consider "Countdown Intervals" with four-four, three-three, two-two and one-one minute intervals for the core component for your speed workout. Beginning at the waterfall line, begin running in one direction at a faster-than-normal pace that you can maintain for four minutes. When four minutes is up, stop where you are and take a one-minute break. Begin another four-minute interval running in the opposite direction at the same pace. Set a pace that puts you close to the waterfall line after your second four-minute interval. Take a three minute break.
Begin your next set of intervals at the same pace, stopping after three minutes for a one-minute break. Run the opposite direction for three minutes, pacing yourself to end near the waterfall line again. Take a two-minute break. Repeat the same intervals in sets of two-two and one-one repetitions, taking 30-second breaks before changing directions and one-minute breaks between intervals.
Countdown intervals are a great way to pick up speed as you decrease interval times and challenge yourself to set a pace that you can maintain or increase with each interval. Such a speed workout also gives you 20 solid minutes of running at a quick pace that will help improve your overall speed during your other weekly runs. Cool down with an easy lap to prevent lactic acid build-up and tight muscles.
Reward yourself with a meal rich in protein and nutrients, like lentils with walnuts, steamed vegetables and goat cheese. A glass of chocolate milk is also a wonderful recovery beverage after a workout of this nature. The warm up exercises and speed intervals mentioned are an accurate snapshot of a typical Wednesday night track workout with the Richmond Beach Running Club at the King's High School Track in Shoreline.
Track photo courtesy of Heather Koski
Stopwatch photo courtesy of Ironman
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