Most of you girls made it out for practice today, and it was a good one. We got some miles, albeit muggy ones. It shouldn't have been too hard, but for some it was harder than others.
We are now six weeks from Sectional - hard to believe it's going so fast - and it's time for speed work. That's right, we're going to start with the true intervals. I know, this will be immensely popular [/sarcasm]. What will we get out of it?
A few things. First, we'll prepare our bodies for the really tough racing ahead. Intervals enhance your ability to endure pain by familiarizing you with it in smaller hunks. It makes you more efficient, which allows you to travel faster with the same energy output. It teaches you to know your pace better so you don't get drawn off your game plan so easily when surrounded by a big racing field. Taken altogether, speed work dials in the body to the optimum racing fitness.
It won't be easy, and it certainly won't be fun. People just don't say things like, "Yippee! 8x800's at maximum pace!", but once the workout is done, it sure does boost your confidence. Furthermore, whatever you can hold for the workout is your 5k pace. No guesswork at all.
Tomorrow we are going to do 800's, and they'll be on the track. This serves a couple of purposes - we stay off the hills one more day, and I can see and track the whole group, which is essential. We'll be doing this for the next few weeks, so tracking improvement is critically important. We won't do eight, at least, most of you won't. It's also so important to control the first couple. They'll get much harder as the workout goes on.
Enough for now - lace 'em up and bring your "A" game tomorrow!
We are now six weeks from Sectional - hard to believe it's going so fast - and it's time for speed work. That's right, we're going to start with the true intervals. I know, this will be immensely popular [/sarcasm]. What will we get out of it?
A few things. First, we'll prepare our bodies for the really tough racing ahead. Intervals enhance your ability to endure pain by familiarizing you with it in smaller hunks. It makes you more efficient, which allows you to travel faster with the same energy output. It teaches you to know your pace better so you don't get drawn off your game plan so easily when surrounded by a big racing field. Taken altogether, speed work dials in the body to the optimum racing fitness.
It won't be easy, and it certainly won't be fun. People just don't say things like, "Yippee! 8x800's at maximum pace!", but once the workout is done, it sure does boost your confidence. Furthermore, whatever you can hold for the workout is your 5k pace. No guesswork at all.
Tomorrow we are going to do 800's, and they'll be on the track. This serves a couple of purposes - we stay off the hills one more day, and I can see and track the whole group, which is essential. We'll be doing this for the next few weeks, so tracking improvement is critically important. We won't do eight, at least, most of you won't. It's also so important to control the first couple. They'll get much harder as the workout goes on.
Enough for now - lace 'em up and bring your "A" game tomorrow!
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