Guide to Track for
First-Timers
What is track?
Track Tuesday is an interval training session. It also includes a warm-up, drills to improve running technique, cool down, and a short core / stretching session. Two qualified leaders (listed as "hosts" on Spond) will run the session each week; if you’re unsure of anything, feel free to reach out to them.
Why do we do track / interval training?
Track builds endurance, stamina, and fitness. It also allows you to burn more calories, increase anaerobic capacity (your body’s ability to generate oxygen during intense exercise), and increase muscle mass.
Track therefore makes regular attendees better runners. Over time it will allow you to lower your heart rate, which means you can sustain faster speeds for longer. This will help you to get new PBs in races. Some of our athletes use it just to get fitter and stay healthy.
What do the sessions look like?
Most weeks there is a choice between two interval sessions; there will be a session for those working towards 5/10K races, and a session for those working to half marathon or marathon races. On some weeks, the sessions overlap, and everyone does the same session. He
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An example of a session for those training towards 5k / 10k races is 15 x 400 m @ I-Pace (200 m walk recovery between each). I-Pace (Interval pace) is the sort of pace you can maintain in a 5k race.
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An example of a session for those training towards Half Mara / Mara is 5x1200 m @ T-pace (400 m jog between each). T-pace (threshold pace) is the sort of pace you can maintain in a 10K race.