Race Track 400s



Race Track 400s

Third Tuesday of the month at Swift gave 14 PAX a taste of the Swift Distance-based Intervals on the oval known as the Blakeney Brixham Green.

The THANG:

  • 0500 – small group – must be taper week as Fire Hazard, Bunker, Depth Charge, and Bratwurst get in some extra warmup.
  • 0515 – 13 PAX head out from the Vine and towards the Blakeney Brixham Green.  Mosey around the Green getting a preview of the cones setup every 100m for the 400m course.  What’s that flashing cone for?
  • 0525 – warm-up exercises and drills
  • 0530 – two options for the workout, but the PAX only took one (but there were some modifications of one):
    • 400m at Repetition Pace (1 mile race pace), 400m jog recovery
    • Repeat until 0605 with a goal of 8 total intervals
  • 0605 – mosey to gather the PAX and pickup the cones, head back to the Vine
  • 0615 – despite getting back a few minutes early, PAX didn’t see a need to make themselves look busy when the Bagpipe PAX arrived.  Work for the day had been done.
  • 0630 – Madame Tussauds brought a great topic to F3-Timekeeper (each week 0630 at the Einstein’s Bagels across the street) of “Feedback” at work and home.  Good discussion and perspectives among the PAX.

Moleskin:

  • First time for Distance-based intervals during the new monthly format of different types of workouts on a monthly rotation at Swift.  Rotation for Tuesdays begins with the 1st Tuesday of the Month – 1) Time-based, 2) Hills, 3) Distance-based, 4) Drills and Sprints, 5) Time Trial.
  • The Brixham Green was not a venue that we have used in a while.  While it is a good 800m distance, a couple of sharp corners (sometimes with sprinklers), speed bumps, and slight elevation make it a challenge to get in a fair interval.  This week had the added challenge of early morning workers chain smoking and flooding the Green with air quality issues.  However, with a 400m that is largely composed of a 200m straightaway, one curve, and then a finishing straight, it makes for a good 400m venue at any speed.
  • The goal was an interval at 1 mile race pace (Repetition pace from http://runsmartproject.com/calculator), which calls for a same distance jogging recovery after each interval.  Time-wise, the recovery is almost 2x the “work” interval.  With a measured course, and a special flashing cone start line, the intervals are predictable and can be directly compared one to the next as long as you use a simple stopwatch with a lap button.  No fancy GPS watch needed for these to get good feedback.
  • At some point of the morning, what we thought was a surprising runner also running the Brixham Green (never spotted one before), was actually Olaf finding the PAX and jumping right in.
  • Some PAX running the P200 later in the week either took a break after 1/2 or 2/3 through the workout, or just took it easier on the intervals.  Taper suggestions at the beginning seem to be followed with “keep the intensity, cut the duration” meaning that it’s OK during a race week to keep up the intensity that you’re used to (those target paces), but either allow for more recovery, less number of intervals, or just shorter intervals.
  • Cheddar did his best to confuse the PAX and run the loop backwards for parts.  Only he knew that he was saving it for later in the week when his driver duties turned into emergency replacement runner duties several times during the P200.
  • Kotters to Depth Charge!  He had a valid excuse of GRADUATING Marine Corps Officer Candidate School (OCS) last weekend after a 10 week program in Quantico, VA, but says he now needs F3 to get back in shape… doesn’t seem right, but we’re going with it.  With that high and tight haircut, it’s hard to tell if he’s not in shape.  Sure didn’t seem like it as he kept up with Citgo and Frasier most of the morning.

Announcements:

  • Sprint work 4th Tuesday at Swift!  Venue will be the straights of Rushmore Dr.  More warm-up than usual with extra drills to get the form right.  These will be AYG sprints starting short (50m) and going up to at least 200m.  A LOT of recovery in between each.
  • Timekeeper topic this week will be the Palmetto 200.  Bring your humorous stories (trying to figure out what “chocobutt” is…), what NOT to do next time (cheese puffs and potato strings), challenges, victories / goals met, and other inspirational moments! 0630 at Einsteins.

 

SYITG,

Bratwurst

 

 

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