Since I nearly killed myself at my last speedwork attempt, I decided to be a bit more educated with the drills as what to do and what not to do. To help with my speedwork education, I found some very informative articles that offer tips as to how to improve my times.
Speedwork: The Bottom Line Is, You Have to Run Fast to Run Fast
I had it half right when I thought a warm-up run would be good before beginning my sprints. Yes, a warm-up is wise, but not a run as fast as you can type of run. I also read that runner should run a pace faster than their race pace, but not too fast to avoid injury.
According to Runner’s World,
Before each session, jog for at least 8-10 minutes to raise your blood temperature, increase bloodflow to the muscles and psyche yourself up for fast running. Follow that with some gentle stretching and then run a few fast strides before getting down to the tough stuff. Afterwards, jog for another 5-10 minutes, before stretching once again.
After seeing the results of last set our drills, I was really anxious to see the outcome of this week’s speedwork, especially now that I am slightly more educated in the subject than our previous drills.
Last evening, I clocked a quarter mile distance on my block and marked the stretch with a “Start” and “Stop” line with some sidewalk chalk, like my crafty running partner cleverly drew for our last set of drills. As I mapped our course, I passed a nasty pile of dog poop sitting in the middle of our homemade track. I scurried past the poop and hoped the poop fairy would magically appear by morning to clear the mess away because that smell could seriously hinder our performance.
Before starting our sprints this morning, Tiffany and I ran a quick lap around the block in my neighborhood. My former running partner virtual coach, Lori, also recommended sprinting a quarter mile and then walking back the distance after each sprint for some added rest and recovery, which was a great tip.
Distance 0.72 mile
Time 7:32
Ave Pace 10:23
As we finished each sprint, I tallied each one just like Tiffany did last time. The tally chart also doubled as our water station between each sprint. Unfortunately, there was some added delay between laps due to the sheer volume of commuter traffic on my block. I didn’t realize we had so many commuters!
Sprint 1- Time 1:39
Ave Pace 6:50
Sprint 2 –Time 1:39
Ave Pace 6:47
Sprint 3- Time 1:44
Ave Pace 7:02
Sprint 4- Time 1:44
Ave Pace 7:08
Sprint 5- Time 1:48
Ave Pace 7:22
Sprint 6- Time 1:44
Ave Pace 7:16
Sprint 7- Time 1:46
Ave Pace 7:19
Overall, my times are not as fast as my last speedwork, but I didn’t push myself nearly as hard as I did last time, although I prefer to blame my slower times on the interference of stinky petrified dog poop, the crazy number of commuters and the gaggle of high schools that collected at the corner waiting for the bus.
And because we are now smart little runners, we ended our speedwork with a final half mile lap around the block and some stretching.
Distance 0.51 mile
Time 4:50
Ave Pace 9:29
Thank you for protecting me from the nasty dog poop! Where was the Poop Fairy when we really needed her? Seriously, you were awesome! And thanks for all of the great research, so we could actually know what we are doing :- )
I have found that I kind of like the speedier work that I have been doing…and I am really feeling it in my legs and…in the place that I sit.
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