SRR Track
You must be a SRR member to participate in the workouts regularly but if you are considering track/SRR and would like to check us out, you are welcome to come to a session as a guest.
During the spring, summer, and fall we meet at the Tufts outdoor track (the “Ellis Oval”) on Tuesday evenings. During the winter we meet at the MIT track on Wednesday evenings. Please contact Coach Joe O'Leary if you have any questions about track workouts.
Pace chart is located here. Look up your 5k race time or pace on the far right and you can see your complete list of recommended paces
About our pace terminology:
We use the pacing system designed by legendary coach Jack Daniels. It assigns each runner 3 sets of paces corresponding to a desired intensity. The paces are:
THRESHOLD - About your one-hour race pace
INTERVAL - VO2 max pace. About the pace you could hold in a race that lasts 10-15 minutes
REPEAT - About the pace you could in a race lasting 3-4 minutes
You can determine your pace set using one of the many online calculators. For example, go here and enter a known race distance and time. Then click on the “Training” tab below to see your paces. (I suggest ignoring the “Easy” tab. We don’t use it in workouts and frankly, I find it faster than I like to run on most days)
Tuesday Aug 27 - 6:30 PM at Tufts
Deek Session
This is one continuous 4800 meter run on the track (or 5400 or even 6000 if you feel up to it). The pace alternates between 5k Race Pace (for 400 meters) and "float" pace (for 200 meters". "Float" pace is normal training pace. It is *not* a warmup jog. It is not even a recovery jog. Just go from hard into what you would normally do for an average 10 mile training run. Then go right back into hard.
It is easy to lose track during this workout so think of this as:
8 sets of (400 hard, 200 float). That is 4800 meters total
Anyone running over 50 miles per week, make it 9 sets (5400 meters total)
Anyone running over 60 miles per week, make it 10 sets (6000 meters total
Tuesday Sep 3 - 6:30 PM at Tufts
Groups A, B: 7 x 800 at INTERVAL with 2:00 rest
Groups C, D: 6 x 800 at INTERVAL with 2:30 rest
Groups E, F: 7 x 600 at INTERVAL with 2:00 rest
Tuesday, Sep 10 - 6:30 PM at Tufts
All Groups: Cruise Intervals
Tuesday Sep 17 - 6:30 PM at Tufts
Step Down Sets: Everyone does 2 sets. A set depends on your group
Groups A, B
1 x 1 mile at THRESHOLD - 1:00 rest
1 x 800 at INTERVAL - 2:00 rest
2 x 200 at REPEAT - 1:00 rest (+ 1 minute after the second one)
Groups C, D
1 x 1 mile at THRESHOLD - 1:00 rest
1 x 800 at INTERVAL - 2:30 rest
1 x 200 at REPEAT - 1:00 rest (+ 1 extra minute after the second one)
Groups E, F
1 x 1 mile at THRESHOLD - 1:00 rest
1 x 600 at INTERVAL - 2:00 rest
1 x 200 at REPEAT - 1:30 rest (+ 1 extra minute after the second one)
Races This Week:
Lone Gull 10K: Sun Sep 22. USATF Race
Tuesday Sep 24 - 6:30 PM at Tufts
This week we have a great marathoning workout. It is one continuous run in which you alternate the pace every 800 meters between THRESHOLD and MARATHON pace. So, start off at THRESHOLD pace, for 800, switch to MARATHON for 800, back to THRESHOLD, etc.
The total distance is up to you but should be at least 4800 meters. That will be 6 x 800. Roughly 3 miles. However if you are doing a good deal of weekly mileage right now, I urge you to try to continue the workout and for another mile (2 x 800) That will be 6400 meters (not 6000 as I mistakenly wrote on the track page)
The point of this workout is to force yourself to be able to recover at speed. Marathon pace is not a jog. It should be your go marathon pace or the marathon pace that corresponds to your THRESHOLD pace on the Daniels chart. If you do not know what that is I will bring a copy of the chart for you to look it up at track.
Tuesday Oct 1 - 6:30 PM
Step Down Miles:
This workout starts off like THRESHOLD miles. You run the first mile a THRESHOLD pace and then take a 1 minute rest. The twist is that you run each successive mile ten-seconds faster than the previous one. And you get 30 seconds extra rest. So it works out like this
Mile at THRESHOLD (1:00 rest)
Mile at THRESHOLD-10, (1:30 rest)
Mile at THRESHOLD-20 (2:00 rest)
Now that, by itself is all you need to do. But if you want to attempt to add an additional mile after this, go for it.
To my knowledge, no-one has successfully managed to do 5 miles at the prescribed pace in this workout. If you do, it means we had your paces as too slow.
Tuesday Oct 8 - 6:30 PM - Tufts Outdoor Track
Chicago Marathoners: Lou Workout
Everyone Else: Deek Workout as per Aug 27:
Races This Week:
Chicago Marathon: Sun Oct 13
Tuesday Oct 15 - 6:30 PM - Tufts Outdoor Track
Bay State/Hartford Marathoners: Lou Workout
Everyone Else:
Groups A, B: 4 sets of the following
1 x 800 at INTERVAL – 2:00 rest
1 x 200 at REPEAT - 200 jog, 1:00 rest
Groups C, D: 4 sets of the following
1 x 800 at INTERVAL – 2:30 rest
1 x 200 at REPEAT - 200 jog, 1:00 rest
Groups E, F: 4 sets of the following
1 x 600 at INTERVAL – 200 jog 2:00 rest
1 x 200 at REPEAT - 200 jog, 1:00 rest
Races This Week:
Hartford Marathon: Sat Oct 19
Bay State Marathon: Sun Oct 20
Tuesday Oct 22 - 6:30 PM at Tufts
This week is all INTERVAL pace all the time
Group A: 5 x 1000 at INTERVAL pace with 2:30 rests
Group B: 2 x 1000 at INTERVAL with 3:00 rest, then 3 x 800 at INTERVAL with 2:30 rest
Groups C, D: 6 x 800 at INTERVAL with 3:00 rest
Groups E, F: 7 x 600 at INTERVAL with 2:30 rest
Tuesday Oct 29 - 7:00 PM at Tufts
Gear Changers!