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Welcome to the DCRRC Wednesday Night Track Workouts. In conjunction with our year-round distance-specific training programs, and our regular Saturday Long Runs, these workouts aim to give runners of all abilities the fitness to reach their goals. For the novice or casual runner, these workouts will challenge you to a higher level of running fitness. For the competitive runner, track workouts are an essential means to reaching personal bests and to succeed at whatever level you are competing.
Where & When
Unless otherwise noted, workouts are held on the track at Washington-Liberty (formerly Washington-Lee) High School in Arlington. We meet near the concession stand (northwest corner) at 6:45pm and start the workout at 7:00pm. Warmups, drills, etc. are on your own.
Philosophy
Our workouts focus on two of the three forms of speed work used by distance runners from the 5K to the Marathon: Stamina Training (10K race pace or slower) and Interval Training (around 5K race pace). We also do a limited amount of Speed Training (faster than 5K race pace) especially during the summer.
Do not worry if this is new to you, and especially if you feel that track workouts are for "fast" runners. Our posted workouts are suggested "maximums," and can be individually tailored to your current level of fitness and specific running goals. Our coach, Ed Grant, has been leading these workouts for 20 years, and is happy to customize a workout plan to meet your needs.
Paces
To get a sense of how fast you should run during these workouts, we encourage you use the McMillan Running Calculator. You can plug in a recent race time and a goal race time, and the Calculator will churn out Training Paces (click on that term) for everything from long runs to speed paces. We recommend applying Mark Hadley's temperature + dew point adjustments in warm and humid weather. Temperature and dew point forecasts are available from the National Weather Service.
Wednesday (and Some Tuesday) Workouts for March-April 2025
Members & Guests:
Spring sports season forces us to scramble a bit with our schedule. As you will see, we will move to Tuesday nights some weeks, and use off-track workouts on other weeks. This is prime training time, so please join us as you can despite the inconvenience. I will keep tabs on the W-L sports schedule in case of any canceled games or other adjustments. Thanks, Coach Ed.
TUESDAYMarch 4: Mile repeats. 400M recovery between each. Aim for 4 repeats, at least 3. Repeats run at 8K-10K pace. Keep recovery jogs consistent and not overly slow. After repeats, take 3-5 minutes recovery, then 2 x 400M at 5K pace, 200M jog recovery.
WEDNESDAY March 12: "Around the Block" 1000M repeats. WNT veterans will know this one. Five repeats, starting at 10K pace and working down to 5K pace for the final 1 or 2. We meet at entrance to the W-L stadium on Stafford St.
TUESDAYMarch 18: 12-16 (or more for some) x 400M, 100M jog recovery. Keep these at 10K pace, maybe 8K. Key to this workout is volume and short recovery, so keep the 400M repeats under control.
WEDNESDAYMarch 26: Meet at W-L stadium entrance. Depart as a group at 7:05 - 7:10 for Custis Trail, Mile marker 1.5. We will do a version of Mile Repeats, likely going East on trail to MM 2.0 and returning to start. Volume and Pace TBD.
WEDNESDAYApril 2: Same meeting as March 26, workout using Custis Trail. Run from MM 1.5 EAST to MM 3.5 at Half-Marathon pace. Standing recovery 3-4 minutes (water will be provided at park just past MM 3.5) and return.
WEDNESDAYApril 9: TBD. We can discuss whether to move workout to National Mall, as we have done in the past. Otherwise, "Around the Block" 1000Ms.
WEDNESDAY April 16: Back on the Track! 800M repeats at 5K pace, 400M recovery. 6-8 repeats, more for some.
WEDNESDAYApril 23: Track! Ladder Workout: 1200M (10K) - 400M (5K) - 800M (5K) - 1600M (10K). 400M recovery after each segment. Aim for two sets, but one is sufficient for more novice runners.
TUESDAYApril 29: 1000M repeats, 5K pace. 4-6 repeats.
Wednesday Night Track Workouts January-February 2025
Happy New Year to All!
Following are workouts for the next two months. Looks like we are in for a cold winter, so prepare accordingly, including a thorough warm up. Cancellations due to weather conditions will be posted on website and sent to WhatsApp message group.
January 8: Given snow and ice conditions, track may not be available. Suggested workout: 4-6 x 800M @ 10K pace. 200M jog recovery. This can be done on a treadmill, or mimicked by a (safe!) street/road workout such as 3:00 "on" and 1:00 recovery. Forecast is for bitter cold, so be safe!
January 15:Â 4-5 x 1000M @ 5K pace (adjusted for weather conditions). Slow 400M jog recovery.
January 22: 3-4 x 1-Mile @ 10K pace. 400M recovery. Finish with 2 x 400M @ 5K pace, 200M recovery.
January 29:12(+) x 400M @10K pace, 100M jog recovery.
February 5:Â 6 to 8 x 800M, 5K pace, 400M recovery.
February 12: (Coach absent). 3 x 2000M, 10K pace, 400M recovery.
February 19: (Coach absent) 2 x 20:00 Tempo Pace runs. 3:00 recovery.
February 26: (Tentative): 5000M Time Trial. Details TBD.
Directions to Track
Track workouts are held on the track at Washington-Liberty (formerly Washington-Lee) High School.
From Washington DC: take I-66 east to the Glebe Road exit, turn right on Glebe, right on 15th Street for about 0.4 miles, to Stafford Street, turn right and cross over I-66 and the school is on your left.
From Vienna and points west in Virginia: take I-66 east to the Fairfax Drive exit, follow Fairfax Drive for about 0.8 mile to Stafford Street, turn left for about 0.3 miles and the school is on your right.
From Alexandria: take Glebe Road going north until turning right on 15th Street, and proceed as from DC.
Metro: Washington-Liberty is a short walk from both the Virginia Square and Ballston Metro stations (Orange/Silver lines).
Track Resources
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The DC Road Runners Club is a member of the Road Runners Club of America and is also affiliated with USA Track & Field. We provide a year-round schedule of running events that offer everyone a chance to participate regardless of age, gender, or athletic ability. |