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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 One Tuesday) Night Track Workouts for September
Members & Guests:
Welcome to the ramp-up to fall marathons and other big races. Start time is now 7:15 p.m. We've had a good summer on the track, and the good news is that we will miss just a few evenings on the track this fall. With a slight shift this month in the fourth week, we can be on the track without interruption. That takes place Tuesday September 24, when we will do our mid-week track workout in lieu of Wednesday night (due to a W-L HS game).
Wednesday September 4: 2 x 400M @ 10K pace, with 200M recovery jog. Then, 6 - 8 x 800M at 5K (Interval) pace. Slow 400M recovery jog. We will repeat this workout in September/October, eventually reaching a goal of 10 repeats for those competing in marathons. Due to length of workout, do take a slow recovery jog in the outer lanes.
Wednesday September 11: 16-20 x 400M @ 10K (Cruise Interval) pace, with 100M recovery jog. The opposite of September 4 -- do not push speed on the repeats, and much shorter recovery. OK to break into two sets.
Wednesday September 18: 4-5 x 1600M @10K (Cruise Interval) pace. 400M recovery jog. Finish with 2 x 400M at 5K pace, 200M jog.
TUESDAY September 24: 8 x 800M @ 5K pace. Slow 400M recovery jog.
As always, please adjust the volume of your workout (number of repeats) in light of your current training condition. Also, refer to the McMillan Running Calculator for your proper training pace -- see Coach Ed if you have any questions. These workouts are designed on assumption you will run within (and perhaps at the slower end) of the range of paces suggested in the McMillan Calculator.
See you at the track!
Coach Ed
August-November Workouts: Update
All:
Based on information on the Washington-Lee website, we msy not hasve thr track on August 21, and almost certainly will not have the track on August 28, September 25, October 9. and October 23. August 21 is a FH scrimmage; usually we can run when the event is a scrimmage. Given past years, this level of interruption is not too bad. Alternate workouts will be planned and posted for these dates. And, of course, the schedule is always subject to change. Coach Ed
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
Upcoming Events
| Alexandria Turkey Trot Thu, Nov 28th, 2024, @9:00am |
| DCRR Gar Williams Half Marathon Sun, Dec 1st, 2024, @9:00am |
| DCRRC Bread Run 10K & Gingerbread 2-Miler Sun, Dec 8th, 2024, @10:00am |
| Book Club Sun, Dec 8th, 2024, @4:00pm |
| DCRRC New Year's Resolutions 5K Wed, Jan 1st, 2025, @12:00pm |
| DCRRC Al Lewis 10-Miler and 5-Miler Sun, Jan 5th, 2025, @8:00am |
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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. |