Heanor Running Club
Speed Work – 16x400m ‘Repeats’
Date: 1st February 2007
Conditions: Cold, Dry
Another Thursday comes, another VO2Max workout session with the Running Club was upon me. Tonight was the most challenging workout to date. The session was 16x400m ‘repeats’ and boy what is it grueling, to say the least.
After the usual warm up mile from HLC to HGIE we set off for the first 400m. As with all runs the first leg or ‘repeat’ was fairly enjoyable and easy. The seventy second break at the end of the run was hardly worth it for the first stop but I knew that soon enough this break would be a huge welcome.
I was running with the club chairman, Rob, for the first six to seven repeats but I was struggling to keep up thereafter so I dropped back and joined the group behind. This gave me chance to meet the people I have seen every week, yet not had chance to talk to.
With the new group I was really in my element as I became the pace setter rather than struggling to keep up with the pace setter. These were still without doubt the hardest repeats I have done to date but I was running at the required 85-90% of my VO2Max, and that is the pace required to get the most improvement.
As we reached the rest point at the end of repeat fifteen I said to the group that we should all really go for it with this final repeat and although the enthusiasm was lacking everyone gave it their all. Now without showing off I left them all for dust as with all ends of races, no matter how tired I am I always have that ‘kick’ reserved and with coming form a sprint background there are not many distance runners that can keep up with me over a short distance.
In closing this was a very painful workout but once something this hard is completed it is one of the best feelings you can get in running as you know that with the proper rest and recovery that you begin immediately to reap the rewards.
Positive: This was exactly the kind of VO2Max workout I have been advised to do.
Negative: I had to drop back a group, half way through the workout.
Days to Edinburgh Marathon: 115
“To get something you’ve never had, you must do something you’ve never done.”
New York City
"Running 26 miles around this place.....I can think of nothing better"
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
The Five Boroughs
"There's more to this place than Manhattan"
Staten Island
"Only the first half mile is spent on Staten Island as you immediately leave across the Varrazano-Narrows bridge into Brooklyn"
Brooklyn
"Almost half the race is spent in Brooklyn, where many different neighbourhoods and cultural changes are passed through"
Queens
"The race enters Queens at exactly the half way point by crossing the Pulalski Bridge, over Newton creek, where you get your first amazing view of the City. The next 3 miles are spent here until crossing the challenging Queensboro Bridge over the East river."
Manhattan
"The first of two visits into Manhattan comes at mile 16 as you leave the Queensboro Bridge. Greeted by thousands of screaming spectators makes this one of the most memorable moments of the race, before the 4 mile stretch up First Avenue towards the Bronx"
Bronx
"At mile 20 you cross the Willis Avenue Bridge into the Bronx where little over a mile is run before returning to Manhattan across the Madison Avenue Bridge, where you see the Yankee Stadium, which has to be the highlight of the short trip across the Harlem river"
Manhattan 2
"As you arrive back in Manhattan the course proceeds down Fifth Avenue for 3 miles before entering Central Park for the final push and that moment that will last forever."
Varrazano-Narrows (Staten Island-Brooklyn)
Pulalski Bridge (Brooklyn-Queens)
Queensboro Bridge (Queens-Manhattan)
Willis Avenue Bridge (Manhattan-Bronx)
Madison Avenue Bridge (Bronx-Manhattan)
No comments:
Post a Comment