When Do I Begin My Speed Work?
If you want to train seriously for a race, don't start too early or too late. You should train intensely for only three to four months at a time. Additionally, you can usually peak (race your best) only two or three times a year. Overdoing speed work week after week leads to excessive fatigue and burnout.
To establish a baseline for determining your present race pace, enter a 5K or 10K race. Then begin your prime-time training three to four months prior to the race at which you want to achieve your best performance.
Where to Run a Speed Workout
The best place to do speed work is at a local outdoor track. You can find a track at a local park, high school, or college. It is worth your while to travel the distance to one of these facilities to do your speed work.
Why do you need to use a real track? You should seek out an existing track because the heart of speed workouts consists of short distance segments from 200–1,600 meters. Tracks are accurately measured so you know exactly how far you are running as well as your exact pace.
Although not essential, the best track to use is one with a synthetic or rubberized surface. Unlike a cinder or asphalt track, the softer surface of a synthetic track is easier on your legs. Oftentimes the surface of a dirt or cinder track is not consistently smooth, which increases the risk of foot and ankle injuries. Running speed work on dirt and cinder surfaces also adds a few seconds to your lap times.
A word about indoor tracks: You have to run several more laps to the mile indoors compared to 4 times around an outdoor track. The turns on indoor tracks are also much tighter than outdoor tracks, which, if you aren't used to this, can wreak havoc on your knees. On the other hand, in the winter an indoor track is a safe, dry haven for dodging the elements.
If you can't get to a track, find a safe place to lay out a running loop for yourself. Try using a bicycle with a cyclo-computer rather than a car odometer to measure your route.
There are also new pedometer-like products on the market that measure both your pace and distance covered. A sensor chip attached to the running shoe relays highly accurate pace-distance information to an accompanying watch.
Beginners and novice runners should not run more than one speedwork session a week. In speed work, over time you are incrementally stressing your anaerobic and cardiovascular systems.
Because you will be running short-distance segments such as 200, 400, and 800 meters, you want the mileage marked out to be as accurate as possible. Mileage estimated from a car odometer is inaccurate, making your times less meaningful. You expend both physical effort and mental energy when doing speed work. Therefore, avoid streets with heavy traffic and paths full of bikes and pedestrians — obstacles and distractions that steal the mental focus needed for high-intensity workouts.
