I was out running, and go by the local high school, and see the distance kids out doing 400 meter repeats at what look like mile pace in sub 30 degree weather. It got me thinking which is better racing 3 seasons or having 2 times to work on base.
I was out running, and go by the local high school, and see the distance kids out doing 400 meter repeats at what look like mile pace in sub 30 degree weather. It got me thinking which is better racing 3 seasons or having 2 times to work on base.
Indoor track rocks the house!
I have always hated indoor. I like to train through it and get ready for outdoor. If I ran anything at a meet it was a 1600 once or twice.
The older you get (in college training), the more consistent you keep your higher mileage, and the stronger you become, you soon find yourself able to train through (80+mpw) an indoor season while racing with good results and eventually peaking in outdoor. I would say for most HS to FR collegiate athletes (with some exceptions for the studs) it is best to use the winter time for base phase and not racing. When you're a Sr in the NCAA you've adjusted and it's time to run with the big dogs.
Indoor track provides a great scenario to gain racing experience. The short track and inevitable body contact allow the athlete to transition to outdoor with invaluable experience gained. Those who race often indoors almost always have superior racing tactics to those who race exclusively outdoors.
how much do you think body contact effects a race? maybe .5% in an 800 and less in every other event? even less so in outdoor. this is a very bad reason to race indoor track
wilfredo wrote:
how much do you think body contact effects a race? maybe .5% in an 800 and less in every other event? even less so in outdoor. this is a very bad reason to race indoor track
Are you kidding me? Have you ever watched an indoor mile? It's all about the tactics. I've seen slower guys up front hold faster guys off from the outside and win because of gamesmanship. It's most certainly not a bad reason to run indoors. Also, a few indoor races can break up the monotony of winter training. My team just does them off of our base training. It's nice to be able to run all out somewhere with perfect conditions instead of running in the snow day after day.
'fredo hasnt run a mile indoors since i smoked him in the first race of the season back in 2009.
I've run the mile in 2010... my point was that indoor doesn't matter, so bringing up the indoor mile doesn't make any sense. that other dood said that tactics learned in indoor help in outdoor. I don't know about you guys, but I'd rather be better at running than have good race tactics.
But what if indoors does matter to you?...
Also running a couple indoor meets will not ruin your winter training. I can see your point if you are saying that training to peak at indoors is dumb, but running indoors off of base work can be beneficial. I run road races over the summer while working on my base, and you don't see me hammering speed workouts to peak mid summer. But, they are fun and you can learn a thing or two about racing tactics as well.
i agree with you on that, but I don't think getting used to body contact is really so valuable that it should be a motivating factor in racing indoor. I qualified for all the meets i care about a couple weeks ago so my plan is just to race the 5k twice more in the post season and probably the mile once for fun during the season. In previous years I was on a full race and workout schedule all indoor and ended up with back problems from the turns. No more track workouts for me.
the occasional indoor run is good for your mental training as it keeps you alert and focussed throughout the season.It also is an opportunity to test your speed,pace, strength etc. It also beats the boredom of base training and stimulates the mind - refreshed for outdoors!
Yep you are right wilfredo. Hope your back is fine for this season and you set some pr's.
wilfredo wrote:
I don't know about you guys, but I'd rather be better at running than have good race tactics.
I'd rather win.
all winning means is that you're not racing good enough competition
It means I'm not a loser, like you.
Not many athletes will peak for indoor. The Russians maybe?
The best use of indoor is to work on something that the athlete doesn't have. Could be speed, could be better pacing, or just using the races as hard efforts in a warm environment.
wilfredo wrote:
all winning means is that you're not racing good enough competition
That's a sad way to think about things.
sad reality hahahaha