Key Workout: 6/6/5
This is a 3 mile continual run on the track at 6:00 pace for the 1st and 2nd mile, and then the athlete attempts to get to 5:00 or faster for the 3rd mile.
Goals: Pace judgement, pace changing, aerobic & anaerobic stress, building confidence
Explanation:
- Pace judgement: This is a workout for more mature athletes who can handle running 6:00 pace with little difficulty. Often times when we tell a kid to run a particular pace, they will get it wrong. They go way too fast, or they go way too slow. This workout helps athletes to learn to run a particular pace in a consistent manner. I run with the athletes and call the split, providing feedback at every 200. While running the 6:00 pace, athletes will feel very relaxed for the first few laps and have to fight the temptation to go faster. This helps with the pace judgement goal. Inside every race there is the temptation to do more than is necessary at that particular stage. Athletes easily sabotage a race because of their lack of discipline.
- Pace Changing: By the end of two miles at 6:00 pace, aerobic fatigue has begun to increase; enough fatigue has set in that the goal of running 5:00 becomes a significant challenge.
- Aerobic to anaerobic stress: At the start of the 3rd mile, the athletes now have to increase their intensity, but once again, must exercise pace judgement. The pace increase mimics the change in pace that occurs at the “moment of truth” found in every race. When the real race occurs, can I match the move? The athlete must be prepared for such an eventuality.
- Building confidence: Confidence is achieved when the athlete is able to meet the 3rd mile goal of 5:00 or faster.