July Virtual Wednesday Night Workouts

Jul 4

July 1st 30-30

30-30 is a run where after you’ve warmed up, you run sets of 30 seconds “uptempo” followed by 30 seconds of recovery, usually in sets of 10, 12 all the way up to 20 if someone’s looking to amp it up.

July 8th 6x800 CVs

CV 800’s are 800 meter repeats at a pace between your tempo pace and race pace. They stimulate your ability to move lactate without creating the type of oxygen debt that can extend the length of time for recovery. While quality work, it helps insure you don’t “go to the well” in a workout by running race pace but gets most of the benefits of running that fast.

July 15th 300/200

300/200, Medium pace work300 meters “at pace”, with 200 meters of recovery running
6x / 7x / 8x
Want more?
10x / 11x/ 12x

July 22 Hills

The aim for hills is to run with good form up the hill, to run aggressively. Hills are speed work in disguise. Hills beg for greater knee lift, a higher oxygen demand, and a greater need for efficiency. With my high school runners we do a hill session at least once a week from the beginning until just before the end of the season. Hills build strength as well as help prevent injuries by reducing the stress on the joints while accelerating the heart rate. Traditional speed work can strain ligaments, tendons and joints, especially in older athletes where hills tend to moderate the intensity level with the help of gravity. Also hills make you strong so when you encounter one during a race, while it might not be enjoyable, you can relish the fact that others around you hurt more than you because of it!

1x/2x/3x

July 29th 500/300

500/300, Medium distance pace work500 meters @ pace/ 300 meters R, 3x/4x/5x
500 meters (1 ¼ laps) run at race pace with 300 meters (3/4 lap) recovery jog, three sets or four sets or five sets

Want more? 500 meters pace / 300 meters R, 5x/6x/7x

Mike Smith

Co president Mike Smith has been involved with running since he took up cross country in middle school. While never one of the top runners across the state, he did come away with a 16:35 xc PR before he stepped away from competing in his youth. Shortly into adulthood Smith came back to the sport for good, both as a means for fitness and simply to keep active and resolve some unfinished business. Looking to see if there was something left for him in high school sports, he became the head coach for his alma mater, Mascenic, and coached there for twenty five years before hanging up the head coaching position this past year. His teams racked up ten Division 3 team titles (8 boys, 2 girls) and qualified and competed at the New England championships twice. Not bad for a school of 270 kids. When not coaching, Smith is often found running, talking about running, or wandering around the woods and trails of New England.