• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Up Beet Kitchen

  • All Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Workouts
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • All Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Workouts
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • All Recipes
    • About
    • Contact
    • Workouts
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Workouts

    Three Fun Track Workouts for All Levels + Tips for Making Track More Enjoyable

    Published: Jun 22, 2019 Last Modified: Apr 5, 2020 by Allison

    64 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    pinnable description of the workouts
    track workouts for all levels

    I used to dread track workouts. I couldn’t stand running in circles. Or obsessively checking my watch. Or feeling like I was out in the open, being watched by anyone and everyone who might be passing by or running on the track.

    But not anymore! No, friends, by some miracle, your girl has grown to love the track! It’s only taken me 8 years to come around, but come around I have (no pun intended).

    Here are my tips for making track workouts more enjoyable:

    1. Let the speed flow through you. In other words, loosen up, drop your shoulders, and breathe. Often, when we want to run fast, we tense up. This is counterproductive! By allowing speed to flow through you, running fast will become more effortless.
    2. Check your watch less frequently. Sometimes, I simply set the stopwatch on my phone and leave it on the start line so that I am not tempted to check my watch every few seconds. This takes a lot of the pressure off, and allows you to focus more on how you feel rather than your time.
    3. Make it FUN. Any habit that has ever stuck in my life is one that I have a positive outlook on! Fun plays a huge role in this. I’m not going to consistently do an activity that I don’t enjoy, no matter how beneficial it might be. Track workouts are as fun as you make them. So grab a running friend, blast some tunes, and turn your track workout into a party (you could even turn it into a beer mile workout, if you were so inclined, hehe).

    All that being said, no matter how many track workouts I do to prepare for a race, I don’t think a photographer will ever capture me with a smile on my face.

    half marathon workout
    What the heck is with this face?
    half marathon race photo

    So without further ado, here are my three favourite track workouts for long distance runners. These workouts help to build speed, strength, running economy, and stamina.

    Feel the Burn 400s with 2 Minute Start Rule

    Warm up for 1 mile. Then do 10x400m as fast as possible, starting each 400 metre repeat at 2 minute intervals. For instance, if you run 400 metres (once around the track) in 1 minute and 35 seconds, you’ll have 25 seconds to rest before the next 400 metre repeat. Cool down for 1 mile.

    Yasso 800s

    Perhaps one of the most famous marathon training track workouts of all time, this is one of my favourites, and is believed to predict marathon time. What the what? Allow me to explain. Warm up for 1 mile. Then run 10×800 metres, trying to maintain approximately the same 800 metre pace for the entirety of the workout. My 800 metre pace for the 10 repeats ranges between 3 minutes and 15 seconds and 3 minutes and 25 seconds, and I ran a marathon last fall in 3:25, so by my estimation, this workout is quite accurate at predicting marathon pace (of course, 800 metre time in minutes translates into marathon time in hours). After completing the final 800 metre repeat, cool down for 1 mile at a very easy pace.

    Power Hour Mash-Up

    This one is inspired by some road trip Cross Fit workouts I came across on the web! Warm up for one mile. Then do the following:

    4x400m sprint with 2 minutes rest in between

    3x800m sprint with 3 minutes rest in between

    “Susan” Sprint: 200m with 10 squats and 10 push-ups, 5 rounds

    Run 1 mile, lunging 30 steps every minute

    2 minutes plank hold

    20 V-Ups

    Cool down for 1 mile

    This is how you will feel after completing one of these workouts:

    track workouts for all levels
    Absolute bliss!

    Kick back, relax, and enjoy all that hard work you just put in!

    fun track workout for all levels
    fun track workout for all levels

    What’s a workout (running or otherwise) that you’ve been enjoying lately? Tell me in the comments!

    Pin this to one of your boards for later!

    pinterest image with the workout description on an easy to read graphic

    Related

    « Vegan Black Bean Burritos
    Mango Avocado Salsa from Scratch »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    featured image for Up Beet Kitchen about page

    Hi, I'm Allison! Welcome to Up Beet Kitchen, a food blog that specializes in wholesome and feel good recipes for people on the move! I love to work with whole foods to fuel healthy, active lifestyles.

    More about me →

    Trending Recipes

    • Chickpea Brown Rice Spinach Artichoke Casserole (Vegan)
      ★★★★★
    • straight on shot of a carrot cake breakfast bar piece on a fork on a white marble board
      Carrot Cake Oatmeal Breakfast Bars (V + GF)
      ★★★★★
    • straight on shot of slice of raw vegan banana cream pie on blue plate with coconut whipped cream and caramel sauce on top
      Raw Vegan Banana Cream Pie
      ★★★★★
    • a far out overhead shot of a serving of Moroccan carrot lentil salad in a pink bowl with some pita, hummus, and crackers on a plate beside it
      Moroccan Lentil Carrot Salad (Vegan)
      ★★★★★

    Follow Along on Social Media

    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest

    Cozy Recipes

    • featured image for the post, 1200x1200 pixles, of a serving of the salmon pesto quinoa bake on a light blue plate
      Salmon Pesto Quinoa Bake
    • featured image for the post, an overhead shot of the mole chicken, rice, salsa, and cabbage topped with Greek yogurt in a bowl on a light pink backdrop
      Mole Chicken Bowls
    • featured image for the blog post, overhead photo of a barbecue meatball bowl with quinoa, sweet potato, broccoli, and avocado sauce
      Barbecue Meatball Bowls with Avocado Goddess Sauce
    • 1200x1200 pixel featured image for this recipe, an overhead close up photo of an egg and pesto breakfast burrito sliced in half
      Egg, Pesto, and Sweet Potato Breakfast Burritos

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • About Up Beet Kitchen

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2023 Upbeet Kitchen on the Foodie Pro Theme

     

    Loading Comments...