I feel stupid asking this but are school tracks all the same distance? I just found one in my town and I was going to try running on it. I looked at it, it could be a quater mile. Does that seem right?
thats seems about right most school tracks are a quater mile, but to be sure call the school and ask there are useally people there all year round. good luck.
Urbster,
Most tracks are 1/4 mile or 400 meters. Sometimes if it is a middle school I have found tracks a little smaller. If it is a high school or college you can trust the 400 meter distance.
One of my life goals is to convert the American perspective in measurement units. The official unit of measure in the United State is the metric system...made so in 1948, So as often as I can I try to encourage people to use metric. "Gas is $1 per liter." Instead of saying that it is $4 per gallon. "I am going for a 5k run today, be back in about 20 minutes." Instead of saying I am going on a 3 mile run. So the track you have found is probably 400 meters in distance; 2.5 laps for a kilometer. 12.5 laps for a 5k.
The track will prove to be very boring, but good for interval training or getting good accuracy of how fast you are running per kilometer.
Happy oval-ing.
Paul828 http://community.active.com/blogs/p-dog
Wow Paul, that is killer info you've got there. It is a high school track and I've heard track can be boring but I also heard it's good to run on different surfaces so I figure what the heck, give it a whirl nothing to loose, if I hate it I move on but at least I tried it.
Thanks
Carole (urbster)
Carole,
Anytime. Let me know how it goes. I have done lots of speed work on tracks. Let me know when you are interested in hearing about some of those workouts if you like.
Later.
Paul828
I run on a track pretty regularly and let me warn you it can be pretty dull and there is this mental thing about going around and around over and over. It's alot different than actually running down the road or a trail or something where you can actually see different things while you run. Once you get over that it's as normal as any other run.
Okay, I finally got to run on the track. I picked the hottest day and time noon, blazing sun, incredibly stupid but that's me. I only did 2 miles or 8 laps then went to the air conditioned gym. I tried alittle speed work and I can see how easier it is having clear markers and a flat surface I only now need to figure out how to work it into my weekly routine. It's also easy to loose track of how many laps you do, if you miss count you could think your ready for the Olympics or a wheelchair.
Great job. Hottest time of the day isn't the best time to see how your times may be, but what did you learn?
What was your time for the 2 miles?
In helping to keep track of your laps: If you have a watch that has a lap timer on it you can use it every lap and it helps you keep track of the number of laps. The track can be very boring and monotonous. Keeping a count on the number of laps is a very challenging thing.
Another thing you can do is use your fingers. For example: run with your thumb over your fingers on your left hand. After completing the first lap, put your index finger on the outside of your thumb; the next lap your middle finger; and so forth.
I would also like to see you try to start using the unit of measure of kilometers. One lap is 400 meters, making 2.5 laps a kilometer. 5 laps is 2 kilometer and so forth. For a 5 kilometer race you will need 112.5 laps. You can keep track of this and it will help you target the 5k race.
Keep working at it and let us know how it goes. Good luck. Check out my blog for more conversations about running.
Paul828 http://community.active.com/blogs/p-dog
Great job. Hottest time of the day isn't the best time to see how your times may be... Yep I know, I think I wanted to see how I would fair under adverse conditions. but what did you learn?... I learned I need to reread the manual of my sports watch and figure out how to use the counter and lap feature. I learned I do not want to run in the sun again (at least for a while), I learned there is a cute guy that maintains the grounds, I learned that running on the track is where I'm going to improve my time. Doing Fartek on the treadmill is one thing but it gives you the pace and you have to keep up with it. Track forces you to set the pace so you know how it feels to kick it up, and hopefully soon I'll be able just to tell about what pace I'm running. I thought I was running faster then I was so I want to work on that. What was your time for the 2 miles?... I'm too embarssed to say. Faster then my first 5k pace though. I would also like to see you try to start using the unit of measure of kilometers.... {color:#000000}I'm into learning new things, {color:#000000} probably do me good to get into the kilometer frame of mind. Thanks for your help and support.
Yea, Farlek is Swedish, I believe, meaning "Speed Play". It is another nice option for doing speed work that will help bring down your times.
Good work.
Paul828
LOL, keeping track of laps is definately a challenge. I even mess it up with my watch that has a lap counter and that whole Kilometer thing still gets me I still have to use miles for some reason.
I think too much about what lap I'm on and what lap is coming up next then I'm thinking wait was that the lap I'm on or the next one? I can confuse myself very easily anyway, I think I'm doomed.
Been there, done that too. I really can be a challenge as the mind drifts and confuses itself. Except for the wonderful benefit that speed work gives you on the track, I really prefer the trail.
Paul828
