Mile End Track Sessions

I've been asked about the track sessions held down at the Mile End track a number of times this year so figured it would be a good idea to get some info down to help others considering joining the #tracktuesday fun.  I've provided a very quick summary of what it's all about but there is plenty of detail further down below the map.

Where? Mile End Stadium
When? Every Tuesday 7:30pm
What? Track session focusing on vo2 max
How much? £3.20 track entrance fee (£26.45 for a quarterly pass)
Who? Anyone!
Why? Why not!



Whether you're a beginner looking to tap into some valuable speed work or a seasoned runner looking for a bit of company to help push your pace then track sessions are certainly a good way of achieving this.  The track sessions at Mile End stadium are held every Tuesday and are open to anyone regardless of ability or running club (or lack of as the case may be).  They are there so you can run fast with a group of like minded runners and with a large range in abilities it is likely you'll have someone to share the work with.

The entrance to the track is just off Rhodeswell Road.  Nearby transport includes the D7 and 277 buses, Mile End tube, and Westferry DLR and it's pretty central so very easy to run there as a warmup from Canary Wharf and even Central London.  The sessions start just after 7:30pm so you need to come warmed up ready to start or get there earlier to do whatever warmup you need and we congregate down the back straight just past the 1500m start. The track fee is £3.20 and there is an option to buy a 3 month track pass which costs £26.45 which is great value as going 8 out of 13 weeks is roughly the break even point.

The sessions are typical vo2 max sessions and in general you will run 7km-10km of volume made up from a range of reps ranging anywhere from 400m to 2000m.  The paces are typically 1500m/3000m pace for the shorter reps and getting up to 10km pace for the longer reps, so all the reps (7km-10km volume) are intended to be run at 10km pace or quicker. Obviously it is down to the individual as to how hard they push so even running slightly slower is still beneficial.

To give you an idea of what kind of session this all translates to I've given a few examples of some sessions we've done this year.  I prefer to jog the recovery to make the session that little bit harder but some people do a standing recovery or walk back to the start, up to you really!

4x800 4x400 4x800 all off 60s recovery
800s@5k pace 400s@3k pace

4x800 2x1600 2x400 all off 70s recovery
800s@5k pace 1600s@10k pace 400s@3k pace

4x(2000 400) off 70s recovery
2000s@10k pace 400s@3k pace

Regarding the actual running of the session, the man behind it is Peter McHugh from Run Fast. Peter is old school in his approach and loves running so we're really lucky he gives up his time to run the session and stand around in the cold calling out lap times week in week out! One of my favourite memories was during the great snow fall of January 2013 the hardy souls who turned up all had a good 30 minute workout before the session which consisted of removing the snow from lane 1 #TheShowMustGoOn. We always start at the 1500m line and Peter will blow a whistle once the first runners finish the rep which means everyone stops and makes their way back to the start line so everyone can start the next rep together. This means that if you are not right up the front then you won't be running the full distance of the rep, rather you will be running a time, so you don't have to be daunted by a 2000m rep as in reality you may only run 1600m, for example.

One last thing to note is that there is no pre published schedule for the sessions and we just turn up and find out on the night. This should still fit into most people's schedule as chances are you will have a vo2 component somewhere, and if not then you should really think about adding one as it will benefit you regardless of the distance you are training for. For me, it works well as I'm not particularly concerned with the makeup of the session, rather, I'm concerned that I know I'm getting in a really good vo2 max session. Besides, finding out the session 30 seconds before you start is way more fun!

Hopefully there's enough info there to entice a few more along. I know having not done track sessions before can make it intimidating but once you've got a couple under your belt you'll reap the rewards!

We look forward to seeing you on #tracktuesday...