This was my second time at track. The first time had been a bit of a failure, as I'd turned up late and managed to pull my left calf as we were setting off on lap 4. I was also acutely aware of the injury I'd picked up on my NYD #parkrun - so treated myself to some new running shoes in case that was part of the problem.
The format for the track session led by the Clapham Chasers is pretty straightfoward. The group splits into multiple groups, based on 5k times. There's sub19,sub20,sub21, sub22 & 22+ most weeks - and I still fall into the 22+ group, Who knows when that may change?
The format this week was 5 x 1000m (2 1/2 times around the track) with 90 seconds of rest between each 1000m. The aim was to go at 5k pace, which for me would be around 4.30/km, but I ended up going a little faster. I'm told the key is to make sure that your splits are as even as possible and consistency is the target. Mine were fairly consistent, but need to work on keeping them within a few seconds of each other:
| KM | Pace |
GAP |
Elev |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4:23 /km | 4:23 /km | -0 m |
| 2 | 4:27 /km | 4:26 /km | 0 m |
| 3 | 4:19 /km | 4:18 /km | 0 m |
| 4 | 4:14 /km | 4:14 /km | -1 m |
| 5 | 4:15 /km | 4:14 /km | 1 m |
Bonus! No injuries.