Once a week the Roxbury Mother Runners get together to do a track workout! Whether you’re chasing a personal best, building speed, or just curious about that oval at the high school, running on a track can be a game-changer. Despite the commonly held perception of seriousness, you don’t need to be an elite athlete or relive your school sports days to get started on the track! Many of us had been running for years before we ever set foot on a track. If you’ve ever felt nervous about running on one (maybe it brings up memories of gym class or just feels a bit “serious”) we get it. But really, runners of all abilities have the same right to be there, and it’s an incredibly useful place to train, no matter your pace or goal. The track doesn’t care how fast you run, what gear you wear, or how many reps you finish. So don’t let doubt shake or spook you. It’s just there, a 400m loop, ready when you are!
Before coming to your first track workout with us, read through this page and have a plan for what you'd like to do! We are all doing different workouts but we can answer any questions you have before you start or along the way. Keep it simple if it's your first time coming, or just jog the track if you'd rather!
A single track workout a week can improve overall fitness, including endurance, speed, and agility, and can even help burn fat. Regular track workouts can enhance running economy and potentially improve VO2 max, contributing to better athletic performance overall. Unlike road running or trails, a track gives you a smooth, even surface to run on. That means fewer surprises for your joints, less need to think about navigation, and more space to focus on your effort and form. Most outdoor tracks (including ours!) are 400m around, making them perfect for interval workouts or goal-focused runs! The defined shape and repeatable environment help you stay focused and consistent from rep to rep. It’s also motivating - by adding reps over time or running faster reps, you'll be able to easily see your growth!
What to wear/bring
We suggest wearing something you would be able to race in and to wear/bring a sweatshirt or jacket over top to come and go home in. Layers are great that you can easily shed after warming up and getting into your speedwork. Always remember to bring water that you can sip in between laps, and any post-run nutrition you might want. Running shoes for track can range from your everyday favorites, to your preferred tempo shoes for a bit more of a snappy responsive feel.
One of the best things about track running is how precise everything is—and that can also make it a bit confusing at first. If your workout calls for “400m repeats” or you hear someone talking about running “800s,” here’s what those actually mean.
These are the most common distances you’ll come across in workouts or races — all based on Lane 1, which measures exactly 400 meters around.
100 meters – The length of a straightaway
200 meters – Half a lap (a curve + a straight)
400 meters – One full lap (aka a quarter mile)
800 meters – Two laps (aka half a mile)
1200 meters – Three laps (¾ mile)
1600 meters – Four laps (close to a full mile)
5000 meters (5K) – 12.5 laps
10,000 meters (10K) – 25 laps
Running side-by-side with a friend? Stick to the outer lanes during busy times! When passing someone, do it on the right and give a friendly heads-up (“On your right!”). No need to shout, just let them know.
Track work outs are good to improve speed and help gauge improvement in speed, endurance, form, and overall running. The focus is on short intervals to build speed and running economy without overwhelming your body.
In these examples RPE will be used. RPE stands for Rate of Perceived Exertion. It's a scale (typically 1-10) used to measure how hard you feel your body is working during a run. RPE helps you gauge your effort level, offering a more personal and intuitive way to monitor intensity than relying solely on pace or heart rate. 1 is easiest ever barely walking fast, 10 is the hardest you are capable to doing TODAY.
If you have a watch with a running app/function, you can look up your lap features and manually lap to track your interval times. The great thing about track workouts is you don’t need technology to know when you are exerting and working hard. So if you don’t have a watch, just go for it based on your rate of perceived exertion and know you are kicking ass and taking names out there!
Sample Beginner Speed Track Workout
Warm-Up (10 minutes) RPE 4
Jog 1200m (3 laps)
Main Set: Sprint Intervals
6 x 400m sprints (1 lap) @ 8-9 RPE
Walk or jog 400m between each rep for recovery @ 2-3 RPE
2 x 800m (2 laps) @ 7 RPE
Walk or jog 400 between reps
Goal: Focus on good running form and strong finishes.
Cool Down (10 minutes)
Easy jog or walk 1200m (3 laps)
Light stretching (hamstrings, calves, quads, hips)
You don’t need to jump into complex ladders or pyramids on day one. Keep it simple to start with - consistency matters more than speed. Don’t be afraid to walk if you need to! It's easy to overthink the track: worrying if you belong, if you're fast enough, or doing it right. But the truth is the track is for everyone, so don't sweat it. There's no perfect pace, no exclusive club. Just show up with intention, trust the process, and leave a little stronger than you came!
Here are more ideas for track workouts you may want to try!
To set up workouts on your watch, see our Tempo Run page for links on how to do this for Garmin and Apple watches!
Stretching / Warm-Up Suggestions
While there has been conflicting research on stretching over the years, the latest evidence suggests that there is a time and place for both active (dynamic) and static stretching. For both performance and injury prevention, it's important to do the right type of stretching at the right time!
Dynamic Stretching
Dynamic stretching should be done before your main run! It makes an excellent transition phase from complete rest to running, and is a great way to improve running form and economy by focusing on run-specific movements. It involves rhythmic movement throughout a person's full range of motion and focuses on proper form and motions that help to actively increase range of motion within reasonable parameters. Dynamic stretching before running reduces muscle stiffness, in turn decreasing risk of muscular injury. By loosening you up without stretching your muscles to the point of reducing their power, it also helps prepare your body to run faster! It can actually stimulate fast-twitch and intermediate muscle fibers that are often neglected during traditional run training.
Here are some ideas for an example warm-up. Part 1 can be done before all runs. If you're doing speedwork, it's recommended to do Part 1 stretches, a warm-up mile or so at conversational pace, and then the additional Part 2 stretches to really prepare the body for the intense workout to come.
Dynamic Warm-Up
Part 1
Arm Swings
Standing tall with feet shoulder-width apart, swing your arms in a circular, clockwise motion, mimicking propeller blades on each side of your body. Avoid crossing your arms over your chest. Keep your back straight and knees slightly bent. After 6-10 reps, swing the arms from the sides across your chest in a back-and-forth motion for another 6-10 reps. These exercises help relax the major upper-body muscles, making your upper body more efficient during running. This is particularly advantageous because runners tend to carry tension in their arms and shoulders, which affects the rest of the stride.
Side Bends
With the same posture as arm swings but with hands on your hips, lean smoothly from left to right, being careful not to lean backward or forward. Repeat 16-20 times. These bends assist in keeping the spine mobile.
Hip circles
With hands on your hips, make hip circles, as though you are using a hula hoop. Perform in a clockwise motion for 10-12 rotations and then reverse direction for another 10-12 rotations. By opening up your hips, this exercise allows for a better range of motion in your stride.
Half squats
With hands on hips or straight in front of you, bend at the knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then slowly straighten your legs to return to the starting position. Perform 10-12 times. The half-squat develops a higher leg lift. By having a higher leg lift, you improve your natural stride and avoid shuffling and other inefficiencies.
Leg swings (side to side)
Stand facing the fence with both hands on it, placing your weight on your left leg. Swing your right leg across the front of your body. Swing it as far left as you can move comfortably and then back to the right as far as you can move comfortably. Do 10-12 times and switch legs.
Leg swings (forward & back)
Stand with your left side next to the fence, placing your weight on your right (outside) leg and left hand on the fence. Swing your left leg forward and backward in a pendulum motion for the 10-12 reps. Reserse position and do the same with the right leg.
After part 1 exercises, run approximately 1 mile (or 10 minute) warm-up run at conversational pace, then go on to part 2.
Part 2
Skips
Skip for 30-50 meters (10-15 seconds). Incorporating A-skips & B-skips eventually may be beneficial but is more advanced. (Video here)
High Knees (Video)
Jog slowly and focus on lifting your knees toward your chest in a marching fashion. Pay attention to driving one knee toward the chest, and also maintain proper arm carriage and pump rhythmically with the opposite knee. (Proper arm carriage means elbows bent and moving back and forth as if on a pendulum at the shoulder.) The up-and-down actions should be quick, but your movement forward should be steady and controlled. Travel 30-50 meters, then return to start.
Butt Kicks (Video)
In this reserse motion of high knees, pull your heels back rapidly toward your rear end. Again, the motions should be quick, but your linear movement steady. Travel 30-50 meters, turn, and continue back to your starting position.
Side-to-side adductor stretch (Video)
Stand with your hands on your hips and your feet a little more than shoulder-width apart and pointing straight ahead. While keeping your feet pointing straight ahead and your right leg straight, bend your left knee and step to the left, ending with most of your weight in your left foot. Return to the starting position before stepping laterally to the right. Do 10 times on each leg.
Toe-touch hamstring stretch aka "scoops" or "sweeps" (Video)
Stand with both feet together. Take a step forward with your right leg, and point the toes of your right foot toward your shin. Bend from your waist to reach for your right foot. Repeat with your left leg. Do 10 times on each leg. (You can also do these traveling, lifting your arms up and behind you as you bend and reach for your foot, making a scooping motion. Travel 30-50 meters and jog back to the start.)
Cariocas (Video)
Also known as the "grapevine," this is the trickiest of the exercises in terms of coordination. With arms perpendicular to your torso or bent at your sides, stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Moving to the left, pull your right foot behind the left. Sidestep to the left, then cross the right leg in front of the left. Continue with this motion. Basically the legs are twisting around each other while the torso stays still on the twisting pelvis. Travel 30-50 meters, turn, and continue these steps back to the starting position.
Credits:
https://intercom.help/runna/en/articles/9330809-top-tips-for-running-track
"Meb for Mortals" by Meb Keflezighi
"Hanson's Marathon Method" by Luke Humphrey