I took a couple of days off around the fourth, but hit the asphalt again today putting in 9+ miles. It was a pretty casual long run and I didn’t push it. I am wanting to start doping some speed work to get faster and almost considered going to the track before I met my running partner for the last of the run. But I decided I shouldn’t mix the speed work with a long distance run, so there you have it.
I am looking forward to running at the track again, I haven’t done in a year or so. The surface is great, but the whole thing gets to be somewhat boring when you are putting in the miles. I used to start on the outside lane and move in one lane every lap. Once I was at the innermost lane I would reverse my lane switches. Pretty exciting stuff!
Some rules of the track:
Always run in a counterclockwise direction.
Think of the track as your local highway: The fastest lane is to the left. Lane numbering starts at the innermost lane and goes up to 8 or 9 lanes. Lanes 1 and 2 are reserved for the fastest runners. Lanes 3 through 5 are generally for moderately fast runners, and the outermost lanes are for slow joggers, walkers or runners doing their warm-up or cool-down routines.
If a faster runner comes up behind you and wants to pass, they will say, “track.” This is your cue to move to the right.
When passing someone, always give plenty of warning time. Say, “track,” wait for them to move over, and continue in your lane.
Never stand on the track, especially in lanes 1 or 2. Always look both ways before crossing the track.
Always be aware of nearby runners. When you finish an interval, look over your shoulder and move to the right as you stop. If you move left you are more likely to get run over by another runner.
Don’t use headphones. Your iPod is for non-track days.
If the track is not busy, it’s usually acceptable to do warm-up drills in the outermost lanes. Often this means you will be running back and forth on one straightaway. This is the only time it’s OK to run in a clockwise direction. When in doubt, do your drills on the infield.
Don’t allow pets or children to run freely on the track.
I have seen many of these broken continuously. For instance I have never had anyone move over if I yell “track” seems like the casual track user doesn’t know what this means. I just about always run with headphones, got to stay awake somehow. But I make up for this infraction by being aware of other runners on the track, especially the faster ones.