Eastside Runners' Sarah Smith (#899) and Brenda Carter (#239) competing in the masters' 800 meters at the 2008 National meet
Are you ready to relive your glory days as a track and field athlete? Or discover speed you never knew you had?
The ESR Track and Field Team is gearing up for competition at local all-comer meets this summer and the Master’s National Meet in Wisconsin. We are a small and growing group of runners training primarily for the 400 meters to 1 mile race distances, though hurdlers, 3000 and 5000 meter runners, and steeplechasers are also welcome! This is purely a recreational effort and experience and speed are not prerequisites.
There are many low-key racing opportunities throughout the season that cater to all ages and abilities. There are also a small number of more competitive meets. You can pick and choose a few events to test your abilities or join us for the whole season.
Here are a few meets we are tentatively targeting:
· May 27: CNW All Comers Meet #1*
· June 6: Seattle Parks and Recreation Masters Meet
· June 17: CNW All Comers Meet #4*
· June 26-27: Portland Masters Classic
· Mid July: Peak for event of your choice!
* Club NorthWest (CNW) hosts 12 all comers meets every Wednesday evening / night starting May 27 through mid-August at Shoreline stadium. The track was resurfaced within the last couple of years and is in great shape! At these events, runners are placed in heats with other runners of similar ability. These are family friendly events that encourage participation by both children and adults of varying abilities. These also cater to many of the area’s best master runners and it is fun to watch them compete. To see last year’s meet results see the CNW site. The cost for CNW all-comer meet entries are a bargain at $5 per meet or less if you buy a season pass.
This year our target is to peak mid-July. There are several meets that make excellent peak targets:
· USATF Masters National Championship in Wisconsin (July 8-12).
· USATF Masters Regional Championship in Seattle (July 18).
· Washington Games in Shoreline (date TBD, July 15 last year)—very low key!
The two master’s meets include divisions for ages 30+. The Washington Games is an all-comers meet hosted by CNW and welcomes all ages.
How Do I Get Started? When does the team meet to train?
The ESR Track and Field Team will meet on Wednesday nights at Lake Washington High School at 6pm, starting in April to train for upcoming summer meets.
This will be at the same time and place as the long standing ‘Wednesday Night Track Workout.’ However, our group will stagger our warmup and workout directly after the main group. We will start our warm-up at 6pm, do some simple dynamic warmup and speed drills, and then start the main workout, followed by a cool-down. Our track workouts are specifically designed to improve performance for the sprint and middle distance track events (i.e. 200, 400, 800, 1500, mile).
After the CNW Wednesday summer meets begin on May 27, our workout schedule will vary between Wednesdays and Saturdays. We will send out notice for these informal workouts when they are scheduled.
Also, we are planning our 2nd annual Time Trial Night (tentatively, Wednesday, May 6). This is when we commandeer the Wednesday night track workout at LWHS and run the 400, 800, mile, and maybe the 3,000. We finish with a spirited 4x400 in which all paces are welcome and we try to even out the teams! This is a great opportunity to test your form and fitness early in the season prior to the summer meets.
How are these workouts different than the track intervals I have been running at the Wedneday night track workout?
We are using Jack Daniels’ Running Formula to guide us through the season (with modifications appropriate for recreational and master athletes!). You can simply join us and follow along or buy the book and get immersed in the philosophy. Using Daniels’ pace-guidance based on current race times ensures that everybody is adequately challenged and also helps prevent injuries and overtraining.
A typical workout is 4-8 intervals ranging between 200 meters and 1,000 meters with adequate rest between each. For example:
* 4 x 200 (w/1-2 min recovery jog)
* 4-6 x 400 meters (2-3 min jog)
* 4 x 200 (1-2 min jog)
These workouts will typically be shorter than the regular ESR Wed night track workout, but speedier! If you stick to the pace guidance published by Daniel you should be able to increase your speed and fitness without injuring yourself.
Pace charts will be provided for each workout.
What about field events?
Last year, several ESR members competed in the High Jump at the CNW all-comer meets at Shoreline Stadium. CNW meets also offer competition in the long jump, triple jump, shot put, discus, javelin, and pole vault.
While we will not have the equipment available to practice field events during our workouts, by joining the team you can count on team support and camaraderie at the meets we attend.
What Does it Cost to join the ESR Track and Field Team?
There is no fee for joining the group, but each athlete is responsible for their own meet entry.
If you are planning to run one of the USATF meets noted above, you will need to have current USATF membership. Membership information is at http://www.usatf.org/membership/?sc=FI
If you are interested in receiving track-related communications, email Brenda Carter at bcarter@microsoft.com.
Thanks,
Brenda