Favorite Workout: 200's on the track (if you can find one)

by GRP trail runner Sophia Etienne

Photo by Stuart Carr

The snow is starting to melt, bringing on the end-of-winter blues for those of us based in Vermont. With mud season comes running season, or, at least, warmer, more comfortable running season. Although there are many teammates who are already deep into their training for spring races like the Boston Marathon and Canyons by UTMB, I have my sights set on a later race, and therefore have had the luxury of focusing on recovery (and skiing!) all winter. 

As the world transitions from sparkly winter into verdant spring, I get the overwhelming urge to do a track workout. Most of my fast running over the past few months has taken place on a treadmill, so I like this workout as a way to ease back into some speedier sessions without shocking my body and coming away from it feeling worse. It’s fun, it’s fast, and it can be over quick if you feel like you want to pull the plug early. While built for the track, it can be done on a flat straight road and be just as fun.

The 1 mile tempo primes the body for the faster paces and gets you in the zone. It’s also a threshold effort to boost your aerobic capacity. Focus on your form during the 200’s. Fast running should equal fast foot turnover - think higher cadence with more powerful strides, driving elbows forward and knees up. 200’s on a track make you feel like the fastest person on earth. That’s science for sure, so follow that cue and go rip it! 

The Workout

1 Mile tempo + 2 x (6 x 200m, slow 200m jog between) with 400m recovery jog between sets

• Warm up 20 minutes.

• 1 mile at tempo pace (think threshold effort, “comfortably hard,” 1-hour pace)

• 2 x (6 x 200m, slow 200m jog between) with 400m recovery between sets. Go fast! Stretch those legs after a long cold winter!

• Cool down 15-20 minutes.