Track Running

[Mr Mojo Risin]

After recovering from calf strains (both legs simulataneously) i have gone back to road running as part of my training. however, for some reason, i am finding it very difficult work, and my legs are becoming swiftly tender again.
As such, im thinking about joining my local athletics club to run on the track.

does anyone else do this?
and is the track surface on a running track any better for the legs than roads?

any thoughts on track running would be great

[ever__hopeful]

Hi,

I do a bit of track running, and its got both advantages and disadvantages.

One of the advantages is that the surface is alot softer than tarmac, and so as you're recovering from an injury this will be a BIG plus.
Also it makes it much easier to measure distances, if you run 10 and a half laps in half an hour, you know for cirtain that youve done 4200 meters.

One of the disadvantages to running on a track is that it is flat. You can't train for hills, which is obviously crucial. (Possibly a treadmill is the solution?)
The other disadvantage is that it is so bloody boring running round and round and round in circles. At least cross country running you've got something to look at.

Anyway, hope this helps,

Best of luck

EH

[wato212]

I think that running on the road is well better. Running round and round is just boring. With your injury i don't think running on the track will help you all that much. Do you have good running shoes? these well make a big differents.

[ashley]

I think that running on the road is well better. Running round and round is just boring. With your injury i don't think running on the track will help you all that much.

Mr Mojo, obviously running on a hard surface after a leg injury is just asking for trouble. You should ease yourself into it gradually. Maybe start with the cross-trainer at the gym, because it's a very controlled exercise and nowhere near the sort of resistance you'd encounter running on the ground.

From that I'd then move to grass, obviously because it's soft, but also, depending on the field, can do wonders for strengthening your ankles and the muscles around your lower shin and thus increasing your stability.

Then give the track a crack. Also, if you join an Athletics Team then you will likely encounter fit girls who wear leggings. Only good can come of that. Not to mention, you'll have access to a running coach, which is a fantastic resource

[dalo]

Track running at an athletics group is good, you should try and get yourself into a middle distance group, its solid. In the winter which is cross country season we do endurance sessions. In the summer we do speedy track sessions. In the summer season we do like one or two sessions a week of endurance things and vice versa just to keep us inclined with the other seasons training. We do this because you cant rely on speed sessions to keep your endurance up and vice versa. We dont always train on the track though twice a week we train on the track and twice a week at other places. Also we sometimes do circuits which i think is what bottom field would be like, it invloves alot of beasting leg exercises and each one is followed up with a sprint to the halfway line as soon as the trainer says go with a jog back on a football pitch, this is done with virtually no rest throughout.So overall I think getting into a athletics group is really beneficial cause when i use to go out for a run it was always at the same pace. Which meant i wouldnt improve much from that pace but at athletics its all diffrent paces so improvement is ineveitable, you just have to put the effort in.