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Run to the Top Podcast | The Ultimate Guide to Running

Tricks of the Track: How Running in Circles Can Help You Get Faster

Run to the Top Podcast | The Ultimate Guide to Running

RunnersConnect: Coaching Community, Running Experts, Inspiring Runners, No Fluff Blog

Running, Fitness, Health & Fitness, Sports

4.5936 Ratings

🗓️ 5 November 2021

⏱️ 15 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

It's a harmless oval of synthetic rubber. It's perfectly measured, free of obstacles or elevation changes. It's been engineered to be the best surface to run on anywhere.

So why does a running track evoke fear, intimidation, and even disgust among some runners? I would bet that it's even less popular than the dreaded treadmill (which by the way, is also a great place to run).

On today's Run to the Top, we explore:

  • the common and perhaps misguided perceptions of track running, 
  • how you can use the track to get faster and improve, and 
  • the important rules of the track, so you won't look like newbie out there, even if you've never run on a track before.

And we also go into why you just might learn to love it. Yep, it's possible!

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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hi there my running friend this is Coach Claire Bartholic, the Planted Runner, and this is the

0:14.8

Run to the Top Podcast, one of the first and only running podcast dedicated to making

0:19.7

you a better runner with each and every episode. We are created and produced by the

0:24.6

expert team of running coaches at runnersconnect.net where you can find the

0:29.7

best running

0:33.0

coaching plans to fit every runner and every budget.

0:39.0

It's a harmless oval of synthetic rubber.

0:44.0

It's perfectly measured, free of obstacles or elevation changes.

0:49.0

It's been engineered to be the best surface to run on anywhere.

0:54.0

So why does a running track evoke fear, intimidation, even disgust among some runners?

1:01.0

I would bet that it's even less popular than the dreaded treadmill, which by the way is also a great place to run.

1:08.0

On today's run to the top, I'd like to explore the common and perhaps misguided perceptions of track running,

1:14.0

how you can use the track to improve your running,

1:17.0

and the important rules of the track,

1:20.0

so you won't look like a newbie out there,

1:22.0

even if you've never run on one before.

1:24.0

And I'll also go into why you just might learn to love it. Yes, it is possible.

1:30.0

The first reason track running is great for any runner is because it takes out as many

1:38.0

variables as possible which makes running faster easier. I caught up with former runners connect coach and

1:44.9

216 marathoner Dylan Bellis. I asked him his thoughts on training on the track. The track is easier for a couple of reasons, mainly because it's a

2:00.0

predictable surface. It's softer, it's responsive, and you don't have to do too much calculation.

2:08.3

It's easier to do, it's easier to run on a track and to run them faster on a track because you know that the elevation change will always be

...

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