Fresh from a 3000m PB at the Belfast International on the 1st of August, Fast Running asked the GB and Wales international to give us the low-down for excelling on the 400m loops. Without further ado, here’s Jenny’s best advice.

Track season comes around fast. One minute you’re grinding through the mud, wind and rain beating you apart, the next thing, you’re standing on the orange oval, 5mm in your spikes, ready to grind out some laps. Both just as challenging, both worlds apart. #TrackSeason brings with it many things, so here are my top 10 things to know.

There are laps. Lots of laps.

Seems pretty obvious really. Run a 10,000m? Yep, that’s 25 laps. 5k? 12.5. 3k? 7.5. The less laps, the pain comes sooner. The more laps, its a slow burner. Prepare for pain!

Toilet facilities are *usually* better.

Cross country is the season of porta loo’s. Track season usually means that you get a bit more luxury – think toilet paper, flushed toilets. Don’t say the summer season doesn’t treat you.

Photo: Adrian Royle

Your calves will never feel the same again.

If you know, you know. Track spikes are not forgiving. Your calves feel a whole new level of DOMS the morning after a race. Get them in some ice or on a foam roller, you’ll thank me later.

Working out lap times is harder than GCSE maths.

You might need to get a degree in maths to figure out how fast you should run each lap in. Want to run 15:30 for 5k? That will be 74.4s laps. Trying to figure out how fast you have the run the last km in to hit your target time as you come though 2./5 laps to go. I dare you to try work that out whilst swimming in lactic.

Photo: 21C Photos Ltd

The last 100m of every race feels way further than 100m.

You round the bend and see the finish line. Only 100m to go. What feels like a minute passes. Still 90m to go. Again, what feels like a minute passes, STILL 90m to go. You give it all you’ve got left over the last straight, just close your eyes, move your arms and pray you make it before your legs collapse!

Power of 10 becomes your best friend.

Stalking is a real thing in athletics. If you ever ran as a junior, you would stand on the start line and ask everyone what their PBs were, for a guaranteed lie to be the response. Now a days, a quick power of 10 stalk, and you’ll know your competitors PBs better than they do. In fact, one click on a results link can lead you down a very deep hole of results stalking. Watch out!

Insomnia is a thing.

Lying awake at 3am post race is normal. Don’t worry about it, you won’t fall asleep anytime soon. It’s the season of no sleep. Have a good race and you’re buzzing. Have a bad race and everything possible floats around your mind. When you eventually fall asleep at about 6am, its unlikely you’ll see breakfast! [This might be linked to the next tip – Ed.]

Caffeine is essential.

I don’t want to claim that you have to drink coffee but I know I would not be able to survive 10pm race times without an early evening espresso. A great buzz at the time but the after effects last long into the night. Hello more insomnia.

Each track race is a mini reunion.

Runners are a special type of breed, which is why so many of your pals are runners too. The only problem is we’re located all over the country (and the world). Track races are defiantly a mini reunion too, catching up with long lost pals, who you most likely saw at the last track race. Warm downs aren’t so bad when this is the case.

Irish National Champs Photo: Lindie Naughton

Learning to kill time the day of a race is a skill in itself.

Race at 9pm? Good luck trying to keep yourself occupied all day without wasting unnecessary energy. Netflix will become your best friend (if it isn’t already). My top tip is to sleep in as long as you can. Breakfast at lunch time… ideal!

One thing I really can promise you though is that there is nothing that can replicate a race on the track. From the mentality needed, to the buzz, to the laps, to the caffeine high and the friendships made. I urge you to give it ago, if only once. Even if it is for the beer mile. Lace up those 5mm.

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patron. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post 10 things to know about track #SummerSeason appeared first on Fast Running.

The event, organised by Michael Wright and a team from Central AC, wants to help boost distance running in Scotland.

The mile is an event cemented in running history, still very popular in the US, but under represented in the UK in recent years. It was 18 months ago that Wright and another Central AC club member set the wheels in motion on the idea.

“We’ve had fantastic athletes like Andy Butchart coming through the club in recent years and we wanted to do something to help promote other such runners coming through too” said the Central AC man. “We’ve got a decent price structure too. £100 a piece for the men’s and women’s elite races but additional cash for fast times”.

“Any man in the elite race running under 4:05 or woman running sub 4:40 gets access to an additional £400 prize fund, so it’s £1000 in total for those two races. If just the winner is the only one under those times then they will get £500 each, if there are more under the time barrier then the additional fund is split.”

As we spoke Wright was getting the gazebo set up and University of Stirling were having the track cleaned for the first race at their venue. It’s great to see a sporting university like Stirling getting behind grass roots events like the Monument Mile.

Race 12: Elite Women

The elite races are lining up to be competitive too. The women’s field has reigning Scottish National XC champ Mhairi MacLennan who will be looking to turn early season cross country success into a victory over the mile tonight. The Inverness Harrier ran a 10k PB of 33:28 at the Night of the 10,000m PBs recently.

Steph Pennycook of Fife AC was second behind MacLennan at the XC but has a much faster PB of 4:15 over 1500m and will possibly be looking for revenge on the track. Jenny Selman, also of Fife AC, has a 1500m PB of 4:20 and will be hot on the heels of her club mate.

There isn’t a pacemaker in the women’s race as no pace was requested so it may play out differently to the men’s event with a more tactical event, but this may change with the prizes for fast times on offer.

Race 13: Elite Men

Ben Greenwood of Perth Strathtay Harriers will be following behind Central AC’s pacemaker who has been asked to pace 2:30 for the first kilometre in the hope of seeing a sub 4 minute mile. The Scottish International has already run a blistering 3:48 1500 season opener at Stratford and the U23 athlete will be gunning for the win.

Central’s Jamie Crowe, currently on a scholarship with Lamar University in Texas, has made big inroads since going stateside in Autumn 2017, including a 14:06 5k in March and a 29:39 10k in April.

The fastest 1500m PB in the race belongs to Central AC’s Alistair Hay, who ran for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Doha in 2010. Although not as fast as that currently, the mile is a tough race physically and mentally. Could this play into Hay’s hands?

Dale Colley, another Central AC athlete, is Scotland’s reigning 1500m champion from 2017 and has a 3:48 1500m PB that certainly can’t be ignored. It’s the same PB as Greenwood, but with the former being a 800m specialist might a strong finish come into it or will the mile distance play into the hands of others?

There is a host of talented athletes toeing the line in both the mens and females elite fields, as well as the 11 other races. Juniors taking on their first mile event can then watch those inspirational figures taking the field afterwards first hand.

Hats off to Michael Wright, Central AC and the University of Stirling for putting on an event to help develop Scottish and British distance running in years to come. Whilst Hawkins, Muir, Butchart and McColgan lead the current charge, the next generation won’t be far behind.

Full race information and start lists can be found on the Scottish Athletics website.

The post Monument Mile Classic bringing Scottish distance talent together appeared first on Fast Running.