On/Off Track 200m Repeats – One-Hour Workout For Triathletes
These short intervals will benefit triathletes who specialize in both short- and long-course races.
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Every Tuesday we’ll feature a different coach’s workout you can complete in 60 mins (or less!).
This week’s workout comes from USAT Level I coach Maria Simone of No Limits Endurance, who says short intervals aren’t just for sprint triathletes, but that long-course athletes can also benefit. “This session focuses on running economy, turnover, power and the ability to recover quickly from harder efforts,” she says. “Because the intervals are shorter, it allows you to focus on form before becoming overly fatigued from the effort.”
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On/Off Track Repeats
Warm-up
10 minutes, easy effort
5×20 second strides, with 30 second easy effort between. The purpose of strides are to focus on quick feet and good form. The effort should not be all out, but around 80–85% of max effort.
End warm-up with 5 minutes at a steady/Zone 2 effort
Main set
6-12 x 200 meters on, 200 off
Cool-down
Cool down to finish the duration with easy run, walk & stretch
The “on” segments are at 80–85% max effort, “off” segments are an easy run to recover. The effort for the 200 on segments should be such that you can maintain it across the duration of the sets. As soon as your pace slows significantly, you should end the session and move to cool-down. The goal of this session is to work on running economy and power – once that goes, the purpose of the session is no longer being served.
When doing this session for the first time, stick to the lower end of total sets, especially if you are new to track work. You can add 1–2 additional sets each time you do the workout. As you build experience, you can increase the intensity of the 200s up to 90% max, as long as you can maintain form and speed across the total number of sets.
If you don’t have access to a track, these repeats can be completed on a quiet, flat stretch of road, or even a treadmill.
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More one-hour workouts for triathletes.
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