by Steve Sievert

This feature is a continuation of the "Beginners Beat" column in the June 2002 issue of Runner Triathlete News. To get the full scoop on planning and keeping a training log, pick up a copy of the June issue of Runner Triathlete News.

What are your favorite track workouts?

Even though the track can be an unforgiving, challenging place to train, it is still a place where you can get creative with your workouts.

As outlined in RTN's Beginners Beat in June, an ideal interval workout for beginners is the classic four by four, or four repeats of 400 meters. The four by four was the first track workout I did in high school, and it remains a part of my track repertoire today.

But limiting your track exposure to this single workout is like stopping at the first station of the buffet line. Clearly, there is a lot more to consume.

One of my favorites is the up and down ladder. The actual distances covered can vary, but my typical ladder up consists of a 200, 400, 800, 1200 and mile. Logically, the ladder down covers the same distances in reverse. Rest varies within the workout between one minute (between the 200 and 400) and five minutes (between the miles).

This is a difficult session that forces the legs to shift gears several times. All at once, you are working on your speed (200 and 400) and your endurance (1200 and mile).

For pure speed, try this 200-meter-based workout: eight by 200 meters, with 200 meter jogs in between. Since you never actually rest during this workout, the legs are cajoled into working overtime, allowing you to build speed and work on your endurance simultaneously. Done at about 90 percent effort, this workout will hurt, but it will make you faster.

Those are a couple of my favorites, and I could go on, but you get the idea. Although the track seems inflexible and predictable, you can get as creative as your mind allows when developing workouts.