Track Session – VO2 Max – Sat 16th June

12 June 2018 - By Rachel Pearsons

The session at the Tabor Track, Braintree this coming Saturday will be the VO2 max with reducing recoveries.

This is a personal favourite of mine and a very effective session. So what is VO2 max all about? This is the greatest amount of oxygen that can be used by your entire body and is aimed at improving your aerobic fitness. It is also a great way of seeing how much your fitness has improved. The better your VO2 max, the fitter you are. In short, the more oxygen you get into your muscles, the quicker and longer you will run. Simple!

Each rep will be 1 x 400m of the track with standing/walking recovery. There are 4 reps in each set. You will have a target zone in which you need to complete the 400m in. The recovery is set according to your group. This will mean you can programme your Garmin (or other device) prior to coming to the track. At the end of the set, you get a 3 minute recovery before starting again.

Ideally, you should be aiming to group yourself a bit quicker than your 5k pace. So try and reach the quicker end of your target zone. However, if this is your first time at this session then it won’t hurt to go with your normal 5k pace group. The groupings are as follows;

Group 1 – 17-19 min 5k pace – target zone 1:25-1:30 min per 400m
Group 2 – 20-23 min 5k pace – target zone 1:35-1:50 min per 400m
Recovery – 90 seconds, 75 seconds, 60 seconds and finally 45 seconds

Group 3 – 24-26 min 5k pace – target zone 1:55-2:10 min per 400m
Group 4 – 27-30 min 5k pace – target zone 2:15-2:25 min per 400m
Recovery – 125 seconds, 110 seconds, 95 seconds and finally 80 seconds

Just a gentle reminder that WRC members need to pay to use the track at reception upon arrival. However, if you are a Fusion member then this is included in your membership. Just show the receptionist your membership card.

Bring hydration and warm/dry clothing to put on afterwards. We will start at 9am with a warm-up and some dynamic stretches before going into the main session.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Sasha and Rach