Some people don't like running on tracks because they find it boring.
The leg movement involved in running is repetitious enough, why add to the monotony by hitting the same flat ground in circles over and over again?
Others avoid the track because they associate it with speed and competition. Beginners can be intimidated, having the train in the same area with veteran runners or elites.
But you know, the oval track can actually be your best friend in training-whether you are a newbie or an advanced runner.
If you're used to running on roads or trails, you can look at the oval as a welcome variety to your usual routine. (For many folks, such as our collegiate champions and national athletes, it would be the other way around).
Some oval tracks in the Philippines are rubberized, as the one at Teacher's Camp in Baguio or at the ULTRA, now also known as PhilSports Arena, although we still have many with the soil surface (like the one in Baguio's Burnham Park). Either way, you're giving your feet and joints a favor, sparing it from the repetitive strain from the harsh, concrete roads and paved sidewalks. Notice that a lot of injured runners use the track during their recovery period. Not only is the surface "kinder", it is more convenient to discontinue running when one tires out, with the beginning and end points closer.
Away from cars, stray animals, hecklers, and potholes, where else can you find a safer more suitable outdoor place to run? You won't need some complicated gadget, save for the usual stopwatch, to measure the pace, given the constant distance of the accurate on the track. Results are immediate and accurate on such a controlled environment. It is for this reason that tracks are also ideal for speed work and interval training.
by Jonel C. Mendoza
published on: Fitnesszone(frontRUNNER/VOLUME III ISSUE 3 2012-pp.12)
The leg movement involved in running is repetitious enough, why add to the monotony by hitting the same flat ground in circles over and over again?
Others avoid the track because they associate it with speed and competition. Beginners can be intimidated, having the train in the same area with veteran runners or elites.
But you know, the oval track can actually be your best friend in training-whether you are a newbie or an advanced runner.
If you're used to running on roads or trails, you can look at the oval as a welcome variety to your usual routine. (For many folks, such as our collegiate champions and national athletes, it would be the other way around).
Some oval tracks in the Philippines are rubberized, as the one at Teacher's Camp in Baguio or at the ULTRA, now also known as PhilSports Arena, although we still have many with the soil surface (like the one in Baguio's Burnham Park). Either way, you're giving your feet and joints a favor, sparing it from the repetitive strain from the harsh, concrete roads and paved sidewalks. Notice that a lot of injured runners use the track during their recovery period. Not only is the surface "kinder", it is more convenient to discontinue running when one tires out, with the beginning and end points closer.
Away from cars, stray animals, hecklers, and potholes, where else can you find a safer more suitable outdoor place to run? You won't need some complicated gadget, save for the usual stopwatch, to measure the pace, given the constant distance of the accurate on the track. Results are immediate and accurate on such a controlled environment. It is for this reason that tracks are also ideal for speed work and interval training.
by Jonel C. Mendoza
published on: Fitnesszone(frontRUNNER/VOLUME III ISSUE 3 2012-pp.12)