I feel the need for speed

Tonight was the first night of Big River's speedwork. The workout was 8-10 X400 @ 10 K pace. My Ironman training plan does not include speedwork, but I love going to these workouts, and I also think speedwork is an important part of any training plan.

When training for endurance sports, most of our training is done at a nice conversation pace (HR in zones 1 and 2). However, speedwork is also very benifical no matter what distance race you are training for. No matter if your a cyclist, runner, swimmer, or triathlete, make sure you include some faster work in your training plan.

Unfortunately, with speed comes the increased risk on injury. You can reduce your risk of injury by warming up and stretching before your workout. Easing into speedwork. Start with slower work and gradually build into faster work. Finally, don't forget to cool-down, stretch, and ice after the workout.

Last but not least. The ultimate goal of speedwork is to hit a consistent split everytime. Speedwork does not mean sprint, rather think of consistency and control.