The track gives you a chance to run fast. As I mentioned in an article last year, everyone likes to run fast. No one actually wishes to run slower. And there is something about the track that makes it okay to actually want to be as fast as you can. You are not showing anyone up by blowing past them on the track. It is just fine to want to chug away as hard as you can. No one thinks you an elitist because you have the need for speed.
Moreover, runners of all distances whom I have spoken to, worked with, and run alongside swear by track workouts as a way to increase their strength, speed and enjoyment for the sport. You don’t need to actually ever run a single race on a track (although I highly suggest you do) to get benefits from what these track workouts will do for you. Often I have heard about “training like a miler to run a fast marathon.”
The benefits of this little, often orange, oval are nearly limitless. It should definitely be an arrow in any runner’s quiver.
