Running terminology explained

What do the expressions 'up and down the clock' mean in running terms?
Joan Barry

Answer: These sorts of sessions will vary depending on the distance you race. They can also be run on the track, on the road or on grass. An example of an 'up the clock' session on the track would be repetitions of 200m/300m/400m/500m/600m/700m/800m run quickly with the same jog recovery as the time run for the repetition. This would equate to 7000m of running of which half will be run very quickly.  A 'down the clock' session on grass or the road could be five minutes running followed by four, three, two and one. Each repetition would be followed by a jog equivalent to the time of the repetition. This would give a total of 30 minutes running of which half would be run very quickly.

I have heard the expression a ‘Pyramid’ session. What does it mean to runners?
Margaret, Bath

Answer: It can be any number of odd repetitions over a variety of distances or specified timed runs. What all of the sessions do is start with the same repetition and finish with the same repetition while building to a peak in the middle to give you the odd number of repetitions.

The following are two examples: 1 minute; 2 minutes; 3 minutes; 4 minutes; 5 minutes; 4 minutes; 3 minutes; 2 minute; 1 minute building to a peak of a five minute repetition during the nine repetitions or 400m; 600m; 800m; 1,000m; 1,200m; 1,000m; 800m; 600m; 400m. In this case, building to a peak of 1,200m during the nine repetitions.

In each session the recovery will be the same usually as the repetition that has just been run. Therefore it will be one minute in the first series and the time it takes to run the 400m in the second series.