Interval Training

“It’s only 3 minutes”, is often the phrase that runs through my mind when I start on one of the repeats in an interval session. And sure enough it is only 3 minutes (other time efforts are available).

Why do I put myself (and my clients through this on a regular basis? It’s one of the best ways to build fitness, and specifically to build aerobic capacity. The intervals session allows us to run at a higher intensity for longer.

The structure of a session:

Bookended by a warm up and a cool down, interval sessions then take the form of a time or distance run at a hard effort followed by a rest period and repeated. Rest and effort ratios can be varied depending on the focus of the training. The number of repeats will be varied depending on the stage in training. The rest period should be just enough that you can face the interval enough, but not too much so that you feel fully fresh to go again.

Other options:

If you find it difficult to run a standalone intervals session, you can incorporate it into a longer run as a form of fartlek. Within your run intersperse periods of faster running (the effort part) with slower running (the rest/recovery part).

If you are beginning running or returning from injury, you can complete an intervals session at a walk – the key point is to have a contrast between the intensity of the effort and the recovery parts.

How does it work:

By running at a greater intensity, it trains the athlete’s body to take in and use oxygen more effectively. This is important in being able to run in a physiologically effective way over longer distances. From a mental training point of view, running an effort session when your legs are feeling tired will also give benefits for longer, endurance events.

 I can create a specific training plan for you, to help you incorporate sessions like intervals into your training, whether you’re a beginner or more  experienced runner. Send me a message to discuss your plan.