If you've ever wanted to increase your speed on a run--and simply began running faster than your normal speed--you probably discovered pretty quickly that you couldn't sustain the additional work for long. As you run faster, your body has to consume more oxygen in order to continue fueling your muscles for movement. If you increase your speed too much or for too long, you will start to feel discomfort: heavy breathing, the buildup of lactic acid and the corresponding muscular discomfort. You may even have to stop altogether to recover and catch your breath. Just because you can't sustain an increased speed for long periods of time doesn't mean that you shouldn't train for speed by periodically picking up the pace. Interval training has proven itself as a mechanism for increasing your lung volume and enabling you to run harder and faster for longer.
Interval Training
Step 1
Time the run you want to train for or the normal run you do in order to develop a baseline for you speed.
Step 2
Plan your intervals in advance. You can make your interval training structured, or you can allow yourself flexibility. If you want a structured program, plan on performing one period of hard running with three equal periods of slower, steady-state running. If you want an unstructured program, create landmarks along your course as you go, running hard to the first landmark, then allowing yourself to rest on the way to the next landmark.
Step 3
Run your interval workout at least once a week, performing intervals throughout the run.
Step 4
Work up to the point where your intervals reach a 1:1 ratio: for every hard interval you work, take an equal interval of rest. You can best determine this by using a watch to time your intervals.
Step 5
Incorporate hill running into your routine. Hills provide a different type of interval training. You don't need to charge up the hill to benefit. Maintain a steady pace while running up and down hills in order to build the strength in your legs.
Step 6
Rest the day after performing any interval workout.
Tips and Warnings
- Don't hit the ground running too fast. Pace yourself so that you don't tire too much a few minutes into your workout. You don't have to sprint during the intervals to see results--you just need to run faster than your normal pace. If you're feeling really motivated, set up your MP3 player so that every time you need to run faster, you have a correspondingly fast-paced song to help keep you on pace. Similarly, during rest intervals, pick a slower song to play.
- Interval training is hard, so make sure you're sufficiently ready for it. Train for several months before beginning to incorporate intervals into your workout. If you feel pain before or during your interval workout, stop for the day. Continued training could lead to further injury.
Things You'll Need
- Watch
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