Speed workouts are one of the most often skipped workouts in any given running plan. Incorporating one speed workout into your week can make such a difference not only to the outcome of your planned race, but also to how you feel during your long runs and easy runs. Working on speed is going to increase your fitness level by raising your anaerobic threshold, basically pushing further back the speed/time at which your body reaches fatigue.
Read any running training plan and you’ll see workouts specifically for track distances – like 400m repeats, or ladders (200m, then 400m, then 600m etc, for example). But what if you don’t have access to a track? Never fear – speed workouts can be done anywhere and can benefit any runner, whether you have a goal race, or you just go out running for fitness.
In general, for those training for a specific distance of race, the longer the race, the longer the intervals should be. For example, if you’re training for a half marathon, probably half-mile intervals would be the shortest interval workout you’d want to do. Even so, if you’re injury free and are getting your quality long run mileage as well as your longer speed interval training in every week, there would be nothing wrong with adding a workout with shorter intervals. Listen to your body and make sure you are getting enough rest to feel refreshed and ready for each workout. When you’re tired and/or overtraining, that’s when you have a greater risk of injury.
Work with what you’ve got!
Are you lucky enough to live near a park, or a beach, or trails? Do you live in a city and have limited access to parks or green areas? Are you limited for whatever reason to a treadmill? Just work with what you’ve got for your speed work.
I live near Prospect Park and usually use the shorter roads in the middle of the park (Center Drive and Lake Drive) to do interval training. There is a long staircase of several sets of stairs just off Center Drive, which I have also used as a fun switch-up of my regular speed workouts. I just run as fast as I can right to the top, then turn and jog slowly back down. I usually do at 10 – 15 repeats. I have no idea what the length of those stairs is, nor do I plan to work it out using a mapping tool. It’s just fun for a change and I feel like I’m utilizing my running environment more by incorporating stair run intervals.
If you only have pavements or roads to run, then use those. You could use one city block as an interval, then the next as your recovery jog, for example. New York Road Runners often uses one particularly steep hill on a block on the east side for hill repeats in their training classes.
If you’re limited to the treadmill, you actually have great options for speed work, because you have the distance right in front of you and you can push your pace with the press of a button.
3 Speed Workouts to Try:
Disclaimer: You should, of course, have a good solid weekly mileage before incorporating speed workouts into your routine. I recommend trying out speed workouts either with a one-on-one trainer, or in a group training setting before attempting them on your own.
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FARTLEK
By far the easiest speed workout to do anywhere and anytime, Fartlek runs are unstructured and fun. The word itself is Swedish for ‘speed play’ – you are playing a game with your speed within your run. This is a great introductory workout for a runner who has never tried speed workouts before.
How to:
When you are out running, pick a spot in the distance – a tree, a sign, anything. Now, run fast to that spot. When you reach it, revert to your recovery pace. Repeat. There’s no set rule for how long each fast running segment should be, although generally you want each to last no longer than 90 seconds. Start with 5 speed repetitions and work our way up from there.
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TEMPO
Tempo runs are running for a certain period of time at your anaerobic threshold pace. Don’t know what that is? Your anaerobic threshold is just below the point at which your body’s ability to clear lactate can no longer keep up with its lactate production. For a serious runner, your 5K race pace would actually be above anaerobic threshold, so your tempo pace will be around 30 seconds slower than your 5K pace.
Doing a tempo workout is a great way to become accustomed to how your body feels when you’re pushing it a little harder and further than you’re comfortable running for long distances. Pay attention to how your body feels when doing a tempo workout and you my be able to pinpoint what you need to work on: do your shoulders get high and tight? Do you feel tightness in your calves? Is your ITB bothering you? Take those observations and apply that knowledge to your strength training plan in the gym.
How to:
Tempo should be comfortably difficult. I know, it sounds like an oxymoron. But speed work should feel difficult in order for it to be beneficial. Tempo runs should comprise of the following:
- Feel ‘comfortably difficult’: You could keep the pace for no longer than an hour.
- Last from 20 minutes to an hour: Many training plans cap a tempo run at 20 minutes, although if your goal event is as long as a marathon, you could work your way up to a 60 minute tempo run.
- Be at a consistent pace: This is the kind of speed workout where knowing your mile splits and times is important. A real tempo run should have equal splits, because you are trying to run consistently at your anaerobic threshold pace.
- Should not incorporate hills, many turns, or uneven terrain: This again is all about keeping that consistent pace.
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Good post! This sharing is useful for me. I still often practice workouts, combining with running. So good!