Running workouts at the right speed

Whether you are just beginning to take up running or you have been for years you may want to have a read and think about the running workouts you have in the future.

I found my love for running after I had my two boys. I think I found it more enjoyable and not such a “task” at first because it was time away on my own. I therefore enjoyed that bit of me time and realized it was not all about going flat out for each run I did.

Pre children I used to run the same track time after time and try to better my time, only to find it was always the same. I felt one run it would be my breathing that wasn’t right, next run my legs didn’t feel great, and other times I would slump about the same distance into the run and find my physiological side to get past this and try harder.

Then I found a few different ways to change my running workouts. I sat down and worked out my week schedule with work, and training times. I noted which part of the week I felt fresh compared to time poor or just tired. I then put together some running programs to get the most benefit each time.

These are some factors for you to consider:

One of the biggest error runners make is running workouts at incorrect speeds. Run your workouts too fast, and you may not meet the purpose of the workout. At the very least, you’ll add unnecessary fatigue to your legs without extra benefit. Running too slow you may not obtain the desired benefit at all. If you’re running below 60 per cent of your maximal heart rate, research has show that there will be minimal cardiovascular benefits. The hardest tempo to run is at your lactate threshold, many people run too hard at the beginning and therefore can’t hold back the pace to find their fastest sustainable aerobic pace. They go hard, then when it gets tough they drop way back to a pace fewer than 60 per cent max heart rate. You need to try and sit about 75 per cent for longer periods at a time to increase your overall pace.

You need to work out what you want out of each run session. Follow a few of these guidelines to see if it can help you:

Recovery and long runs 1 – 11/2 minutes per km slower than 5k race pace; 65 – 75 per cent max heart rate.

Lactate threshold (tempo) -For slow runners about 6-9 seconds per km slower than 5k race pace (or about 10k race pace) – For recreational runners (75-80 % max heart rate) that’s about 15 sec slower than 5k race pace – For highly trained runners (85-90 % max heart rate) that’s about 10 sec slower than 5k race pace which should feel comfortably hard.

Long interval running 2 – 5 minutes at above 90% heart rate at end of each period (for experienced runners)

Short intervals 1 – 2 minute sprints.

So many runners start too fast too early and burn out later in the run to end up with disappointing times. You should set a strategy of starting your run on a pace that you can maintain for the entire length of run, it may feel easy. You need to be patience and ideally the second half of your race should be equal to or slightly faster than the first half (i.e negative splits). DON’T BURN OUT TOO EARLY.

Also the more aerobically fit you are the faster you will recover between workouts. The rapidity with which you recover from intense workouts will dictate how often you can perform other intense workouts, which may ultimately influence your ability to reach your running potential. The best way to determine how much aerobic work you need is to slowly and systematically increase your mileage from month to month and year to year, taking care to note how you respond to the training stimulus. Too many injuries can occur if you do not set these increases out correctly, by not allowing enough recovery between runs (endurance distances). Some people get carried away by backing up long runs without enough time for their body (and mind) to recover; hence injuries. If you haven’t reached a plateau in your performance at say 80km per week, there’s no reason to yet increase your mileage to 90km. The same goes for those at the other end, get your 3-4km per run out comfortably before trying to tackle a 5-6km run. You will only bring down you physiological outlook to think of this as impossible.

If you want to get the most from your training and racing, you need to change up your workouts with the right speeds, aerobic work and recovery times.

( some references from Network article – Jason Karp)