“Success is the sum of small efforts, day-in and day-out.”
Base Run: Run 1 mile slow and easy. If you have to walk some walk, but try to maintain a very easy pace.
Intermediate: Easy 3 mile run.
Recovery Run: walk or run 20 minutes easy but do this workout after you’ve had a harder run day.
Intermediate: Easy 3 mile run. Add 5 minutes of walking at the beginning and end of workout.
Long Run: Beginners, if you’ve been doing some walk/running, try to cover 20-30 minutes with as much slow jogging as possible. Adjust the time to where you may currently be at for your base runs and increase the time by 10 minutes.
Intermediate: This may be anywhere to 6-9 miles for you. It’s ran at a slow, easy pace, your just covering a distance of 2-3 miles more than your base run.
Fartlek: Beginners, walk for 5 minutes. Jog fast for 1 min. walk for 1 min.x 10 rounds. Walk for 5 minutes.
Intermediate: Easy jog for 5 minutes. Sprint for 1 min. jog for 1 min x 10 rounds. Jog for 5-10 minutes.
Tempo Run: Beginners, walk for 5 minute, start off slowly next 5 minutes. Gradually build to a harder jog pace and hold that pace for 10 minutes. Bring your pace back down for 5 minutes then follow up with a walk.
Intermediate: Warm up jog for 5 minutes. Gradually increase your pace to running 20 minutes at a speed that you can keep but you can’t carry on a conversation. The goal of this workout is to have the 2nd half of your run faster than the first half. Make sure you cool down jog 5-10 minutes.
Interval Run: Warm up walk to jog for 5 minutes. If you can find a track jog 1 lap at a faster pace, then walk half a of a lap. Repeat this interval 10 times. Don’t forget to cool down. If not track access run 3 min. hard pace, walk 1 minute and repeat 5 times.
Intermediate: Warm up for 1/2 mile to a mile on the track (or trail). Sprint 1 lap, walk half of a lap. Repeat this 8-10 times. Cool down 1/2 to full mile. If not track access run 15 minutes at a hard pace, jog 5 easy, repeat 2-3 times.
Hill Run: Warm up with a jog or walk out to your “favorite” hill. For beginners you want to focus on walking fast or jogging up this hill and walking back down it 3-4 times for your first time out. Follow this up with a walk or jog back home for your cool down.
Intermediate: Jog out to your “favorite” hill. Jog/Sprint up the hill 6-8 times, jog back down. Make sure you focus on your arm and knee drive up the hill. Don’t forget to cool down and stretch.
Progression Run: Think start slow, finish fast! This progression run is called THIRDS. Break up your walk/jog/run into thirds. Whether your at 20-30 minutes run, begin the first 1/3 of your running at a very easy, light pace. The next 3rd, is a little bit harder, then you slowly lean into the last 1/3 at tempo or near race pace. Finish hard then cool down walk/jog for 5-10 minutes.
Intermediate: Think start slow, finish fast! Break your Progression run into 3rd’s. Your first 10 minutes of a 30 min. run will be a natural easy pace, then the next 1/3rd a little bit faster, then the last 3rd hit your harder tempo pace and finish at race pace. Don’t forget a light cool down walk/jog.
These are the simplest form of these 8 types of run workouts. If you want a plan written just for you and the support of an on line Run Group and Coach, join our Run With Purpose Project and get on the team! Run smarter to get faster!
*To really improve as a runner it’s a great idea to get a race or two under your belt to get your finisher time. Once you have this time we can plug your numbers in to a calculator and get more specific with what paces you should be running these different types of runs at other than your rate of perceived exertion or (RPE).