BACKGROUND

If you are aiming to compete in a race, irrespective of your actual goal, be it just to complete or finish in the podium, it is vital that your training program includes varied different types of running workouts. Varying your running not only allows you to keep things interesting, but also helps you inch your way towards achieving your running goals. This blog post describes the various commonly used running workouts that should be an integral part of any running training plan.

INTERVALS

This kind of a workout consists of short bursts of higher intensity activity followed by a recovery period. The whole set is repeated many times and this alternate period of high intensity followed by recovery helps you to burn fat and also progressively become faster.

Example workout could be: Warm up for 5 minutes, Run 5 minutes at 10K pace followed by 90 seconds of recovery jog: repeat 5 times followed by a cool down period of 5 minutes.

HILLS

This kind of a run is critical if you are training for a hilly course. You could either do a hill repeat: run up and down a hill or could just do a hilly course. It is important that you slow down during up hill so that you are not exhausted prematurely. Incorporating hills in your regimen would certainly boost your confidence when you reach the start line!

TEMPO RUN

A tempo run is a sustained effort at or near lactate threshold. This run tests your fitness and is to be attempted only by intermediate or advanced runners. The goal of tempo runs should be to sustain your pace longer and also to progressively increase your lactate threshold.

LONG SLOW DISTANCE RUN

If you are training for half-marathon and above, you should do at least one long, slow, distance run every week. This run should be at a relatively slower pace and should not be strenuous. The goal of this run is to adjust your body to the long durations that you would spend on the course and also to ensure that your body is capable of resisting fatigue for long durations.

RECOVERY RUN

This run is relatively shorter and is done at a very easy pace. A recovery run typically follows a hard workout or a race. The aim of a recovery run is to add a little mileage to your running while at the same time not to increase your training load. A recovery run should make you feel rejuvenated and should charge you up for future workouts!

Vary your running by including different types of running to make your workouts interesting.

Running has always been one of the most efficient ways to burn calories. Running is also one of the cheapest ways to get started with exercising. You don’t need to invest in a gym-membership or buy a fancy bicycle to get started. All you need is a (cheap) pair of running shoes and a place to run.

GETTING STARTED

Anyone can run. Even if you haven’t exercised since childhood. Even if you cannot run continuously for 30 seconds even. All it takes is about 9 weeks for you to get from a “couch state” to running continuously for 5 Kms. It might sound hard to believe, but it is possible. I followed the plan that I am going to describe and got from a couch-potato state to completing my first 10K race within a span of about three months.

SIGN UP FOR A RACE

I have always found that I am more motivated when I have a goal in sight. You may be sufficiently motivated, but for most of us if there is a time-bound goal to achieve, we are more likely to stick to our training plan. With this in mind, I would urge you to look out for a 5K or a 10K race roughly three to four months from now. Sign up right now, even before you start training. You would then have a target in sight and you know that you have to work hard in order to finish the race.

A little motivation

COUCH TO 5K PROGRAM

Nine weeks, three workouts a week for 30 minutes each. That’s what it takes to get you from the “couch” to running non-stop for 30 minutes. Here is a description of the plan week by week. You should do all the “running” described below at a very slow pace. A rule of the thumb is that if you are not able to have a conversation while “running” then you are going too fast. Always remember to stick to a “conversational pace” while following this plan.

WEEK 1

1) Five minute warm up walk.
2) 60 secs run followed by 90 secs walk. Repeat 8 times for a total time of 20 minutes.
3) Five minutes cool down walk.

Repeat the same workout 3 times during the week as per your convenience.

WEEK 2

1) Five minute warm up walk.
2) 90 secs run followed by 2 minutes walk. Repeat 6 times.
3) Five minutes cool down walk.

Repeat the same workout 3 times during the week as per your convenience.

WEEK 3

1) Five minute warm up walk.
Do two repetitions of steps 2-3:
2) Run 90 secs. Walk 90 secs.
3) Run 180 secs. Walk 180 secs
4) Five minute cool down walk.

Repeat the same workout 3 times during the week as per your convenience.

WEEK 4

1) Five minute warm up walk.
2) Run 180 secs. Walk 90 secs.
3) Run 5 minutes. Walk 150 secs.
4) Run 3 minutes. Walk 90 secs.
5) Run 5 minutes.
6) Five minute cool down walk.

Repeat the same workout 3 times during the week as per your convenience.

WEEK 5

Workout 1:
1) Five minute warm up walk.
Do two repetitions of step 2:
2) Run 5 minutes. Walk 3 minutes.
3) Run 5 minutes.
4) Five minute cool down walk.

Workout 2:
1) Five minute warm up walk.
2) Run 8 minutes.
3) Walk 5 minutes.
4) Run 8 minutes.
5) Five minute cool down walk.

Workout 3:
1) Five minute warm up walk.
2) Run 20 minutes.
3) Five minute cool down walk.

WEEK 6

Workout 1:
1) Five minute warm up walk.
2) Run 5 minutes. Walk 3 minutes.
3) Run 8 minutes. Walk 3 minutes.
4) Run 5 minutes.
5) Five minute cool down walk.

Workout 2:
1) Five minute warm up walk.
2) Run 10 minutes.
3) Walk 3 minutes.
4) Run 10 minutes.
5) Five minute cool down walk.

Workout 3:
1) Five minute warm up walk.
2) Run 22 minutes.
3) Five minute cool down walk.

WEEK 7

1) Five minute warm up walk.
2) Run 25 minutes.
3) Five minute cool down walk.

Repeat the same workout 3 times during the week as per your convenience.

WEEK 8

1) Five minute warm up walk.
2) Run 28 minutes.
3) Five minute cool down walk.

Repeat the same workout 3 times during the week as per your convenience.

WEEK 9

1) Five minute warm up walk.
2) Run 30 minutes.
3) Five minute cool down walk.

Repeat the same workout 3 times during the week as per your convenience.

SMARTPHONE APPS

There are numerous smartphone apps that help you keep track of your workouts while you are training for your race and following the Couch to 5K program. Some of them are C25K specific like the C25K trainer (Andriod, Apple) while others are general purpose workout trackers such as Runkeeper (Andriod, Apple) and Endomondo (Android, Apple).

Good luck with your training!