Different types of running workouts

Running need not be a monotonous activity. You can vary your workouts to keep yourself motivated and interested.

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.