By adjusting the pace or determining effort levels, a workout can be appropriately challenging for beginners, experienced athletes, and everyone in between!
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You will find your running workouts on your weekly email. Some runs are one pace throughout the whole run. Other runs alternate paces. In the running community, runs where you alternate between different paces are called "fartlek", which is Swedish for "speed play". These allow you to experiment with running faster than normal without needing to stop for full recovery. If you're a beginner, you might see "run-walk" intervals.
"What does this mean?!"
Example Workout: 15-20 min run at "Easy"
4 x 15 seconds "Fast" running (flat or uphill) -- recovery is approximately 1 min as you walk back to your starting place.
For this workout, you begin by running "Easy" pace for 15-20 minutes. The range is provided so that you have some choice based on how much you've been running lately and how you feel that day. Learn more about "Easy" pace here.
Next, take a minute or two to collect yourself, stretch any tight muscles, or do some leg swings.
4 x 15 seconds "Fast" running means that you run for 15 seconds, four times. If you're reading it out loud, it's read like "four by fifteen seconds" or "four times fifteen seconds". The recovery is how long between each interval of 15 seconds. For this workout, you will always start at the same line. After you finish your 15 second "Fast" run, you will walk back to the starting line as recovery. Learn more about "Fast" pace here.
Example Workout: 15-20 min run at "Easy"
4 x 15 seconds "Fast" running (flat or uphill) -- recovery is approximately 1 min as you walk back to your starting place.
For this workout, you begin by running "Easy" pace for 15-20 minutes. The range is provided so that you have some choice based on how much you've been running lately and how you feel that day. Learn more about "Easy" pace here.
Next, take a minute or two to collect yourself, stretch any tight muscles, or do some leg swings.
4 x 15 seconds "Fast" running means that you run for 15 seconds, four times. If you're reading it out loud, it's read like "four by fifteen seconds" or "four times fifteen seconds". The recovery is how long between each interval of 15 seconds. For this workout, you will always start at the same line. After you finish your 15 second "Fast" run, you will walk back to the starting line as recovery. Learn more about "Fast" pace here.
Example Workout: 5 min easy running warmup
3 sets of: alternating 2 min "hard" / 2 min "easy" recovery jog
3 min easy running cooldown
Like the previous workout, this workout begins with 5 min of running at "Easy" pace.
Next, you have a choice: you can stop and stretch OR you can begin the next part of your workout without stopping.
This is called a "fartlek". You will not stop running between the 3 sets of alternating intervals. Start by running for 2 minutes at "Hard" pace. Then, switch your pace to "Easy" for 2 minutes. Repeat this 3 times. This workout is designed to be difficult! Make sure that you are running hard enough by referencing the pace chart. One tip - make sure that you are running the same pace throughout the whole interval: as fast as you can sustain for the full two minutes. If you're slowing down during the interval, you went out too fast!
Finally, you can take a brief stretching break or go right into your 3 min cooldown run at "Easy". Do not skip this part! Cooling down is incredibly important to prevent injuries and soreness. It will feel difficult, but that's ok.
3 sets of: alternating 2 min "hard" / 2 min "easy" recovery jog
3 min easy running cooldown
Like the previous workout, this workout begins with 5 min of running at "Easy" pace.
Next, you have a choice: you can stop and stretch OR you can begin the next part of your workout without stopping.
This is called a "fartlek". You will not stop running between the 3 sets of alternating intervals. Start by running for 2 minutes at "Hard" pace. Then, switch your pace to "Easy" for 2 minutes. Repeat this 3 times. This workout is designed to be difficult! Make sure that you are running hard enough by referencing the pace chart. One tip - make sure that you are running the same pace throughout the whole interval: as fast as you can sustain for the full two minutes. If you're slowing down during the interval, you went out too fast!
Finally, you can take a brief stretching break or go right into your 3 min cooldown run at "Easy". Do not skip this part! Cooling down is incredibly important to prevent injuries and soreness. It will feel difficult, but that's ok.
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