Happy Broncos Day!!
Just kidding, but I enjoyed watching Peyton Manning win his 2nd Superbowl and possibly his last game ever to be played. He is hands down my favorite quarterback and NFL player. I don’t know who I am going to cheer for or even watch next year. To be honest he was one of the only reasons I even watched the NFL games. But I have digressed.
Lets cut to the chase….literally……
Now that spring is coming 6 weeks sooner, according to our trusty groundhog, it’s time for spring racing. With spring racing, comes the need for speed….and I am talking about running speed. I have a love/hate relationship with my speedwork. I know how important speedwork is to our training, and the speed, endurance and strength it builds. It helps to reign in those PR’s for the season.
After a long winter of football watching, or more Manning watching, it’s time for gearing up for spring racing. I can get antsy after a long, dark, cold winter. It’s time for sun, clear roads and running fast. And speedwork doesn’t have to be boring or intimidating. It can be fun and new. I love learning different speed workouts from experienced runners, and even making up my own. There’s so many ways to throw speed into your runs, and it will benefit you immensely.
With my spring calendar full, I am doing more speed now. Winter gave me a great base, and now it’s time to pick up the tempo. So I wanted to share my fun speed workouts, or at least some of them.
- Fartleks – I forgot all about these until this past year. I hadn’t done them in years, and they are actually one of my favorite workouts. A fartlek is just a speed play workout, running fast for a certain time and then recovery for the same amount of time. For the workout: Warm up 10 minutes, do 1/1, 2/2, 3/3, 3/3, 2/2, 1/1 and a 10 minute warm down for a total of 50 minutes. The “speed play” is done with 1 minute on, 1 minute off. typically done at race pace or a tempo pace. You can also do each “speed play” at different race paces such as a few at 5k, 10k, and marathon pace.
- 4 X 1000’s or 1200 ‘s – Track workouts don’t have to be dull. There’s no need to just do 400s and 800s the typical track workout. Instead, you can add different distances. 1000 repeats and 1200 repeats are great. They are just under 1 mile, but just over 800. It helps to train the body to go farther and faster, instead of stopping at the trained 800. You can do as many as you like. For longer distances, such as training for a marathon work up to 8 repeats. Between each repeat, recover with 400 meters before beginning the next. Warm up and cool down for at least 1 mile, but I suggest 10 minutes.
- 3 X 10 minutes @ marathon pace – Again you can add as many sets as you like, and can even do 2X10 minutes at marathon pace and 2 X 10 at 1/2 marathon pace all in the same workout. You go longer than 1 mile at marathon pace training the body to hold the pace. You’ll learn to run at race pace, so you’ll know what it feels like for race day. Between sets, do a 3-5 minute recovery. Warm up and cool down for 10 minutes.
- Cut Downs – A great workout to help build endurance and speed and train the body to run on tired legs. You progressively get faster and faster as the workout goes on. Start with 2 mile warm up. On the next mile run at 10 seconds over marathon pace, next mile marathon pace, next mile 10 seconds under marathon pace, and a 1-2 mile cool down. You can have 2 miles at marathon pace too, doing as many miles as you need, but cutting down the speed every mile or two.
- Ladder – You’ll cover multiple distances in this workout going up the ladder and then back down. 200, 400, 600, 800, 1200, 1200, 800, 600, 400, 200, and if you wanted all the way up to a 1600. Start with 10 minute warm up, 200 meters fast, 200 meter recovery, 400 meters fast, 200 recovery, 600 meters fast, 400 recovery, and so on. Recover with 400 meters between the longer distances and 200 recovery between shorter distances, with 10 minute cool down.
- 8X200, 6X400 – Great for shorter distances such as the 5k and 10k. Start with a 10 minute warm up, then do 8 X 200 repeats, with a 100 meter recovery jog. Then do a 5 minute recovery before beginning the 400s. In between 400s, recover for 200-400 meters. Finish with a 10 minute warm down. You can change directions on the track to make sure you’re leaning into both sides of the body and not just taxing one side.
- Hill Repeats with 3X3 minute @ 10k pace -Start with a warm up, then do hill repeats or hill sprints. Pick a hill of at least 400 meters. Recover by walking or jogging down, and then repeating. Once finished with the hill repeats, you’ll recover for 3 minutes and then begin 3 minutes at 10k pace, recover for 2 minutes. This trains the body to run fast on tired legs. This work out is hard, but it builds strength and endurance. Not only do hills build strength and endurance, running fast on tired legs after doing hills builds strength and preps for race day.
- Long Run Gasper – This is a little workout I’ve made myself and done myself. On those long runs you can practice race day by doing some speed throughout. Start with 4-5 miles at your normal long run pace, than do 1-2 minute pickups throughout the run, with 6-8 minutes back at normal long run pace, and then 1-2 minutes fast, etc. Then the last 2-3 miles pick up the pace slowly, working up to race pace by the end. This workout helps the body run strong during a tiring long run, picking up the pace throughout and finishing faster.
You can do 800 repeats, mile repeats 3X5 minutes at race pace, etc. So much to do and so little time until spring racing!! But you can be ready for spring racing with the options above. Now go chase some PR’s.
Until Next Time Be Whole and Be Fit
What are your favorite speed workouts?