Types of Running Workouts

Warm Up and Cool Down

Warm-Ups:

  • Warm ups have 2 components: The warm up run and the dynamic drills.
    • Warm Up Runs
      • Gradually increase your heart rate and breathing.
      • Help stimulate muscle activation and blood flow to prepare your body for the activity on hand.
    • Dynamic Drills
      • Increase overall blood flow and heart rate.
      • Help increase your range of motion.
      • Emulate and reinforce good form and technique.
    • Why do we do Dynamic Stretching instead Static stretching before our exercises?
      • Think of your muscles as bubble gum. If you try to pull bubble gum before chewing it, it will snap much easier. After you chew it and then you pull, it gains elasticity.
      • In the same way, static stretching your cold muscles won't allow them to be as effective as dynamic stretching as there is less blood flow and a lack of sport specific reinforcement (the chewing). Your muscles will resist more and put you in a position to be injured the higher the intensity of your workout.
  • How it looks:
    • Start with an easy 1-mile - 2-mile warm-up or 10-15 minutes.
    • Proceed to do anywhere between 8-12 form drills and speed drills. There are over 50 types of warm-up drills. Depending on the athlete's choice, choose to do a set that covers all major muscle groups, and then ones that you feel you need extra attention on. Remember to not focus too much on one muscle group that you accidentally neglect another.
      • Examples:
        • A skips
        • B skips
        • High Knees
        • Butt Kicks
        • Side to Sides
        • Kenyan 1
        • Kenyan 2
        • Craddles
        • Scoops
      • Proceed to do Dynamic Stretches
        • Standing forward leg swings
        • Standing cross leg swings
        • Upright scissor kicks
        • Scorpions
        • Followed by jumps or strides
        • Commence workout

Cool Down:

  • Between 400 meters to 2 miles or 5-15 minutes. In rare cases, 3-6 miles.
  • Proceed to follow with easy dynamic stretches.
  • Proceed with static stretching, holding each stretch for a minimum of 30 seconds up to 1 minute.
    • Static stretching is key for ending purposes. It helps to reinforce the range of motion that you gained from the workout and earlier dynamic drills.
  • Follow with recovery food or drink to replenish your fuel source.

 

Threshold: 15 - 45 seconds slower than goal race pace.

Threshold runs aim to increase metabolic fitness. The high intensity helps build a lactic acid threshold similar to those conditions on race day.

Best done on flatter surfaces while avoiding big hills. The primary goal is to build consistent extended speed and endurance at your Aerobic Threshold.

  • For example: If your race pace is 5:30 for a 3-mile course, you will perform your threshold at 6:00-6:30 pace. Best recommended to start at the slower pace (ex. 6:30) and progressively build up to the faster pace within the workout (ex. 6:15) to allow yourself to further stimulate your Aerobic Threshold.

Workouts will run for the given amount of miles/time. You will generally start between 2 miles or 15 min and progressively build up to 3 - 5 Miles or 24 - 30 min.

  • Example: If your 5k PR is 17:15, your workout would be 4 Miles at 6:00min pace with the run ending at 24:00 minutes.

Tempo: 50 seconds to 2 minutes+ slower than your event pace.

Slightly slower than threshold pace, but for longer distances. The goal is to get into a comfortable pace that can be sustained for longer distances. These can be incorporated into your longer runs to have a controlled and gentle increase in speed and leg turnover.

Generally, start at 2-3 miles or 15-20 minutes and progressively build up to 5-10 Miles or 30min-1 Hour.

  • Example: 8 Miles at 6:30-7:00 pace for an athlete that runs around a 17:00 min 5k.

Intervals: Characterized by bursts of high-intensity running followed by short recovery based on time or distance. The goal is to increase leg speed, allowing muscles to work through their full range of motion, improving elasticity, and coordination, and increasing your stride efficiency.

  • Example: 400 meters with 200-400 meter jog recovery OR 1 - 2 minute recovery. Usually for 8 - 12 repeats.

Long Intervals: Repeats based on long intensity followed by recovery based on time or distance. The goal is to control extended and race speed to simulated race pace intensity cut into small manageable intervals. The goal is to teach the body pacing. The total mileage usually adds up to the race distance (training for 3 miles will equate to intervals adding up to 3 miles)

  • Example: If the Race pace is 18:00 for a 5k
  • Example 1: Mile repeats - 3 Times at 6:00 each - Recovery: 2 - 4 minutes  
  • Example 2: 800 meter repeats - 6 times each at 2:55 - 3:00 minutes each - Recovery: 2 - 3 minutes

 

Fartleks: Swedish term for "speed play". Vary in speed and intensity in an unstructured manner. Can be done for distance or time using marking points, such as cones, trees, the end of the street, etc. The goal is to train the body to recruit muscle fibers when fatigued.

  • Each intense burst is followed by a short recovery.
  • Example: 3 minutes hard followed by 3 minutes easy (3 on 3 off), 5 times. Meaning the end time would be at 24 minutes.

Progressive Runs: Runs that build endurance and strength. Measured by starting at a firm but controlled pace and progressively getting faster with each lap, mile, or set time frame. These runs aim to teach the body how to push through discomfort within a stage of fatigue. It also teaches the runner to start at a controlled and comfortable pace with the knowledge that they will need to push their current efforts as the workout progresses. If you start too fast the remaining goal paces becomes more difficult to maintain.

  • Examples if your mile personal record is 5:45 for 1 mile or 19:30 for 3 miles.
  • ​7,7,7 workout
    • First 7 minutes at 65%-75% Effort (7:35 pace)  
    • Second 7 minutes at 85% Effort (7:20 pace)  
    • Third 7 minutes at 85%+ (7:05 or faster pace)
  • 3 Mile Run
    • First mile at 65%-75% (7:35 pace)  
    • Second mile at 85% (7:20 pace)
    • Third mile at 85%+ (7:05 or faster pace)

Easy Run: 1:30-2:30min slower than race pace.

***MOST IMPORTANT RUNS OF ALL****

They allow your muscles to repair and rebuild, preventing the buildup of lactic acid, keeping muscles from stiffening, and preventing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

The goal is to teach the body to actively recover in addition to flushing out and stimulating oxygen and blood flow.

Give yourself the option to run according to how you feel: If you feel confident and strong feel free to pick up the pace and if you feel tired feel free to back off. However, keep the following rules in mind:

  • Exhausting yourself on easy days may lead to further fatigue and injury, ultimately affecting your hard days and ruining the purpose of easy days.
  • You also do not want to go TOO slow. Remember: if you practice running slow, you might get good at it!
  • Sometimes the best recovery is a day off, so don't be afraid to do so if needed.
  • REMEMBER; It's okay to listen to your body. Do not push your body to hit any fast times or mileage on these days. Coach Renato Canova once said: "The training plan should always follow the runner, not the other way around."


RACE: Race guidelines are simple; while the goal is the race, we cannot neglect our training. Warm-up 30 minutes before your race. Normal training race procedures are as follows:

  • Warm Up Procedures
  • Event = 600m-5000m OR respective relay legs.
  • Cool Down Procedures

 

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