Interval run - experiment

[MartinKH]

For the last 8 weeks or so, one of my weekly runs has been an interval run and I’ve been using the C25K+ speed podcast to provide audio cues for them.

That’s worked pretty well, but today I experimented with a slightly different interval run. I used the C25K week 1 run 1 audio, and ran for the walking parts and ran faster for the running parts.

I’m trying to get my body (and mind) used to running a bit faster.

If anyone else has other ideas 💡 or recommendations for interval runs, I’d really appreciate it.

Happy running 🏃‍♀️ 🏃‍♂️👍

[Irishprincess Graduate10]

I think anything that works for you as there are no hard and fast rules about it. I’ve experimented a bit and found that my favourite is to run about 5K and run each K faster then the previous one. So the first K is the starting point, it’s good training for me as I tend to run that too fast anyway but if that’s the base then I make an effort not to get too carried away! Also, it means that I’m really warmed up by the time I run the final couple of K’s really fast. It has worked well for me and I got a couple of PB’s doing this. When I’m training I do it about once a week.

[MartinKH Graduate10 in reply to Irishprincess]

Thanks Irishprincess, very interesting what you say here.

I also have a tendency to set off too fast on the first k or two and then run out of steam for subsequent km's.

Today I made a conscious effort to take it a bit easier on that first km, and I must say I felt all the better for it throughout the run.

What you are doing regularly is great with those negative splits, and is definitely what I'd like to be doing too.

Thank you very much again.

PS - I'm a newbie runner, I only heard of negative splits for the first time last week thanks to Hidden

[Brian-P6 Graduate10]

I do similar MartinKH, I have a local loop of about 1.1Km and I slow jog the downhill half and run like the wind for the last uphill half and do this 5 times. The slow jog is really slow (and I need it to recover!) but the fast run - lets just say I'm almost ready to die in the gutter at the end of the section.

I think of it like a car ... hit the rev limiter on the fast section!

Keep going, it works,

Brian.

[MartinKH Graduate10 in reply to Brian-P6]

Thanks very much Brian and I do like the sound of that, I'm going to try and find a 1 k ish loop like that near me and give that a go.

Good analogy too about hitting the rev limiter for the fast section

Happy running.

[Grannyhugs Graduate10]

Great effort and fantastic speeds. I dont set out to do intervals as such but one of my routes which I'll post today has lots of inclines which for me work as intervals - slow up, fast down. Just a thought. Happy running 🤗

[MartinKH Graduate10]

Thank you very much Grannyhugs, that sounds very interesting I can see how that must work well as intervals. Those hills must be great for your running.

Yes, I going to seek out a few more hills ( eek ).

Hope your running challenge is going well this week.

Happy running.

[UpTheStanley Graduate10]

Another approach to intervals is jog-run-sprint, which typically involves 5 reps of 30 secs easy jogging, 20 secs comfortable running and 10 secs flat-out sprinting, followed by an extended recovery jog (2 mins maybe) and another set of 5 30-20-10 reps. Add a 10 minute warmup and a 5 minute warm down and you’ve got a nice (?) compact HIIT session. There are apps available which beep the intervals, or you can programme watches to do it.

It certainly gets the little legs going round faster ......

[MartinKH Graduate10]

Thanks very much UTS 🙏

This one sounds great, just the sort of thing I need to do 👍

I like your use of the ? after the word nice 🤣, but I know I need to push myself to develop.

Thanks again, and Happy running 🏃‍♂️ 👍

[Hidden]

This is awesome mate. Absolutely got this spot on. You are making really good progress and experimenting will only help you down the line. Keep on posting and enjoying running. Love reading your posts mate!

[MartinKH Graduate10]

Thanks to you I now know what negative splits are 🙏👍

Good to try something different and mix it up and bit. Will give it a go anyway.

Happy running 🏃‍♂️ 👍

[damienair Administrator]

I mix up intervals sometimes. I run 1K to warm up. If I have a goal pace I’d like to achieve I run at that pace for 1K, say for example a 30 minute 5K I’ll aim for a 6 min/km pace. After the interval I’ll take a little rest and go again for 1K, rest and repeat. Then cool down for the last kilometre. When I’m getting comfortable at that pace I’ll aim for a 28 min 5K time and will warm up for 500 meters and then run fast for 500 meters, slow down for 500 meters and pick back up for 500 meters and repeat for 5K. It really helped me improve my times last year.

Damien

[MartinKH Graduate10 in reply to damienair]

Thanks very much Damien. That’s another interesting interval method. I do like the idea too of incorporating it in to a 5k run.

Great that it worked so well for you, I’ll give it a go.

Thanks again and happy running 🏃‍♂️ 👍

[damienair Administrator in reply to MartinKH]

Each week I ran 1 x5K at a pace slower than my target race pace, 1 x 5K in 1K intervals at my target race pace, a parkrun every Saturday morning and on a Sunday I would do a relaxed long run. I picked 1 parkrun each month to go for a PB.

It took a few months but I went from 34 min 5K times to sub 30 min, then sub 28 min 5K, and I kept getting a little faster.

I managed to bring my parkrun PB down to 25:36.

Each time you reach your target race pace step it up. I’d love to go sub 25 minutes for parkrun. I’d be over the moon with 24:59.

Damien

[MartinKH Graduate10 in reply to damienair]

Thanks very much Damien. 🙏

You have made fantastic progress there.

Thanks too for the additional info. The way you’re going I’m sure you’ll make a sub 25 5k.

Happy running 🏃‍♂️ 👍

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10]

Brilliant Martin! 👏👏👏 I’m no help whatsoever as I dislike intervals and running fast in general. But I love reading about other people’s accomplishments. Really well done! 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️

[MartinKH Graduate10 in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Thank you cheekychipmunks.

Yes there are some great ideas above here thanks to everyone who has replied. I think I’m going to give them all a try, clearly not on the same day unless there’s an ambulance on standby 🤣

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10 in reply to MartinKH]

🤣

[Dexy5 Graduate10]

I’ve heard a lot of people have used your method Martin. I have an app called JogRunSprint available on apple phones, which is easy to set up the way you want. I do 30 secs slow jog, 20 secs run, 10 secs sprint . You can also set something up on some sports watches. Have fun, I enjoy JRS.

Whoops - didn’t realise that UpTheStanley had got there first.

[MartinKH Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

Thanks very much Dexy 🙏

I have downloaded the JogRunSprint app, and I can see what you mean it is easy to set up and configure.

I really like that it’s a free app and I can still play and hear my music whilst the app plays on in the background so I can also hear the beeps and prompts to jog, run, and sprint .... and recover 😅

I’m definitely going to give it a go.

No worries that UpTheStanley got there first. He is seriously fast, plus also I’d rather be told about it twice than not at all.

Thanks again and happy running 🏃‍♀️ 🏃‍♂️👍

[Dexy5 Graduate10 in reply to MartinKH]

Have fun. Yes I introduced the app to UTS. He is fast , but he’s not a newbie , so don’t feel you have to compete. My role is to slow him down. 🤣🤣

[MartinKH Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

Ahh ok, thanks .... I def won’t compete with UTS.

Good luck with slowing him down 🤣

[Sybilw Graduate10]

I used that too! The other thing I’ve done is used a Spotify playlist based on bpm. I just looked at my usual cadence and choose similar. If you’ve got the premium one you could make your own playlist with slow and fast sections.

[MartinKH Graduate10 in reply to Sybilw]

Thanks you very much, that’s a good call.

I use Apple Music and will get a few different bpm playlists organised 👍

[Sybilw Graduate10 in reply to MartinKH]

The one I use varies from my average cadence to my maximum so that it switches up 😅 and down 😔

[sTrongFuse Graduate10]

That's precisely the approach I use every now and then and it seems to work for me. Just to mix things up, I also use the timings from weeks 2 and 3.

[Evol Graduate10]

I have used this once and enjoy it