intervals

[rmnsuk]

I sat in bed last night trying to figure out how fast I could go on the treadmill. 6.2mph = 30 minutes, so if I do 2 minutes at 8.4 and 1 minute at 4.2 I'll get in far below my current PB. And if I run out of steam I can coast at 6.2 (I run at 6.2 for 5k fairly regularly) to stay in the running. So I tried it this evening, and ran out of steam at 20 minutes, so completed the run at 6.3 to make certain I didn't put all that effort in for nothing. I got in at 27:56. Now I know it's on the treadmill and not scientific etc, but I was astonished. That's 80 seconds off my previous time.

I always thought that constant pace was the way to get PBs, but is this an alternative, or was it just a really good day, or am I just lazy when doing parkrun and not trying hard enough?

[John_W Graduate Ambassador]

Interesting and very well done! And no, I don't think it was "a really good day" or laziness. In my my experience intervals have proved a great way to improve 5k speed.

In-between my recent outdoor 5k lunchtime runs, the only stuff I've done is intervals on the treadmill. And it's helped hugely with my 5k times.

My treadmill interval runs are based on Laura's C25k+ "Speed" podcast:

5 minute warm-up walk

1 minute "slow" - 9.5 km/h

1 minute "fast" - 13.0 km/h

1 minute "slow" - 9.5 km/h

1 minute "fast" - 13.0 km/h

1 minute "slow" - 9.5 km/h

1 minute "fast" - 14.0 km/h

1 minute "slow" - 9.5 km/h

1 minute "fast" - 14.0 km/h

1 minute "slow" - 9.5 km/h

1 minute "fast" - 15.0 km/h

1 minute "slow" - 9.5 km/h

1 minute "fast" - 15.0 km/h

1 minute "slow" - 9.5 km/h

1 minute "fast" - 15.0 km/h

1 minute "slow" - 9.5 km/h

1 minute "fast" - 15.0 km/h

1 minute "slow" - 9.5 km/h

5 minute cool-down walk

After a few times of doing that you realise that your legs a bit stronger, your lung capacity has increased and your resting heart rate has lowered a bit. It's an incredibly efficient way of getting faster and fitter. I've also noticed that the recovery from those sessions is much quicker and I'm nowhere as physically tired later in the day as I would be after a 30-40 minute run at a constant pace of eg 10 km/hr (6.25 mph)

My outdoor 5k PBs have improved dramatically as a result:

27 May - 26:12

17 June - 24:57

24 June - 24:08

Let us know how you get on

John

[misswobble Graduate in reply to John_W]

Don't get obsessed with being fast. It's the way to the injury couch

You need to grow your running legs slowly. They are built over time. You're still a new runner til you've been running 18 months - 2 years

Your body has to catch up

Take care!

[rmnsuk Graduate in reply to misswobble]

You are right and I don't do this every time i run. It was an experiment. I posted 'cos it surprised me. I didn't think I'd get anywhere near a pb taking walk breaks! It doesn't count as a PB till I capture it on garmin