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The most interesting types of running workouts

We can safely say that every runner has there own target they want to hit. As a beginner, these are not that different yet, but once you get the hang of it you will start looking to scratch that running itch that you personally have. These often consist of breaking personal records (PR’s) because you want to be able to really see yourself progressing. This keeps both the body and mind in there peak state. To get there you can embrace different kinds of training methods and giving the workout a bit of variety can help out a lot to keep it fun and engaging.

Which running techniques will we cover:

• Endurance training
• Speed endurance training
• Interval training
• Fartlek
• Sprint interval
• Hill Training
• Recovery training

Endurance training

The endurance training is meant to keep you running at a stable speed without taking any sort of brakes from this. If you are still at a beginner level (5K)  then you should be looking at around 30 min of running. When you get to the level of going for a marathon then this should be at around 2,5 – 3 hours at a steady pace. If you are getting started then that will sound insane, but if you are serious about getting there you might be surprised at how quickly this will seem a lot let impossible then it might now sound.

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Speed endurance training

The endurance run is a nice tool to see how long you can go at your steady pace. But after a while of doing this, it might not be enough of a challenge anymore. Then there is the variant that adds some extra speed to this. You will go about it the same, but you raise the intensity level to 80-90%! You should be able to handle this for 20-40 minutes. If you are training for a 10k or higher goal then you might want to add this to the roster once per 2 weeks of training. Make sure you get your rest before attempting this. You won’t be the first to not finish this one if you don’t.

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Interval training

A good way to increase your stamina fast is with the use of interval training sessions. This consists of short segments with a lot of speed changes. You will change pace constantly with intensive short bursts of speed and then some time to rest a bit before going again and again. For example Run 1 minute, then jog for 2. Your body will be activated for intense running and it will be given rest immediately after. After repeating this a few times your bodies energy will get depleted. To get the most out of it try to maintain the same speed with the runs. Within the interval training, you have 2 ways to build your stamina up, the constant and pyramid series.

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Fartlek

When you are an experienced runner you know the joy of seeing yourself progress and you like to play around a bit more with new kind of training methods, looking to keep the sessions fresh. The ‘Fartlek’ method, named after a Swedish game, is a way to add some playful styles into the run. In conclusion, it means that you experiment a bit with the interval times, leaving the strict rules for a more playful scenario.

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Sprint interval training

So you like speed and to challenge yourself? Might we suggest you take a look at the sprint interval training method then? Indeed another format of the interval method, but a lot more intensity because it consists of a series of short running segments. For example, in the running segments, you will run at 85-95% percent intensity for 20-30 seconds. Thas right, full speed ahead giving it all you got and in between you just walk or if it becomes a bit too much take a short break to catch your breath. Because this will get really intense really fast you don’t go for a 30-minute session so this training will be relatively quick to perform. It will certainly be a good one for power training and to better your stamina.

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Hill training

It might seem like you always want to have the flattest terrain, but just like treadmills, it’s fun to look for some terrain with height differences as well. A Hill Run is a good run between the normal ones. The idea is that you ‘fight’ the hill as it gives you a new challenge you need to conquer, often the say ‘Kill the Hill’ when participating in this method. Your own bodyweight will become an instrument of resistance while you go uphill on a high-intensity level and then you go down the hill while you take it a bit more easy on yourself. Repeat this a few times with short cycles like 30sec-1 min to go up and then go back down in double that time.

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Recovery training

If the last session was brutally intensive and you feel the burn this is because your muscles have been stretched and they need oxygen to restore. The more blood reaches the muscles the faster the healing process will finish. Normally it will take up to 2 days for the body to restore everything. Can’t wait 2 days? Then look into doing a recovery training session. This will increase the blood flow and provide more oxygen to the right areas. This training will not help with stamina or gaining more speed, but it will speed up the process to run a new intense session. You want to run for 20 minutes up to 1 hour on a controlled, relatively slow pace.

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