My Speed Work Out & More - Hard But Worth The Work

My speed work out gets a little more intense each week. This week consisted of 7 miles above threshold, zone 4, speed work. This week I have been taking my easy runs a little bit harder which has made my threshold workout and speed workout that much harder, but do able. Which reminds me of the importance of taking your hard days hard and your easy days easier. Training harder isn't necessarily better. Training smarter is better. This allows your body to recover between training sessions while still gaining the best benefits out of your training sessions. Also, to help with injury prevention. You only need to work as hard in a workout for your body to make the adaptations you want out of a specific workout.

Although I felt a little fatigue and cramped towards the end of my workout, I still had a great run today. Here is another workout to try for your speed workout interval at your paces.

Warm Up 1.5 miles
12 X 0.6 mile - 2 repeats at 10.7 mph, 2 at 10.mph, 2 at 10.9mph, 2 at 11mph, 2 at 11.1mph, 2 at 11.2 mph = total of 12 repeats at Speed Workout Pace - I like to ramp up my intervals at I go to increase the intensity while the repeats get harder farther into the workout.
Recovery Between Intervals - 0.15 mile - standing off the treadmill - Since it is a quick recovery I like to just stand off the side of the treadmill and keep the treadmill running
Cool Down - 6.5 miles -- 9.1-10mph 0.5-1% incline ramping up every 2 minutes - 9.1mph 0.5% 2 mins, 9.1mph 1% 2 mins --------10mph 0.5% 2 mins, 10mph 1% 2 mins
Total Miles = 15 mile workout

It takes your body 2 minutes above your threshold pace (zone 4) to start making adaptations on your body's VO2. Having shorter recovery in between repeats or longer duration repeats can help keep your heart rate elevated and get the most benefit above threshold pace so make the adaptations you want from this run. For beginners, keeping to full recovery in between workouts will still make desired adaptations. Here is an example of a speed workout and how you can change the workout to increase intensity as your body adapts each week.

For example -
Warm Up
5 X 2 minutes zone 4 speed pace
2 min recovery between
Cool Down

Each week increase your intensity. There are different ways of increasing intensity.
1. Increase number of repeats - from 5 repeats to 6 repeats
2. Increase the duration of the repeat - from 2 minutes to 2:30 minutes
3. Decrease recovery between intervals - from 2 minutes to 1:45 minutes.
It is important that you only change one of these variables each week, not all 3 at once. This is just an example. Use these rules based off your own training runs.

I hope this is helpful! Please feel free to share your own workouts!!

Happy Fast Speed Running :)