Run Training – Intervals

I didn’t have much time for ‘training’ today so thought I’d fit in a quick but hard run at lunch time. I’ve been trying to do some VO2 Max intervals along the beach recently but haven’t been able to get the intensities, pace and distances quite right for it to be manageable but hard.

The first time I tried it it was just far too hard, then next time it was still too hard, although a little better, this time I think I got it just about right. I set up the workout using Garmin Training Centre and then transferred it to my Garmin Forerunner watch. I then simply start the watch as I set off and every now and then it beeps at me telling when an interval is starting and showing the desired pace and distance/duration of the interval. It then beeps at me if I’m going too fast or too slow.

The workout I programmed in was:

  • 5 min warm up (no Target Pace /  Heart Rate)
  • Main Set: 5x
    • 0.3 miles Hard  – Target pace of 9.3 – 9.6 mph (6:15 – 6:30 mins / mile)
    • 3 mins Recovery – No target
  • Followed by 3  minute cool down

At least I managed to complete it all this time and hit the desired target zones during the hard intervals. It may not be that fast but it is a faster pace than I’d normally run so should help increase my overall speed to a certain extent. It is also a nice simple, and fairly quick workout.

Here’s my speed and heart rate trace, which clearly shows the change in pace during the main intervals and the corresponding increase in heart rate. It also shows that I was hitting the right heart right zones in the final few intervals so I think that pace is just about right.

Interval Run Training

Interval Run Training

I’ll do a couple more like that and then start working up towards doing 7 such intervals before increasing the pace a little more.

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Alan Cole

Alan is a Freelance Website Designer, Sports & Exercise Science Lab Technician and full time Dad & husband with far too many hobbies: Triathlete, Swimming, Cycling, Running, MTBing, Surfing, Windsurfing, SUPing, Gardening, Photography.... The list goes on.

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