Whether you are a new runner looking to switch up your routine, or an experienced runner looking to have some serious breakthroughs, hitting the track for some speed work will help push your running to a new level. However, remember before starting into more intense workouts, it is important to have a good aerobic base to start with.
Repetition (R) Training
There are lots of different names for this type of training: some call it speed work, hill workouts, track workouts, interval training, and rep training. I will call it Repetition Training (R) because that's what Jack Daniels in his book "Daniels' Running Formula" calls it, and he is a genius.
Benefits of R training
R training is the major type of training whose purpose is not aerobic. The benefits associated with
R training are associated more with mechanics and anaerobic metabolism. Basically when you do
R training, you are teaching your body to run fast with proper mechanics. You are teaching your body to become comfortable with race pace. If you are like me, the first few
R workouts of the season have me feeling like I'm the tin man out there attempting to run. But with time and practice, your body begins to adapt and you become more relaxed and familiar at those faster paces.
The intensity of
R running usually puts stress on the body to provide energy anaerobically (without oxygen). This produces changes in the anaerobic pathways, where fuel is converted into energy without the presence of adequate oxygen. You are essentially teaching your body to convert fuel into energy at race pace or faster. This is a HUGE bonus during a race! When your body fails to convert fuel into energy, guess what, you are DONE.
In
R training, you recruit the muscle fibers that you need for economical running. These are the same muscle cells that allow you to run faster with minimal effort, minimal energy spent, and minimal wasted movement.
R training is done at race pace or faster, with proper technique and adequate recovery between each workbout.
Recovery is Key
The key to these workouts is to practice the specific task as much as possible while avoiding undue fatigue. With adequate recovery time, a great deal of quality running can be achieved, without losing good mechanics.
If the recovery is not adequate, stress mounts, mechanics deteriorate, and the purpose of the training is destroyed. Recovery between workbouts should be about 2-4 times longer than you work. At least part of the recovery should be easy running. You might need to follow a 1-minute one with as much as a 4-minute recovery. The key to recovery is to feel like you can do the next rep as well as you did the previous ones. You don't want to start your next one feeling tired.
Rep (R) pace
There are different ways to determine your
R pace. But the easiest is to say it is your current mile-race pace. Or three seconds per 400 slower than mile goal pace.
In a nutshell...
R training is: running relatively short workbouts with enough recovery to allow each run to be just as efficient as the first one. Stay tuned for some examples of
R workouts....
Whether you are a new runner looking to switch up your routine, or an experienced runner looking to have some serious breakthroughs, hitting the track for some speed work will help push your running to a new level. However, remember before starting into more intense workouts, it is important to have a good aerobic base to start with.
Repetition (R) Training
There are lots of different names for this type of training: some call it speed work, hill workouts, track workouts, interval training, and rep training. I will call it Repetition Training (R) because that's what Jack Daniels in his book "Daniels' Running Formula" calls it, and he is a genius.
Benefits of R training
R training is the major type of training whose purpose is not aerobic. The benefits associated with
R training are associated more with mechanics and anaerobic metabolism. Basically when you do
R training, you are teaching your body to run fast with proper mechanics. You are teaching your body to become comfortable with race pace. If you are like me, the first few
R workouts of the season have me feeling like I'm the tin man out there attempting to run. But with time and practice, your body begins to adapt and you become more relaxed and familiar at those faster paces.
The intensity of
R running usually puts stress on the body to provide energy anaerobically (without oxygen). This produces changes in the anaerobic pathways, where fuel is converted into energy without the presence of adequate oxygen. You are essentially teaching your body to convert fuel into energy at race pace or faster. This is a HUGE bonus during a race! When your body fails to convert fuel into energy, guess what, you are DONE.
In
R training, you recruit the muscle fibers that you need for economical running. These are the same muscle cells that allow you to run faster with minimal effort, minimal energy spent, and minimal wasted movement.
R training is done at race pace or faster, with proper technique and adequate recovery between each workbout.
Recovery is Key
The key to these workouts is to practice the specific task as much as possible while avoiding undue fatigue. With adequate recovery time, a great deal of quality running can be achieved, without losing good mechanics.
If the recovery is not adequate, stress mounts, mechanics deteriorate, and the purpose of the training is destroyed. Recovery between workbouts should be about 2-4 times longer than you work. At least part of the recovery should be easy running. You might need to follow a 1-minute one with as much as a 4-minute recovery. The key to recovery is to feel like you can do the next rep as well as you did the previous ones. You don't want to start your next one feeling tired.
Rep (R) pace
There are different ways to determine your
R pace. But the easiest is to say it is your current mile-race pace. Or three seconds per 400 slower than mile goal pace.
In a nutshell...
R training is: running relatively short workbouts with enough recovery to allow each run to be just as efficient as the first one. Stay tuned for some examples of
R workouts....
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