The Keys to Running: Running Workouts

In order to improve your overall fitness level and progress as a runner, you will need to vary your workouts a bit.  There are many other types of runs in addition to the ones listed below, but these should definitely give your workout some variation and help improve your time, your speed, and strength!

Hill Workouts

Running up hills is a great way to increase strength and increase your cardio-vascular system capacity.  It also has a meaningful effect on the power producing muscles, the kind that will allow you to ‘kick it’ in the last 200 meters of a race. Running down hills might seem like a no-brainer, but there is some skill involved here as well!  It can improve your strength, your balance, and teach you how to find your center of gravity (you may feel yourself leaning back more than usual, or leaning forward to overcompensate).  Downhill repeats can help you improve the efficiency of your run, and focus you on your pace and cadence.

The hardest part may be finding a good hill that is the right distance and incline.  You are not going to find that at your local high school track, so you are going to have to start looking around your neighborhood.  A treadmill with a moderate grade can also work for uphill workouts.

To accommodate both uphill and downhill workouts, start out with a short warm-up run, and then try a series (4-6) of 50 meters on the incline, turn around and do 50 meters on the decline, with a recovery walk or jog in between.  Increase the number of repeats as you build more confidence in yourself.

Speed Workouts

The intent of a speed workout should be obvious.  Speed workouts are shorter duration but much more intense workouts to improve your overall speed and endurance, with the goal of improving your overall fitness and hopefully improving your race time.

There are a lot of activities that will help, but here are two simple ones!

400 Meter Repeats

These are simply laps around the track.  One lap around the track is 400 meters.  A typical workout would include 10 minutes of a warm-up run, a 400 meter lap around the track at your fastest sustainable pace, and then a few minutes of recovery with a slow jog.  Repeat this routine 4-6 times to start, and add more laps over a few weeks.

The oddest word in running

The fartlek.  Yes, it’s a real word – it translates into “speed play”.  A fartlek is a short, intense burst of speed during an otherwise normal run.  The easiest way to do these is to pick a spot ahead of you (a tree, a fire hydrant, a driveway, etc…) and sprint to it.  Reduce your speed to your normal pace and have a short recovery period.  Do this a few times during your normal run, varying the distance of each burst.

Distance Workouts

The goal of a distance workout is simply to build endurance.  These workouts are not intended to improve speed or intensity, but to condition you.  There is no easy way to do this other than just get out there and go.  The whole point of the long distance workout is simply to log miles, and train your body to accept an extended duration workout.    These workout prepare you for a possible half or full marathon, both physically and mentally.  Distance workouts are where you find out how your body reacts, and how to compensate and manage.

Trail Workouts

Trail running has evolved from a niche subset of “running” into a category that stands by itself.  Trail running substitutes flat pavement or concrete for dirt, rocks and off-road paths.  Aside from the obvious difference of being off-road, trail running offers a lot of benefits.  It can greatly improve your sense of balance, as you are running over very uneven terrain.  You are constantly going over rocks, branches, varying ground, while navigating left and right hoping to avoid other obstacles.  This will help you pay a lot more attention to where you are going, and help train your sense of balance for overcoming all of these little things in your path.  An additional benefit is the increase in the strength of your ankles.  All of the quick maneuvering and the constant readjustment of your footing will, over time, significantly increase the strength of your ankles.  This will ultimately help you in any race, be it trail run or a traditional foot race.

There are a few potential downsides to trail running.  The constant readjustment of your footing and the rough terrain causes a higher probability that you will twist or injure your ankle.  That sort of injury could keep you off your feet (and off the road) for a few days.  So tread cautiously your first few times out.  Additionally, trail running requires a sturdier shoe than traditional road running.  You will want to invest specifically in trail running shoes which off a lot more stability to help prevent the injuries mentioned above.    Lastly, trail running by its nature means you are literally off the beaten path.  Be sure to be aware of your surroundings, and carry a phone with you.

When it comes down to it, there are tons of ways to vary your workout routine.! The ones listed here are pretty accessible and easy to incorporate into your workout routine. However you do it, try something new on your next run and see how it feels!

– Brian Kehs

About the Author: Brian Kehs is a husband, father of two, a runner, and a manager in IT. In addition to running, Brian is an avid Star Wars fan boy who thinks Neil Gaiman’s Sandman may be the best literature out there. He regularly run 5Ks, 10Ks, 10-milers and half marathons. In his free time he coaches an elementary school running club.