As most runners know, doing some kind of speed training can really help your race times improve. Interval training can improve your VO2 Max, increase your lactate threshold, correct your form, and is an important part of your strategy to improve your overall running performance.
Many speed workouts are goal specific. Generally speaking, your speed training for a 5k will not look the same as for a marathon. Different distances have different physiological requirements, and focusing on the workout that will help you achieve your goal is important.
The beauty of this workout is, that while it is most specific to race distances of 5-15k, it has benefits for any distance, even the marathon. This workout will teach a) Acceleration, b) Sustaining Race Pace, and c) Improve your finishing kick. All within a simple 600 meter track interval.
The Speed Workout
You will be running 6-10 600 meter intervals. This workout is best performed on a track. Six hundred meters is one and a half times around the track. Warm up for at least one mile (four laps). Perform a few drills, like skips, high knees, butt kicks. Find a measurable starting point, so that you can clearly measure out 200 meters. Each interval is divided into three equal parts:
Part 1 (200 meters): Accelerate. As you start running, you want to quickly accelerate to your race pace (this will depend on your goals). You don’t want to exceed your pace, just find that point and that effort level, that you can sustain for your race distance.
Part 2 (200 meters): Sustain. Now that you’ve reached it, hold that pace for the next 200 meters. It should feel hard, but you should be able to maintain the pace for the entire distance.
Part 3 (200 meters): Kick. This is the point where you are going to finish strong. As you accelerate toward an imaginary finish line, visualize the people you can pass as you speed to the finish. Your stride should be relaxed and naturally long, your arms should be pumping, and your feet should feel light. Run all the way through the finish before decelerating.
Recover: Walk/Jog the 200 meters back to your starting point.
I’d use the Armour39 to maybe finally get into HR training. Most times I can’t tolerate the strap but I’m willing to give it another go!
I would use it to help me train smarter for my upcoming marathon
Interesting Debbie. I actually did something kinda similar when I was in college. My coach would have us do 12-16 600s for what he called “rhythm 600s”. We would have 1 minute recovery between, and even though it sounded REALLY intimidating, we always did it, and actually faster than we thought we could. It definitely is an all round great workout. I can’t say I miss the track, but if I was to do one workout, it would be this one or the 25×400…which again isn’t as bad as it sounds!
Just hearing your workout wears me out! I love any workout that makes you work harder at the end. It helps learn that feeling of pulling out something extra at the end (even if you might not think there’s anything left 🙂 ).
i would love to use it at crossfit to get some info about my workouts!
I would use it to monitor the different workouts I do. I used to run, but I don’t anymore – would love to see how hard I am working in the various workouts I am doing now.
I think it is interesting that it measures “will power” I love gadgets and would be interested to see how it works!
I would use it to better assess easy and hard days and how hard I am pushing myself
This sounds like a great workout! I have never heard of the Under Armour 39 but would be curious to try it.
I would use this to track my workouts and to get encouraged to try harder.
I have read about heart rate training and how it can help increase fitness without too much stress or too many junk miles. Sounds like a plan I would like to try.
I would use it to encourage me to workout more.
I would use it during my speed workouts as I train for my first full marathon!
I would use it on my runs to get more out of my workouts. Love using tech to assist in bettering myself.
I would use it to see my calories burned!
I would use it while I’m running or doing fitness videos at home.
This definitely looks interesting, and I’d love to try it out!
I am taking a bit of time off racing to work on getting stronger, this would be a great key.
I’d love to have a fitness tracker to truly understand what I’m doing to and with my body! Especially as I’m studying for personal training certs…
I would use it for my runs
I’d use it on my easy runs.
I would love this for biking to running triathlon brick workouts!
During a run, of course! 🙂 I’ve never used a heart monitor so I actually have no idea what my resting vs active heart rate is like. I’d love to have one. Thanks for the great giveaway!
I would use this to track my workouts
I would use it for speed work for my half marathon training.
For my runs
I would love to use it while running.
I would use the heart monitor to learn more about what makes me tick 😉
I’d use the armour39 during my workouts. It’d be nice to not have to manually record how much I burned.
I would would use it during my run in the hills to track how I am improving.
I would use it during my marathon training to make sure my heartrate is in the right zone
I’m training for my first marathon and don’t have any kind of hr device. I would love to incorporate the data from this device into my training workouts.