Most running workouts aren’t flashy or glamorous. Oftentimes, the most effective workout looks deceptively simple or boring on paper. Surges are this type of running workout: not flashy, but certainly effective. This simple workout improves leg speed and running economy, making any runner a faster, more efficient athlete. Surges benefit all runners, from those preparing for the mile to even ultras. For competitive age-groupers, surges prepare you to pass others during the final miles of a ...
speed
Half Marathon Workouts for Beginner and Experienced Runners
I love the half marathon distance, currently above all other race distances. The half marathon workouts are challenging without being exhausting, there’s dozens of local half marathons year-round in the Seattle area, and the half marathon is perhaps the most fun of any distance to race. I also enjoy training runners in the half marathon distance. Half marathon training demands a balance of both speed and endurance, so as a coach I can have some fun with the workouts. Long runs, tempo ...
Fartlek Workouts for the 5K through Marathon
In addition to tempo runs, one of my favorite running workouts for myself and my athletes are fartlek workouts. Not mile repeats, not quarters, not even hill repeats: just fun and effective fartleks. I could (and will, soon) devote an entire post on different methods of building speed without increasing your risk of injury. One tried and true method: fartlek workouts instead of traditional speed workouts on the track. What’s a fartlek workout? It’s a Swedish word for “speed ...
Early Season Running Workouts to Safely Build Speed
You’ve spent the past several weeks building your aerobic base through running lots of easy-paced miles and now you are ready to begin training for your next race. It’s time to jump into your tried and true 400 meter repeats or long tempo runs, right? Many runners experience running injuries during the first few weeks of race training, since they often increase both intensity (hard workouts) and volume (weekly mileage) simultaneously. Many certified running coaches, myself included, ...
Speed Ladder Workout and Why You Should Do Speed Work
Bored of repetitive speed workouts? Try this speed ladder workout to keep you entertained while you push yourself to run faster! Interval runs are a workout I do because they make me faster, not because I particularly enjoy them. I don’t disdain them per se, but if I’m not training for a particular event, I prefer tempo runs and progression runs to build my speed. I am certain that preference is related to the fact that 5Ks terrify me and longer races excite me. I’ve just got more slow twitch ...