Fancy doing some interval sessions but can’t make it to a Club session on Monday? Well here are 16 sessions that you can do solo or with fellow runners. Please make sure to do a warm up before the session (10 minutes of easy running), then some drills and strides (we do these before our Monday sessions).
At the end make sure to do a 10 minute easy run to cool down and then stretch.
Session 1 – Sprint workout
* 4 x 200m at 90 to 95 percent of max speed
* 5- to 8-minute walk recovery between each sprint
Session 2 – Sprint workout
* 6 x 50–100m at 93 to 98 percent of max speed
* 4- to 5-minute walk recovery between each sprint
Session 3 – Fartlek session
* 4 miles total
* 8 x 1 minute at a harder (8 out of 10 effort) at random times throughout
Session 4 – Strength Workout
After a long warm-up – two to four miles – and some dynamic stretches drills and strides run the following series of repeats as fast as you can without feeling out of control: 3 x 100m, 3 x 150m, 3 x 100m. Take two to three minutes of standing or walking rest to recover between each rep.
As you sprint, focus on leaning forward slightly and pawing backward with your hamstrings and glutes. Supplement these workouts with two to three weekly strength sessions for your hips, core and glutes; lower-body weakness can lead to injury at top speed, says Gaudette (running coach).
At the end make sure you do a 10 minute easy run to cool down and then stretch.
Session 5 – Summit Workout
Find a hill that takes about 45 seconds to climb (For example, hill 60 or the hill of doom in Roundhay Park). Run hard to the top, then lengthen your stride and accelerate for 15 seconds to ingrain the quick transition. Jog down for recovery. If you are new to hill sessions then spend 60 seconds at the bottom of the hill recovering and repeat the intervals six times. If more experienced then reduce the recovery time and/or increase the number of intervals upto a maximum of ten
Why do this workout?
Helps you regain your flat-ground pace more quickly as you near the crest of a hill.
How to do this workout?
Use long strides as a cue to open up your stride and accelerate as you approach the top of a hill.
Session 6 – Tempo session*
3 x 10 min with 2 min 30 secs recovery between each run
*this session is usually done on Princess Avenue from Oakwood clock (with five minutes out and five back) but could be done from anywhere where there is a long road without many side roads
Session 7 – VO2 max intervals (3 minutes)
3 min effort of around your 5 k intensity. If you are new to interval training try 4 reps and if you are more experienced try 6. Depending on how experienced you feel you should have between 90 seconds to two minutes active (keep moving) recovery between each effort. Each effort should be carried out at the same pace – don’t do one fast and then struggle for the rest!
If you want to make this session harder rather than increasing the number of reps then decrease the amount of time that you give yourself for recovery (down to 1 minute) but keep your pace the same.
Session 8 – Kenyan Hills
For this session find a hilly loop for the actual intervals first! Roundhay Park parkrun route is an example that would be suitable.
Start with your easy 10-minute easy run on the flat before moving to your hilly loop. Run at 80 percent effort for eight minutes, completing as many loops as you can in that time. Run strong up the hills and maintain your effort level on the flat and downhill.
Take a three-minute walk recovery then repeat for the second eight-minute interval. Cool down with another 10-minute, easy jog on the flat.
* 8 minutes hard (80 percent effort)
* 3-minute recovery walk
* 8 minutes hard (80 percent effort)
This tempo session with the added challenge of a few hills along the way is a mainstay of the Kenyan running diet. And if it’s good enough for the world’s best distance runners, it can certainly help you to a PB.
Plot out a short loop in your local park that includes at least one hill, some flat and some downhill. It doesn’t matter how long or short your loop is, as you’ll be running to time instead of distance. That said, if it’s too short, you might get bored after a few loops!
Session 9 – Hill session
The challenge with this session is to first find a hill that will keep you going up for at least two minutes which isn’t so steep that you have to stop before you finish the interval. Once you have found one you are ready to go!!!
* 6 x 2 minutes uphill
* Walk or jog back down for 3-4 minutes to recover
Session 10 – Moneghetti Fartlek (repeated from session 5)
Named after Australian distance runner Steve Moneghetti, this workout is well-known in some marathoning circles and has a reputation for being completely brutal.
What it is: A 20-minute run at marathon pace with surges during the run. Between each surge, drop back to your marathon tempo pace. Each surge gets progressively faster as the intervals get shorter.
How to do it: Find your individual paces (5K, 10K, half, and marathon) using our pace charts.
* 2 x 90 seconds at half marathon pace (90 seconds off between intervals)
* 4 x 60 seconds at 10K pace (60 seconds off between intervals)
* 4 x 30 seconds at 5K pace (30 seconds off between intervals)
* 4 x 15 seconds at all-out pace (15 seconds off between intervals)
Session 11 – Improving your mile time
Schedule this session to your weekly plan and alternate between the following two sessions:
1. Running hard for 400 m with 400 m recovery afterwards then repeat. If you are a beginner do three repeats but as you get more experienced work your way up to six
2. Running hard for 200 m with 200 m recovery afterwards then repeat. If you are a beginner do six repeats but as you get more experienced work your way up to ten
If you don’t have a gps watch then to find out your time for the 400 m hard interval divide your 5 k time by 12 and for the 200 m hard interval divide your 5k time by 25. Then once you have done the hard interval jog back back to the start of your interval and repeat.
Session 12 – Summit Workout
Find a hill that takes about 45 seconds to climb (For example, hill 60 or the hill of doom in Roundhay Park). Run hard to the top, then lengthen your stride and accelerate for 15 seconds to ingrain the quick transition. Jog down for recovery.
If you are new to hill sessions then spend 60 seconds at the bottom of the hill recovering and repeat the intervals six times.
If more experienced then reduce the recovery time and increase the number of intervals upto a maximum of ten
How to do this workout?
Use long strides as a cue to open up your stride and accelerate as you approach the top of a hill.
Session 13 – Ladder workout
1. Work Interval: 400 meters (1 lap) at 5K race pace
2. Rest Interval: Recover (easy pace) 400 meters
3. Work Interval: 800 meters (2 laps) at 5K race pace
4. Rest Interval: Recover (easy pace) 400 meters
5. Work Interval: 1,200 meters (3 laps) at 5K race pace
6. Rest Interval: Recover (easy pace) 400 meters
7. Work Interval: 1,600 meters (4 laps) at 5K race pace
8. Rest Interval: Recover (easy pace) 400 meters
This workout was designed to be run on a track but can easily be done around a football pitch (for example on the pitches near Princes Avenue) or as an out and back.
Session 14 – Intervals (to increase your time for a specific distance)
Targeting a 5k pb?
Do 12 x 400m repeats at your 5K pace with 30 seconds of easy running in between.
Targeting a 10K?
Do 16 x 400m at 10K pace with 30 seconds of easy running in between.
The first few reps should feel relatively easy – the second half should be where it gets tough, says Gaudette (Running coach). If you don’t have a GPS watch then to find the amount of time for the 5k improver session take 5k time and divide by 12 or for the 10k one take your 10k time and divide by 25 for your 400 m
Session 15 – To increase endurance
The workout
Run half-mile or mile repeats at a comfortably challenging pace (you might be able to speak a few words, but not quote scenes from Shakespeare, says Gaudette (coach and Olympic trial qualifier). Recover by jogging for half the time the rep takes. Start with three miles or six half miles, and increase every two to three weeks until you’re logging five miles or 10 half miles of fast running. If you don’t have a GPS watch then to find the amount of time take your 10k time and divide it by 5 for your mile repeat time or divide by 10 and run for this amount of time at your comfortable pace – being able to talk a few words comfortably.
Session 16 – Moneghetti Fartlek
Named after Australian distance runner Steve Moneghetti, this workout is well-known in some marathoning circles and has a reputation for being completely brutal.
What it is?
A 20-minute run at marathon pace with surges during the run. Between each surge, drop back to your marathon tempo pace. Each surge gets progressively faster as the intervals get shorter.
How to do it?
Find your individual paces (5K, 10K, half, and marathon) using our pace charts .
• 2 x 90 seconds at half marathon pace (90 seconds off between intervals)
• 4 x 60 seconds at 10K pace (60 seconds off between intervals)
• 4 x 30 seconds at 5K pace (30 seconds off between intervals)
• 4 x 15 seconds at all-out pace (15 seconds off between intervals)