Running is trendy right now. It’s easy to do, you need no equipment and it has us feeling fantastic. Well, 99% of the time anyway.
There seems to be a pretty big trend around running a 5km as fast as you can. The cause is good, but the risk is high. Why? Well, if running is not something you tucked into quite as often pre isolation it’s likely your body isn’t that used to it. It’s hard-hitting this running thing, high impact and pretty brutal on the bones. That means if you are planning on going all out, it’s not advised to do it so early on in your running career. And you know what? There’s more to running than just going really really fast.
Running can be a strength workout, a stress releaser or heart-rate raiser. It’s so much more than ‘the cardio you can’t be bothered with’, and can actually play well into a rounded training programme if you just give it a little thought. How? Let us tell you…
The Heart Rate Raiser
This is the one many of you are achieving by accident and with no real purpose. Every run is not supposed to play that role, but some are. This is one of them.
- 5 – 10 minute easy run warm-up
Keep your heart rate low, run at a rate that would allow you to sing, chat, talk on the phone.
- 3 x rounds of heel walks (20 steps), open and close the gate (5 each side), high knees (20), bum kicks (20).
- 3 – 6 x 800m pushes with 2 minutes light jog in between
These should be run at 85% – 90% of your max effort. They should feel hard and they should get the heart rate up.
- 5 – 10 minute cool-down
Again run easy, take big deep breaths and get your heart rate returning to normal.
The Endurance Builder
This one is all about building your ability to run harder for longer. it’s a favourite of ours, and one we see crop up often at the peak of our race training.
- 5 – 10 minute easy run warm-up
Keep your heart rate low, run at a rate that would allow you to sing, chat, talk on the phone.
- 3 x 1 minute strides
These are not meant to be super fast, they are simply supposed to get you opening up your stride. Spring with every step, and begin to wake up the big muscles (hamstrings, glutes, quads)
- 3 x 5 minute pushes with 2 minute recovery (walk/jog) in between sets
These should be done at 75-85% effort. They should feel hard and you should get to the end of each set ready to be done but they should be repeatable. Do not go all out on the first, then flag for the final ones.
- 5 – 10 minute cool-down
Again run easy, take big deep breaths and get your heart rate returning to normal.
The Recovery Run
This one is simply what it says on the tin. It should be easy as Sunday morning, simply serving its purpose in getting the blood flowing and the body moving. It can be done after a hard session, or on the days where your body is just asking for a bit more love. The duration can differ depending on ability but we’d suggest…
- Run easy, ideally in HR Z2 (if you work with those)
This can be for anywhere between 20-60 minutes. The focus should be on running slower than you think you should, then slower again. This is not a race. Plug in a good podcast, and let yourself settle into an easy rhythm.
The Strength Seeker
Warning, this one requires a hill, ideally around 100-150m long. You asked for strength, ok? Adding a hill to the equation asks the body to work harder driving up it, offering a recovery on the way down. It’s the perfect recipe for a strength-based session, without any weights.
- 5 – 10 minute easy run warm-up
Keep your heart rate low, run at a rate that would allow you to sing, chat, talk on the phone.
- 8 – 10 hill rep efforts
Take the first few a little easier, it’s much better than you get faster as you progress through these than slower. Use your arms to drive you up, and try not to let your stride shorten too much. Begin at around 65% and work up to 80%.
- 5 – 10 minute cool-down
Again run easy, take big deep breaths and get your heart rate returning to normal.
There you go, a handful of sessions for you to try to help you get the most out of your run. We recommend a 2:1 ratio when it comes to easy and hard runs, especially if you are just starting out. Of course, if you’ve followed us for a while you’ll know we’re big on the strength stuff to compliment this too. You can find lots of that over on our Instagram page.
TTH x
