<\/p>\n
W<\/span>hen you start running the one and only goal is to get your breath. Little does speed matter; what matters is being able to run uninterrupted longer and longer. Once you reach 45 to 50′ of continuous running it means that you will have developed a good aerobic base, which is the foundation of the house you are building. Once the foundation has been consolidated, it will be time to build the pillars, which, in the case of running, are represented by intervals.<\/p>\n It is a generic term for an increase in speed for a given number of meters followed by a recovery phase, which can be done while standing still, walking or simulating a barely jogging-style run. The speed and length of the repetitions depend on one’s level of preparation and, most importantly, on one’s goals. Each type of intervals has a specific purpose with which certain skills are developed and trained.<\/p>\n Contrary to what you might be led to think, the best first approach is with long intervals, to be run at a controlled pace. You will begin to become familiar with this new type of interval training in a less traumatic way, which will further strengthen your aerobic base. An example of a workout to measure up might be:<\/p>\n When you feel you have consolidated this step as well, you can move on to short intervals, where the shorter distance is “compensated” by a higher speed that you should try to maintain. The distance can vary from 100 to 400m (sometimes up to 600m) followed by a recovery phase. The goal is to work on improving speed and developing anaerobic capacity. You can start with, for example:<\/p>\n To begin with, it is more than sufficient to introduce a session of intervals once a week alternated with a couple of slow runs to continue to maintain good endurance. A typical week might be:<\/p>\n If you’ve achieved a good running range, it’s time to challenge yourself on the repeats <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":90788,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[15827,15146],"tags":[19222,15272],"powerkit_post_featured":[],"class_list":["post-90790","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-running-main","category-training-programs","tag-improve-endurance-and-speed","tag-repeated"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat are intervals?<\/h3>\n
Start with long intervals<\/h3>\n
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Continue with short intervals<\/h3>\n
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How many times a week do you “repeat” them?<\/h3>\n
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