“Comfort, the enemy of progress.” – PT Barnum

Hello Runners,

In my last post I discussed the importance of VO2max for your aerobic fitness and performance. I also talked about how you can improve VO2max. One thing I mentioned was an appropriate progression over 3-4 weeks, so that you continue to get the benefits of each workout as your body becomes more aerobically fit.

Whether it is improving your VO2max, lactate threshold, speed, etc. there are several variables you can adjust in your progression from week-to-week to get the most benefit out of your workouts. They include the following:

Number of repetitions

One way to make your workout more challenging from one week to the next is to increase the number of work bouts you perform. For example, in week one you might perform four work bouts, week two five work bouts, and then six work bouts for week three.

Length or duration of work bout

A second way to accomplish progression is to increase the length or duration of work bouts. So week one might be 30-second work bouts, week 2 45-second work bouts, and week three 60-second work bouts.

Pace or effort

Generally, I don’t change this variable alone during a progression, however I might change it if I’m changing the length or duration of a work bout, such as when I’m doing Fartlek runs. Usually if I increase the length or duration I will slightly decrease the pace, such as performing the work bouts at a pace that is 5-10 seconds/mile slower. Or, I might perform work bouts of the same duration at a slightly faster pace from one week to the next. If you include hills as part of your progression (see below), the effort may be the same from week-to-week, but obviously your pace will change.

Recovery time

Another way to make a workout more challenging from the previous week is to cut the recovery time. For example, the recovery time may be twice as long as the work bout for the first week, equal to the work bout for the second week, and half the time of the work bout for the third week.

Surface in which you perform work bouts

A way to add variety and challenge to a workout is to add some hills during the second or third week of the progression after running in a flat area during the first 1-2 weeks.

So, try changing one or more of these variables from one week to the next for your higher intensity workouts to make them more challenging, so you continue to benefit from these workouts. However, be sure to make adjustments that are appropriate and keep in mind the goal of your workouts. That is are you trying to improve VO₂max, lactate threshold, etc. It is important to know the purpose of each workout, so that you are performing a workout that will most benefit you. This is certainly something I spend a significant amount of time with for the runners I coach and for my own workouts.

Here is an example of a four week progression for Fartlek runs. This is something I would include early in training to help your body adjust to performing higher intensity workouts:

Week 1:

• Perform dynamic warmup
• Run 20 minutes at an easy pace
• Perform 6 30-second work bouts at a comfortable hard pace (~ your 5k pace, if you’ve done a recent 5k) in a flat area
• Recover with a slow jog for 2 minutes in between work bouts
• Run for 10-15 minutes at an easy pace
• Perform cooldown

Week 2:

-              Perform dynamic warmup

-              Run 20 minutes at an easy pace

-              Perform 6 40-second work bouts at a comfortable hard pace (~ your 5k pace, if you’ve done a recent 5k) in a flat area

-              Recover with a slow jog for 2 minutes in between work bouts

-              Run for 10-15 minutes at an easy pace

-              Perform cooldown

Week 3

-              Perform dynamic warmup

-              Run 20 minutes at an easy pace

-              Perform 6 40-second work bouts at a comfortable hard pace (~ your 5k pace, if you’ve done a recent 5k) in a hilly area

-              Recover with a slow jog for 2 minutes in between work bouts

-              Run for 10-15 minutes at an easy pace

–              Perform cooldown

Week 4

-              Perform dynamic warmup

-              Run 20 minutes at an easy pace

-              Perform 6 60-second work bouts at a comfortable hard pace (~ your 5k pace, if you’ve done a recent 5k) in a flat area

-              Recover with a slow jog for 2 minutes in between work bouts

-              Run for 10-15 minutes at an easy pace

–              Perform cooldown

Please let me know if you have any questions, or if I can be of help in any way.

Also, if you feel anyone can benefit from this email, please share it and “Like” our page.

Your friend and coach,

Brian