I recently got myself a fancy Garmin Forerunner smart watch, and let me tell you guys, I thought I had some kind of general idea of what I was doing when it came to running, but I am definitely still new to this training thing! My training has definitely changed overtime and it continues to change season to season, but as I have been running A TON this summer, I’ve come to realize that it’s a lot more than just putting the shoes on and going as fast as your body regulates that day. There are actually a lot of different types of runs you should be doing and what you might find out could surprise you.
So today, let’s talk about types of running, what each is, what it does for your body, and how often you should be doing them.
Recovery Runs
I’m starting with recovery runs because to be fair, they say these are the most important runs and at the same time, I think these are the types of runs most runners struggle with. In fact, about 80% (the majority of) your runs should be at an easy pace. This helps the body recover and some say it actually can help the body burn more fat (though I am not going to comment on if this is true without more research, but expect a blog post about that in the future.
What should this run look like? It depends on how you track your runs. If you like to run without tracking yourself, this is a run in which you can still hold a conversation, and not just a one sentence at a time conversation, I’m talking full conversation without being too breathy. If you like to track your pace, this would be a pace that is 2 to 3 minute per mile (1 to 2 km/hour) slower than your current 5k RACE pace. (For me that would be about a 10:30 minute per mile minimum).
For those with fancy watches who like to base it on heart rate, this would at about 65% of your heart rate reserve. To calculate this you need to calculate your resting heart rate and your maximum heart rate (208- [0.7 x age]). To find your heart rate reserve take subtract your resting heart rate from your max, calculate 65 percent of that number, and then add back in your resting heart rate.
So say your maximum heart rate is 188 and your resting heart rate is 50, your goal heart rate would be 188-50= 138(.65)= 89.7+50= 139. So you should aim to keep your heart rate around 139 bpm during a recovery run.
Again, a large portion of your runs should actually take place at this pace which will help increase aerobic training loads, help the body recovery, and overall help you increase your speed overtime.
Base Runs
Base runs are also known as endurance runs. These runs are usually between 30 and 90 minutes at a low intensity as a means to help improve endurance while improving low aerobic training load. This type of workout is also said to help burn fat and train the body to burn fat, but again this isn’t something I can speak on until I do more research myself. For me, these runs are usually at a minute per mile pace slower than my typical 5k pace.
Tempo Runs
Tempo runs are a bit similar to base runs and are a marathon or half marathon pace for most people. Other sources suggest this pace should be able to be maintained for at least 20 minutes, although ideally you want to hold it for at least 45-60 minutes without needing a break. These runs usually last shorter than based runs, only about 20-30 minutes and should not feel like a race. These runs sustain effort to build the ability to run faster for longer periods of time while increasing high aerobic loads.
Threshold Runs
The “threshold” refers to the point where lactate begins to build up faster than it can be burnt from the body. This causes the body to reach a point of failure (usually before an hour) where you can’t run anymore. This is usually a little slower than your race pace and should only last about 20 or so minutes.
Threshold runs occur about about 83-88% of VO2max.
Running this pace can help avoid overtraining and increase run consistency.
Speed Runs/Hill Repeats/HIIT runs
Sprints and HIIT runs are great for anaerobic training when the body relies on glucose stores for short bursts of energy. These quick, all out runs are short but intense at about 90-95% of VO2max tiring you out quickly but being very effective.
This type of training helps to better sequence muscle contractions and increases race day speeds. Plus, hill repeats can HIIT runs including hills can make race day hills seem easy and less intimidating!
Do you follow a specific training program? What are your favorite types of runs? Let me know in the comments below!
Until next time,
Kat
Kat Classics 