This 6-Week Running Interval Training Plan Doubles As Turkey Trot Prep
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For the past year-and-a-half, off-and-on gym closures (and a general fear of COVID-19) pushed the vast majority of exercisers out of the gym and either a) into our living rooms or b) onto the hiking and walking trails.
And while many of us relished in reliving our high school track and cross-country days, other exercisers (ahem, *me*) were less-than-enthused lacing up a pair of running shoes. In fact, I’m convinced that you enter a completely different dimension when running outdoors—one where a single minute seems to double in time.
The bottom line: Running (at least for me, I know there are plenty of brave souls who fully enjoy it) slogs on, and on, and on.
But while the “typical” association with running tends to involve trekking longer distances for extended periods of time, according to New York Road Runners coach Annick Lamar, there’s no reason you need to approach runs with a one-size-fits-all mentality.
She notes that while endurance running can bring forth a trove of benefits on its own (truly, no shade to long-distance athletes!), from improved sleep and cardiovascular and mental health to boosted muscle and bone strength, interval running offers many of those same benefits—and then some. “Interval running is designed to enhance specific areas of fitness,” she explains, like helping you to get faster. When you do decide to head out for a long endurance run after prioritizing interval runs, you’re likely to have an easier time covering longer distances at a quicker pace. That’s because interval running is associated with increased oxygen uptake abilities, which essentially means that blood is able to move faster to your muscles.
Plus, you’re probably going to burn some serious calories, too. One 2017 study from the European Journal of Applied Physiology (done on healthy young men) found that high-intensity interval training boosted the metabolisms of exercisers far past finishing as opposed to participants who exercised at a steady-state pace.
Here, Lamar walks us through how to incorporate interval running into your cardiovascular routine.
What Exactly Is Interval Running?
While interval training can be divided into a number of types and techniques (like fartlek training, for example, which involves using random objects to specify intervals), all of those variations come down to one premise: varied periods of rest mixed with all-out pushes. In other words, the exact opposite of steady-state exercise.
“Interval runs are typically [bursts of] one to five minutes of running, in which you get as close to your VO2 max, or your maximum rate of oxygen consumption, as you can get,” Lamar explains. Women’s Health has previously reported that a person’s VO2 max is one of the best assessments of their cardiorespiratory fitness, and is a reflection of how fast your body can regenerate cells. “Interval runs build aerobic power.”
When explaining how VO2 max as it relates to interval runs works for her clients, Lamar often references the RPE scale. Basically, it’s a 1 to 10 scale where 1 indicates complete rest, 5 indicates moderate aerobic exercise, and 10 is your all-out maximum effort where speaking, or focusing on anything but the exercise task at hand, is nearly impossible.
Two of the most common intervals that Lamar sees: ladder and pyramid runs. Here’s a sample breakdown of each:
Ladder: 1 minute at a 8 or 9 RPE; 2 minutes of active jogging to rest; 2 minutes at a 8 or 9 RPE; 2 minutes of active jogging; 3 minutes at a 8 or 9 RPE; 2 minutes of active jogging; 4 minutes at a 8 or 9 RPE; 2 minutes of active jogging
Pyramid: 1 minute at a 8 or 9 RPE; 2 minutes active jogging to rest, 2 minutes at a 8 or 9 RPE, 2 minutes active jogging, 3 minutes at a 8 or 9 RPE, 2 minutes active jogging, 2 minutes at a 8 or 9 RPE, 2 minutes active jogging, 1 minute at a 8 or 9 RPE, 2 minutes active jogging
That being said, if going (almost) all-out for four entire minutes doesn’t seem doable, Lamar recommends “adapted” interval running:
Runners can prioritize RPEs between 4 and 5 instead of 8 or 9 during the pushes and eventually (as you feel comfortable), you can increase your intensity during pushes.
The 6-Week Beginner Interval Running Plan
Ready to get started? Here, Lamar spotlights one of her signature routines perfect for those just getting started with interval training. “It’s also versatile for anyone who hasn’t run in a while, or is looking to increase their running and wants to reduce their chances of injury,” Lamar explains, adding that it also works as a great 5K training plan.
“This plan intentionally features a lot of walk-running, which act as mini-intervals,” she adds. “It can be difficult for novice runners to string together minutes of running, and it’s not uncommon to become discouraged.”
She notes that by introducing walk-run intervals, the chances of early burnout (especially for boredom-prone runners like me) is reduced.
To increase the challenge of this routine, start increasing the RPEs with each push and substituting walking rest for jogs.
So why three days per week?
“Three days [of interval running per] week is optimal for new runners or those looking to get into running, as it allows you to follow every day of running with a rest day,” Lamar explains. “The newer you are to running, the more fatigue your body will experience. As you start to train and run more frequently, you will build your endurance and you’ll find you need less rest days to recover. ” But if you can only squeeze out one day of interval running per week, you’ll still reap benefits, says Lamar. “That one session of running has its own health benefits,” she explains.
What About rest days?
In the program above, Lamar notes that four specific “rest or cross train” days are ideal when jumping into an interval training program. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should be holed up on the couch on those days. Rather, as Lamar explains, your level of exertion will depend on how hard you pushed yourself the day prior. “If you had a really hard run, take it easy,” she pushes, saying that if you’re absolutely itching to move, an easy walk, relaxed yoga routine, or bike ride is fine.
However, as Lamar explains, if your exertion was relatively low during your training day, hopping into an exercise class is totally fine. It’s really up to your personal comfort level, she says.
As for steady-state running, while it’s not a must-do if you’re just starting out, Lamar says that if you can run for 10 minutes without stopping, you can consider swapping one to two interval days for steady-state cardio. “However, just because you can run 10 minutes at one time, it does not mean you should jump to 20 or 30 minutes of constant running,” Lamar notes. “For new runners, breaking up steady state running into smaller intervals allows you to cover the total distance more effectively without a breakdown in running form, and reduces the risk of not being able to complete the run. ”
Safety Considerations
Although it can be tempting to go big from the gate when starting an interval running program (or any exercise program, for that matter), Lamar stresses the need to start slow to avoid overuse injury. “Slowly increase your mileage,” she recommends. “To effectively build aerobic fitness, there are no shortcuts to running fitness.
Often, novice runners will head out the door and complete their run to almost exhaustion and then try to go out the next day and do another hard run again. When their body can’t recover from the high level of training stress, they’ll quit or need to stop.”
They key to success, says Lamar, is to slowly increase the challenge level of runs and to not feel completely wiped after each workout. “Make sure you feel comfortable and in control,” she advises.
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