Running skills

What exactly is a running session? And how can a variety of types of session make you a fitter and stronger runner? Anna’s here to explain all... Words: Anna Harding Images: stock.adobe.com

Do you just go out and run? Same route, same distance, same pace? Have you ever thought about trying to mix things up a bit and try out an intervals sessions? Here are some fun and easy-to-master running sessions that can give you more bang for your buck in training and keep your running interesting.

What are intervals sessions?

Intervals sessions are great for improving your aerobic and anaerobic endurance, increasing your VO2 max and improving your overall running performance.

One of the key things to remember when you’re doing an intervals session is to keep the same intensity for all of the repeats (also referred to as reps). There’s no point in rushing off for the first few and absolutely blitzing them, only to find that you’ve crashed and burned and can’t actually complete the whole session, or that the final reps are much, much slower than the first.

In order to work out the pace you should be going at, check out the distance of each rep. You wouldn’t hold the same pace over one kilometre as you would over 400 metres, so be sensible and make achievable choices.

Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to go out and do an intervals session. On paper it might look like it won’t take as long as your standard run, but don’t forget to factor in the warmup, cooldown and recovery times. You should always do a thorough warm-up before undertaking these sessions, as running at speed puts a lot of strain on your muscles, including your heart, and if you don’t warm up properly, you run a greater risk of getting injured.

Intervals sessions should be just one of your weekly sessions. You don’t want to go out and run all of your runs as intervals, as that’s a recipe for disaster when it comes to injury. Make sure you give yourself rest days around your harder intervals sessions too.

When you get to the recoveries during a session, it’s fine to walk it, or just do a very light jog. Try not to just stand still though, as you may quickly seize up, which will make it more difficult to start the next rep and could end in injury. The idea of the recoveries is just that – to recover. You should focus on deep breaths and getting your heart rate back down, so you’re ready to go again.