Running Workouts...

I am learning to love running!  One of the keys to this adventure, for me, has been finding different interval workouts.  Keeping focused on the interval, and changing the intensity of the treadmill, has helped me run farther and faster than I have in the past.  I found some ideas for intervals and adapted them to work for me.

3-1-1...These are fun intervals to run because they are so short.  I really have to pay attention to the clock on treadmill, so I am not paying attention to how I feel.  When I started 3-1-1's I chose a slow, a moderate and a faster pace.  I ran 3 minutes slow, 1 minute moderate and 1 minute faster.  Now I run 3 minutes at my moderate pace, 1 minute faster and 1 minute even faster.  This would work with the incline also.  Run as many intervals as you can.  You can also bookend the intervals with a 5 or 10 minute run at the slow or moderate pace.

Ladders... Again I choose 3 different levels to run at.  In this workout though, I run 5 minutes at each level, up and down the ladder.  Before I start running I decide how many rungs I am going to run, or how many miles I will accomplish before I finish.  For me, I need to decide on the distance or the time before I start, then I can hold myself accountable to finishing.

Bumps...I think I made this up, and it happened because I misunderstood a friend (who is a runner...a real runner) talking about tempo runs.  So I started out thinking this was a tempo run, and when I learned that I was wrong, I decided to call it a bump run because I liked the workout!  I choose the level that I am going to start my run.  Every 10 minutes, I bump the intensity up by 2. 

The end result of all these workouts, is that I actually like running!  I'm having fun challenging myself with different combinations of intervals and the intervals keep the run interesting.  Please remember that I am not a professional runner, so if you are going to try these use your own sense of what is right for your body.

Happy Running!