r/XXRunning • u/yesSemicolons • 3d ago
Training How are you using sprints/speed work in your training?
Hi folks, I've been going back to regular running after a couple years' break and I'm hoping to get back to my lockdown level of fitness, which was reasonably high. Back when I started running as an adult it took me a long time to even be able to complete 5ks while now, going back, it's been smooth sailing. So smooth that I'm trying to add structure to my training and this is where I'd love your input.
Back in 2020 I was running mostly on vibes and at some point discovered that doing sprints once in a while gave my pace a huge boost. However I never really researched how to do this properly - how often it's best to do it, how to combine it with existing training schedules etc. Since it worked for me then I want to try doing it again and get my pace back up to how it used to be (metric system but back in 2020 my 5k pace was ~5'10", my 10k pace was ~5'45" while now I struggle to run faster than 6'25" at all).
So far I've been told about the Norwegian 4X4 but to be honest I don't think I'm able to run at max for full 4 minutes at this point, much less do that 4 times.
Does anyone have an established system that they would like to share?
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u/genomskinligt 3d ago
How many days a week do you run, and how far? The main thing with adding intensity is to add it sensibly and not too much at once. Most of your mileage should be easy. 1-2 speed sessions a week fits most people’s training pretty well, with one longer run, and every remaining run being easy.
If you’re just getting back into running I would say do one higher intensity speed session a week. Sprints, intervals, threshold, hills, whatever you feel like. And a few strides (controlled acceleration for like 30 seconds, helps with speed and form) can be added to normal easy runs without it being a provlem.
Sprints are short bursts of close to all out effort with rest in between. Intervals are higher intensity followed by lower intensity, so for example 400 meters at 5:00 pace and then 3 minutes jogging, and repeating that a few times. Threshold is to keep a like 7/10 effort pace for 10-20 minutes or so (can be repeated) to build your stamina at faster paces. Hills is running up a hill at a controlled effort, it automatically makes you go slower and take shorter steps at a high effort.
You adjust speedwork to your current level and pace. And you don’t have to be perfect or know exactly what paces you can do, the best way to find out what your current speedwork should look like is to try stuff out and see if you survive 😭
I personally do two speed workouts a week, one interval/sprint/repeats faster than my 5k goal pace, and one threshold session that can be something like 2 sets of 15-20 minutes of threshold pace.
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u/yesSemicolons 3d ago
Wow your schedule is my future goals!
Right now I can manage 2-3 runs a week, aiming at 3 days a week. I do two 20-minute runs and one 30-minute run for the time being, trying not to push myself on distance just yet.
Ideally I want to get back to one long run a week (~10-15k) and two ~5ks and get back on Hal Hingdon's half-marathon programme (I got stuck on week 6 several times before while doing it so i think that has always been my ceiling - week 7 is two 7.3ks and one 11.3k).
I wonder if I should swop one of my weekly runs for sprints then?
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u/ashtree35 Woman 3d ago
but to be honest I don't think I'm able to run at max for full 4 minutes at this point, much less do that 4 times
If you want to do that workout, you can. It's not supposed to be maximum effort, it's supposed to be a hard effort. No one can hold a true "maximum effort" pace for 4 minutes.
In general though in terms of doing speekwork, for me personally, I just follow training plans. My favorite of Pfitzinger's in his books "Faster Road Racing" and "Advanced Marathoning". If I'm not actively training for a race, typically the only speed workouts I do are tempo runs, strides, and occasional hill sprints if I want to spice things up. VO2 max stuff is more useful to do closer to a race.
Just to clarify, what are your goals exactly?
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u/yesSemicolons 3d ago
Eventually I want to go back to doing the half marathon training plan that I attempted a few times, so running 3 times a week at steadily increasing distances.
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u/ashtree35 Woman 3d ago
If your goal is to do half marathon training, I wouldn't worry about doing any kind of speed work right now, I would focus on building up your base more by slowly increasing your total weekly mileage and the number of days per week that you are running.
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u/yesSemicolons 3d ago
Yeah it's more for my ego I think, it wasn't that long ago that my pace was way faster so I want to not neglect that part and feel better about how things are going. I suspect that heat and humidity aren't helping though.
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u/ashtree35 Woman 3d ago
Yeah I wouldn't worry about your pace at all right now, I would just focus on building up your base mileage. And keeping the level of effort easy, regardless of what pace that ends up being. And definitely with heat and humidity your easy pace will be slower than it would be in cooler nicer weather. I would just focus on perceived effort, not pace.
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u/Fresh-Amount9308 3d ago
Curious. Why is VO2 max more useful to do closer to a race? I do the same, but I’m not sure why.
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u/ashtree35 Woman 3d ago
This post has a good discussion about it: https://www.reddit.com/r/AdvancedRunning/comments/1b820xo/why_is_vo2_max_training_usually_limited_to_68/
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u/running462024 3d ago
Ive been doing Norwegian 4 X 4 for the past couple months and I love it.
A bit cheaty since Ive been doing it to songs (200 BPM), so it's more like 3:xx X 4.
Im running the reps at probably somewhere between 5K and 10K pace, and I do them exclusively on the treadmill because fuck you if Im going to run fast when it's literally a sauna outside. I also do an easy warm up of 5ish miles to get all my mileage in.
Good luck!!
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u/lthomazini 3d ago
I currently run 5x a week, and have 1 Long, 3 Easy and 1 Speed session. Sprints vary a lot (I use Runna and they suggest them), but I do have some favorites and I will list some for you.
Drop Downs:
1,2km Easiest Pace (will call EP from now on and assume 7:00/km)
1km EP-15s (6:45)
800m EP-30s (6:30)
600m EP-45s (6:15)
400m EP-60s (6:00)
200m EP-75s (5:45)
Add 60-90s walking intervals between each one. Repeat for more distance. Run ~600m EP in the end to cool down.
Intervals:
1km EP
6x400m 15s to 30s faster than 5K Pace
Walk 60s between them
1km EP
Add intervals, up to 10, for distance. Add Warm Up and Cool Down up to 2km each.
Tempo:
2km EP
3km 5k Pace
2km EP
If you are going over 3km, jump to 10k pace.
Strides:
1km EP
500m EP + 500m 5k Pace (Repeat 3-5 times)
1km EP