Running super sessions

These super sessions can be run either indoors on a treadmill or outdoor on any surface. The idea is to push your body that little bit further so you improve and speed up. Any runner from beginner to expert can run these sessions as the amount of effort involved is personal and only you can tell if you are putting in enough effort to make it worthwhile.

For beginners it is advisable to not run at 100% effort but to try the session a few times beforehand while just jogging. As beginners get fitter and more confident you can increase the effort. Experienced runners should be pushing themselves quite hard over these types of training sessions.

Try all three over the next month and see how you get on. Was the one-minute session the hardest? Did you find speeding up harder? Or was the four-minute effort hardest work?

10-minute running workout
10 x 1 min with 30 seconds recovery in between

The one minute intervals should be run at high speed; nearly as fast as you can, except for beginners who should run them slowly to start with, with a slow walk for 30 seconds as your recovery. This is quite an intense workout that if run correctly fast enough from the first one-minute, will bring about heavy legs during the session. However, it will make you more tolerant to pace changes that are inevitable in any race, and as such should be part of any experienced runner’s arsenal, which includes long-distance runners as well.

15-minute running workout
5/4/3/2/1 minutes hard with 2.5/2/1.5/1 minutes walk recovery in between

This workout tries to get you to run at a faster pace as you get further into the session. The idea is to increase your pace as the time period becomes less. This is a great way to gain confidence and finish the session feeling like you are running really fast. It also makes you pick up the pace as you feel more tired. It is great for anyone who finds it difficult to increase their pace at the end of races.

20-minute running workout
5 x 4 minutes with 2 minutes jog recovery

A slightly longer session that involves holding the same pace throughout the entire run. It is quite a tough session as it involves a lot of mental concentration to be able to run for four minutes several times. Don’t go off too hard but try and maintain the pace throughout the entire session. Make a mental note of how far you get on the first four-minute effort and run out and back on the other repetitions to see if you can keep to the same distances.