Fitness
3 Types of Running Workouts You’ll Want In Your Training Plan
Signed up for City2Surf (again)? Don’t wing it this year. Add intervals, hills, and long runs to your training and crush Heartbreak Hill with confidence. Simple plan, big results.
So, you’ve signed up for City2Surf again because your group chat convinced you (same as last year). Last year, you had every intention of training, yet found yourself huffing and puffing up Heartbreak Hill with only a couple good training runs behind you.
This year doesn’t have to go the same way. The good news? You have time to train.
Whether you’re running City2Surf or a different race later in the year, you’ll want these 3 key types of running workouts in your training plan.
01
Intervals
What it is: “fast” running meant to stress your body to maximize aerobic power with rest following the higher intensity running. Essentially fast reps followed by recovery, repeated.
Why you’ll want to add them: to race faster, you have to get faster. Regular interval runs with time spent in the hard effort zone help you get faster. Your body will learn to tolerate faster paces, improve leg turnover, and give you the opportunity to practice your mental toughness as you tick off each rep.
Examples to try:
- Time based: 6 x 3 minutes (with 2 minute jog recoveries). Easy jog for 10 minutes to warm-up, run your hard effort for 3 minutes / jog for 2 minutes, repeat, cool-down jog for 10 minutes.
- Distance based: 6 x 600m (with 1 minute jog recoveries). Easy jog for 1km, run 600m at your 5K pace / jog for 1 minute, repeat, cool-down jog for 1km.
Red Bull City2Surf Race Start
© Marty Rowney
02
Hills
What it is: hills are (you guessed it) intentional hill repeats in your training plan. The length of the hill can vary, but often runners choose a hill of about 600m and focus on effort reps rather than pace. 6-10 reps up, with a jog back down before you go again.
Why you’ll want to add them: get the benefits of intervals and strength from using different muscles as you power up the hills. Regularly running hills can make you faster and improve running economy, which can make you stronger.
Examples to try:
- For newbies: easy paced hill repeats. 4x200m hill reps. Find roughly a 200m hill. Run up at easy pace, jog back down, and repeat.
- For seasoned runners: hill sprints. 8x600m hill reps. These reps are all out efforts up hill. Enjoy the easy jog down, and then you go again.
Red Bull City2Surf Start
© Marty Rowney
03
Long runs
What it is: longest run of the week (often not more than 30% of your total weekly mileage). Usually the long run is at least a few kilometers longer than any runs you do during the week.
Why you’ll want to add them: to practice time on feet, build your confidence, trial fueling and race gear, and improve your ability to run aerobically. Long runs are a very important component of any distance race training plan.
Examples to try: majority of your long runs can be at an easy pace. Go out for time on feet and keep the pace relaxed as if you were chatting to a friend during the entire run. If you wanted to try a long run with pace work:
Fast finish long run
- Run the first 75% of your run at easy pace, run the last 25% at your tempo pace (practicing that finish line kick)
Race pace practice long run
- Build into race pace practice with some warm-up and cool-down kilometers
- Ex: 5km easy, 4km at tempo pace, 2km easy
Most training has these types of runs in the plan, no matter the running level. It’s pretty easy to get information overload every time you open Instagram. Don’t complicate it. Most of your runs should be easy pace, have a longer run each week, and add in a mix of intervals and hills.
If you’re training in Sydney, you’ll be in good company. Feels like there’s more people out running the coast at sunrise than ever before. Let it help motivate you to get out there. We’re in this together.
Love running? Be sure to watch Japanese mountain runner Ruy Ueda embark on a challenge to run himself into the record books by setting the new fastest-known time for running all of Mount Fuji’s main trails in one stroke for free on Red Bull TV.
23 min
Mount Fuji in One Stroke
Ruy Ueda aims to set the new fastest-known time for running all of Mount Fuji’s main trails in one stroke.
