Easy runs
Many coaches and exercise
physiologists believe that most runners should do 80 to 90 percent
of their weekly training at the easy run pace (this includes
your long runs, done at approximately the same pace). Easy runs
build your aerobic fitness, and your muscular and skeletal strength.
They also help you burn more calories and recover for harder
workouts.
Tempo runs
Tempo runs help you
improve your running economy and your running form. They are
often described as "hard but controlled" runs, and they will
help you prepare for races of 10,000 meters to the marathon.
Tempo workouts generally fall into one of two categories: steady
runs of 2 to 6 miles; or long intervals with short recoveries.
Here's an example of the latter: 4 x 1 mile at tempo
run pace with 2 minutes of recovery jogging between repeats.
You should do tempo runs no more than once a week, and they
should make up no more than 10 to 15 percent of your total training.
Maximum-oxygen runs
Maximum-oxygen workouts help you improve your
running economy and your racing sharpness. These workouts are
often called "interval workouts," and are most useful when you
are preparing for a race of 5000 meters to half-marathon. Here's
an example of a good maximum-oxygen workout: 6 x 800
meters at maximum-oxygen pace with 4 to 6 minutes of recovery
jogging between repeats. You should do maximum-oxygen workouts
no more than once a week, and they should make up no more than
6 to 10 percent of your total training. (When you run these
workouts, you are running at or near 100 percent of your maximum
oxygen capacity, which scientists call max VO2; hence the name
for these runs.)
Speed-form runs
Speed-form workouts
help you improve your running economy, form and leg speed. These
are also interval workouts tailored to help you prepare for
races of 800 meters to 5000 meters. Here's an example of a
good speed-form workout: 8 x 400 meters at speed-form pace
with 3 to 4 minutes of recovery jogging between repeats. You
should do speed-form workouts no more than once a week, and
they should make up no more than 4 to 8 percent of your total
training.
Long runs
Long runs form the
foundation of all marathon training programs. Long runs build
everything from your confidence to your discipline to your fat-burning.
So, even when you're not training for a specific marathon, it's
a good idea to do at least one semi-long run a week. Because
long runs are done at a relaxed pace, there's great latitude
in how fast you actually run. In general, we believe that slower
is better than faster. Let your long runs be your slow runs,
and save your legs for other days of the week when you might
do tempo runs or maximum-oxygen runs. But there are a thousand
theories about how to do long runs, none of which have yet been
proven superior to the others. The important thing is building
up the distance and training your body to keep going for 3,
4, 5 or however many hours it's going to take you.
