3 things that make speedwork more interesting

If you’re bored of the same old training routines, we’ve got 3 things that make speedwork more interesting. In the same way that HIIT (high-intensity interval training) has become a mainstream way to exercise, speedy sessions during the week have improved many a runner’s pace and win them some time back along the way. When time is of the essence, think faster, shorter and quality over quantity. Try these fast, furious sessions!

1. Tabata sprints

The Tabata revolution has been around for some years now. Dr Tabata’s experiment back in the late 1990s showed that short spurts of high-intensity training based around an interval training model can raise your heart rate and improve your aerobic and anaerobic fitness levels. And as you’d expect, this lends itself rather nicely to running and, more specifically, sprinting. Tabata sprints works on the principle of sprinting for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds’ rest. Repeat this pattern until you hit four minutes on the stop watch. In total, you’ll do 20/10 eight times – and that is it. No more, no less. Try it on a track and see how far you can travel in four minutes of Tabata sprints. You may well surprise yourself. Of course, you have to push it to the max and, boy oh boy, it’s not pretty. But the results are immense.

2. Head for the hills

Toughen up, prevent injuries and improve your speed in a fraction of the time by taking on the hills. The height and length of the hill depends on your own goals and level of fitness but it’s worth mixing it up from time to time. Whatever you go for, aim to complete in anything from 30 seconds to three minutes, working on your form on the ascent and descent. Stand tall and push your hips slightly forwards to strengthen your core stability. Aim to do at least eight to 10 repetitions (yes, eight to 10 times up and down that hill!) to really feel the benefits. When you do the maths, you’ll find that this session could take as little as 240 seconds to complete – that’s less than the time it takes to boil an egg.

3. Fit in 15 with fartlek

Whittle down your session to just 15 minutes with a fartlek – Swedish for ‘speed play’ – session. Start off with two to three minutes’ warm-up followed by around 10 minutes pushing between 70 and 90 per cent of your maximum pace for a minute each. To get an idea of what this could look like, try working at 70 per cent x 1 minute, 80 per cent x 1 minute, 90 per cent x 1 minute and then repeat this pattern three times. Alternatively, go for 70 per cent x 1 minute, 80 per cent for x 1 minute, 90 per cent x 2 minutes twice, rest x 1 minute, then repeat. Follow with a cool down. By adding speed and focus to your workout, you’ll target your pace and save a whole heap of time.