What Exactly is Interval Training?
If you want to improve your performance in running or triathlon in the long run, there's no getting around interval training. Simply put, it's a training method where you repeatedly alternate between very intense exercise phases and easy recovery periods, often called recovery jogs. Unlike a steady-state run, you specifically challenge your body with high speeds to create new stimuli for growth.
Why is Interval Training so Effective for Endurance Athletes?
The magic of interval training comes from the variation in speed, leading to greater improvements of your fitness than always sticking to your easy pace would. This means you train your body to work more efficiently even at high intensity and with an oxygen deficit. This leads to a whole range of benefits:
- Higher Speed: You improve your base speed and can maintain a faster pace over longer distances.
- Better Lactate Tolerance: Your body learns to better handle the lactic acid produced during exertion, delaying muscle fatigue.
- Improved Oxygen Uptake (VO2max): The intense stimuli force your heart and lungs to adapt, increasing your maximum oxygen uptake capacity.
The Building Blocks of an Interval Session
A structured interval workout is crucial for success and injury prevention. Each session should consist of these four phases:
- Warm-up: At least 10-15 minutes of easy running to get your circulation going and prepare your muscles for the effort. Ideally, supplement this with running drills.
- High-Intensity Phase: The actual speed interval. The length and pace depend on your goal and fitness level (e.g., 400 meters, 1000 meters).
- Recovery Phase: An active break (recovery jog) between intervals. The duration should be long enough for your heart rate to come down, but not for you to fully recover.
- Cool-down: 10-15 minutes of easy jogging to initiate recovery and promote lactate clearance.
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Examples of Interval Workouts
The design of your workout heavily depends on your goal (e.g., a 10k race or a marathon) and your fitness level. Here are two classic examples:
- For Beginners: After warming up, run 6 x 400 meters at a pace that is significantly faster than your normal jogging pace. Between each, jog very slowly or walk for 400 meters. Finish with a cool-down.
- For Advanced Runners: After warming up, run 4 x 1000 meters at your target 10k race pace. Take a 3-minute jogging break between each. Finish with a cool-down.
Integration into the Training Plan: The Role of Periodization
Interval training is a very intense form of exercise and should therefore be thoughtfully integrated into your plan. Once a week is a good rule of thumb for most recreational athletes. It's important to embed it within a broader periodization of your training year. This means that the proportion and intensity of intervals vary depending on the phase of your season preparation. During base training phases, the focus is on longer, less intense runs, while short, very intense sessions become more important in the race-specific preparation phase. Models like polarized training emphasize high volumes at low intensity and a small amount of high-intensity training, highlighting the importance of proper dosage. A well-thought-out plan that systematically alternates between stress and recovery prevents overtraining and injuries.
