Different Types of Running Workouts

There are several types of running workouts that you can do to make progress in the sport. Depending on your goals and your level of experience, you may want to implement specialized workouts into your routine to work on different areas of your running. Running form, speed, pacing, and endurance are all important aspects of success as a runner. Several types of workouts will help you in each of these areas to take your running to the next level. Here are a few different types of running workouts to try and how they can help you.

Base Runs

Base runs are utilized to build up your stamina and lung capacity, maintain faster paces for longer, and take on more mileage. These workouts are done at a relatively low intensity to lay a solid foundation for your running. They're meant to establish a level of comfort for a certain distance and pace to create your bottom level of performance. To perform a base run, run at a comfortable, steady pace—between 65 to 75% of your maximum heart rate. This is a run that you can easily complete independent of how you feel, weather conditions, and other factors and should account for about 80% of your total weekly mileage. The better you get at these runs and the easier they become and you can increase your base, giving you more potential at the upper end of your performance.

Stride Running

Stride running will help you improve your form and increase your running. This workout is best performed on a track, a flat grassy area, or a straightaway that is 100 to 150 meters long. For 15 to 20 seconds, overexaggerate your stride, beginning a moderate pace and gradually building to top speed for the last five seconds. Walk or jog back to your starting point, and then repeat five to ten times.

Hill Repeats

Hill repeats are a high-intensity interval type of training. This type of workout has a variety of benefits, including increased endurance, muscular strength, and speed. For this type of workout, you simply find a hill that is either short for more burst and explosive work, or a longer hill for endurance work. You run up the hill at a faster pace and walk back down or jog back down and repeat this process several times. You can change how you perform these workouts to adjust to your fitness goals and experience.

Fartlek

Fartlek is Swedish for "speed play" and is a type of popular interval training for runners. Fartlek workouts allow for some freedom and enjoyment while working out. You pick an object such as a fire hydrant, a tree, or a sign in the distance and run fast to that landmark, and then pick another object and either walk or jog to that landmark. You keep repeating this process a number of times to give you a great speed and stamina workout.

Tempo Runs

Tempo runs are a workout designed to help a runner sustain a faster pace for a longer time. Perform a tempo run slightly slower than a 5k pace. This is done to increase the capacity of your body to withstand lactic acid buildup, which will allow your body to sustain a pace easier without getting tired. These are lighter-intensity workouts, allowing you to run at a slightly faster pace without fatigue.

How to Program These Workouts

For the lower-intensity workouts, you can do these slightly more often during the week because they won’t affect your high-intensity runs as much. The high-intensity interval training and speed work can be done once a week and you can still get the benefits. Depending on your skill and experience level in the sport, you can adjust frequency based on how your workouts affect you physically and mentally.