Beginner's First Intervals
Workout - Beginner's First Intervals
- 15min @ 6'00''/km
- 12 lots of:
- 1min @ 5'50''/km
- 1min rest
- 10min @ 6'00''/km
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Intro
Here’s a breakdown of “Interval Training for Runners | Beginner’s Guide & Benefits” by Lee Grantham. Below is what you need to perform one of these sessions today. The full video contains additional context if you want to dive deeper.
Key Points
- Interval training strengthens running economy — at a given pace, your body burns less energy — making race speed feel more sustainable.
- Paired short, hard efforts with equal rest periods target your “second gear,” allowing 5 min/km to feel manageable during a race.
- Session-long interval duration should fall between 20‑30 minutes to reduce injury risk while delivering strong training stimulus.
- Start with 1‑minute or 2‑minute repeats, then shift toward faster paces or longer intervals as your fitness grows.
Workout Example (Beginner)
- Warm‑up: 10‑15 min easy jog.
- Main set (20‑30 min total):
- Option A: 20 × 1‑minute intervals at a pace faster than your standard run (e.g., 4:30 min/km), with 1‑minute easy jog recovery between each.
- Option B: 12 × 2‑minute intervals at the same fast pace, with 2‑minute easy jog recovery.
- Cool‑down: 5‑10 min easy jog + stretch.
Choose a fast pace roughly 10–15 seconds per km quicker than your regular training speed. For instance, if your long runs happen at 5 min/km, target around 4:45 min/km for the intervals.
Closing Note
Run this workout soon and tune the intervals to your current fitness in the Pacing app. Within a few weeks, most runners find race pace feeling noticeably more comfortable. Give it a try and share how it works for you.