Ensure that your running does not become repetitive or boring by integrating as much variety as possible. ASICS PRO Team Running Coach Bud Baldaro gives his suggestions for how to mix things up:Ensure that your running does not become repetitive or boring by integrating as much variety as possible. ASICS PRO Team Running Coach Bud Baldaro gives his suggestions for how to mix things up:
Steady running
Self explanatory! Running at nice relaxed steady pace.
Fartlek
Swedish term meaning speed play - mixing speeds and intensities and lengths of efforts or / bursts. This is great fun and a great way to run in parks / forests / trails etc. You can make the run a hard, medium or easy pace as you choose.
Hills
This is a demanding form of training but so, so satisfying as you meet the challenge of the hill. You could be continuous running over a hilly circuit or sets of hill reps a specific number of times within a flatter route. As you progress, do several sets.
Interval Training
A very intense from of training! Running a certain distance in a certain target time, then have a measured recovery time, either complete rest or just low intensity. The high intensity should be at or close to your limit of exertion. This technique offers 3 variables to improve your session - more reps (do it more) or faster times (do it quicker) or shorter recoveries (take less time ‘off’).
Tempo work
A brilliant form of improving your fitness levels, i.e. running for measured time at 85% of your max pace so you might run 10m easy, 10 at tempo, 10 easy etc
Recovery running
Totally relaxed active recovery runs. The real key is getting the balance right so mix a hard day with an easy day as a general principle.
