Type - Interval training
1 mile jog, 1.5 mile fast, 800 metre recovery x 3, 1 mile jog
Distance - 7.5 miles
Time - 1 hour 5 minutes and 12 seconds
Jarlath has told me that the interval training sessions plotted on my sixteen week marathon training plan are the most important sessions other than (and, in some cases, rivalling even) the weekly long runs. Whilst some people go out and train every day, they work the same muscles at the same speeds over similar distances, and the body is very well designed to get used to even gruelling but routine training.
The interval training is designed to shake it up a little bit by adding speed or an incline, or both, to make the run harder and more difficult. Today's run called for a warm up jog, and then 1.5 miles at a fast speed (which I initially took to be 13 km/h) and then an 800 metre recovery, finished by a 1 mile jog. It seemed doable on paper, but I was slightly wary of the difficulties I have had on running on treadmills which seem to be more difficult for me than running outside.
Obviously I had no problem with the initial jog, but the first 1.5 miles at 13 km/h was really tough, and, even with the 5 minute recovery covering 800 metres at a slower pace, I didn't think it would be possible for me to sustain another two sets of 1.5 miles at that pace. I slipped it down to 12.6 km/h, and even this was difficult. By the end of the second interval I was shaking in my arms and absolutely soaked in sweat. By the last half mile of the final interval I had a stitch so vicious that I couldn't shift it by deep breathing, and had to slow down and then speed up again to finish off the interval. Not strictly speaking in the rules, but an indication that I had trained to my capacity.
I stepped off the treadmill after the jog feeling punch drunk and a little woozy. It wasn't the hardest run I had done, but it was certainly a challenging training session. Maybe in time I will get more used to the treadmill again. But, for the moment, I still dread the tread.
The interval training is designed to shake it up a little bit by adding speed or an incline, or both, to make the run harder and more difficult. Today's run called for a warm up jog, and then 1.5 miles at a fast speed (which I initially took to be 13 km/h) and then an 800 metre recovery, finished by a 1 mile jog. It seemed doable on paper, but I was slightly wary of the difficulties I have had on running on treadmills which seem to be more difficult for me than running outside.
Obviously I had no problem with the initial jog, but the first 1.5 miles at 13 km/h was really tough, and, even with the 5 minute recovery covering 800 metres at a slower pace, I didn't think it would be possible for me to sustain another two sets of 1.5 miles at that pace. I slipped it down to 12.6 km/h, and even this was difficult. By the end of the second interval I was shaking in my arms and absolutely soaked in sweat. By the last half mile of the final interval I had a stitch so vicious that I couldn't shift it by deep breathing, and had to slow down and then speed up again to finish off the interval. Not strictly speaking in the rules, but an indication that I had trained to my capacity.
I stepped off the treadmill after the jog feeling punch drunk and a little woozy. It wasn't the hardest run I had done, but it was certainly a challenging training session. Maybe in time I will get more used to the treadmill again. But, for the moment, I still dread the tread.
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