I want to help you improve as a runner.
And these 4 run workouts will do it.
I’m going to explain each workout and why I like it (#3 is my favorite).
Here we go:
Nasal Breath Run
This is my spin on Zone 2 runs.
I like these because they add variety to base training. And they force you to get better at breathing.
(Most people never even consider they can be more efficient at breathing).
By breathing only through your nose, you will
cap your pace
improve your air flow
get the base building benefits of Zone 2 training
The details of this one are simple:
Just run for 45 mins with nasal breath.
Fast, Faster, Fastest
This workout is amazing for beginners who are learning how to manage pace changing and sustained intensity.
I like this workout for 2 reasons:
#1: it teaches “gear shifting”
This is how I coach beginners to think about moving through their zones. We want to be able to “shift” between intensities.
Step on the gas, back off, keep going.
We don’t want to just run hard, gas out and stop.
#2: it teaches athletes how to suffer
Beginner endurance athlete need to learn the Skill of Suffering. AKA how to press into pain, hold pace and keep going.
This workout is a good entry to that practice.
Here’s the workout:
55 min run
15 min WU
8 min sets progressing from “fast” to “faster” to “fastest” with 3 min easy recovery jog between sets
10 min CD
Pro Tip: these 3 sets should each progress by 20-30 seconds per mile pacing.
If you start with 9 min/mile pace, drop to 8:30 for set 2, then 8:00 for set 3.
30/30s
This is my favorite speed workout.
It’s the threshold workout that helped me run 7:27s at Oregon 70.3 in 2023 - a huge PR for me.
That showed me that you don’t need a ton of long, hard miles in training to get fast (and crazy fit).
I love this workout for 3 main reasons:
it gives your legs the stimulus of fast running without repeated hard miles
You will not run fast in a race if your legs have not gotten reps running fast.
it teaches you how to manage and recover from threshold efforts
Going in and out of segments over and over helps you learn how to work at high intensity and recover quick.
it works your “suffer muscle” aka mindset
20 segments is a lot!! And when I’m gasping for air just 3 sets in, I need a strong mindset to keep going.
Here’s are the workout details:
45 minute run
15 min WU
20 x 30/30s (30 sec Z5, 30 sec Z2)
10 min CD
Let me make sure you understand these:
For 30/30s, you are ramping in and out of fast running with segments of 30 seconds hard, 30 seconds easy. You repeat that for 20 minutes straight.
Pro Tip: the goal here is to maintain a consistent pace on all the hard segments.
You don’t want to go hard in the beginning and blow up. You are supposed to roll right through all 20 of these with no stops or breaks in between.
Hill Repeats
This is the safest way to get high intensity run training.
I like these for 3 reasons:
building strength
improving the power of your stride
making overall run mechanics better (you cannot heel strike or overstride running up hills)
Here are the workout details:
45 min run
15 min WU
7x 30 second hill repeats with 2-3 min recovery between sets
Finish duration easy
Athletes often ask what kind of a hill to do these on.
Here’s my advice: Don’t overthink it. Find a hill and run up it.
But I do have a Pro Tip: find a hill that has a long flat section leading into it.
This will help you add in recovery time between sets.
Did You Notice This?
The only time I mentioned specific zones is when I told you Nasal Breathing keeps in you in Zone 2.
Here’s why I didn’t tell you what zones to hit in the other 3 runs:
There is value in doing specific HR Zone work with targeted paces, etc.
But there is also value in going on feel, learning how to push yourself, what you can sustain, how to recover, etc.
And these workouts have those aspects of training development built into them.
Have Any Questions?
Drop them in the comments below and I’ll be happy to help you out.
