This session is a great way to enhance your half marathon speed.
Each week I will be posting the Friday Fartlek Run Sessions that you can do to enhance your running. Fartlek is a Swedish term that runners often use and it means speed-play. See a previous post about training intensity (levels) to know how hard to work.
The session was sourced from Tom Rodgers’ book The Perfect Distance: Training For Long-Course Triathlon.
Tom Rodgers’ Anaerobic Endurance 5 Session
- 10min Warm Up Level II;
- 4x 800m Level IV, 400m RI Level II;
- 1st rep sprint last 100m at Level V;
- 2nd rep sprint last 200m at Level V;
- 3rd rep sprint last 300m at Level V;
- 4th rep sprint last 400m at Level V;
- 10min Cool Down Level I-II;
- 10min Stretching
The warm-up should be done at an intensity that is steady but not overconsuming at Level II for 10 minutes.
Today’s main set is best conducted on a 400m athletic track. The session involves four repetitions of 800m at Level IV. For the first rep sprint, the last 100m at Level V. Increase this to 200m for the second rep, 300m for the third rep, and sprint the last 400m in the fourth rep. This part of each rep you are increasing from Level IV up to Level V. Between each rep jog 400m at Level II as a Rest Interval (RI).
The cooldown is at a low intensity, jogging for a minimum of 10 minutes.
Finish with 10 minutes of stretching to assist with the recovery.
If you would like further advice feel free to contact me.
I am the Head Coach & Director of Qwik Kiwi – Endurance Sports Consultant.
I specialise in assisting first-timers and recreational athletes to achieve their sporting goals. I can be contacted at coachray@coachray.nz and 021 348 729.
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Download the Garmin (.FIT) files for this workout for FREE
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If you would like more sessions of this nature get Tom Rodgers’ The Perfect Distance: Training For Long-Course Triathlon book by clicking the link below.
Long course triathlon — a pivotal step toward the sport’s ultimate challenge, the Ironman — is rapidly growing in popularity. Packed with techniques and drills, “The Triathlete’s Guide to Half-Ironman Training” is the first book to equip triathletes for the long course. Every facet of effective preparation for the event is thoroughly outlined. There are sport-specific chapters as well as instruction on selecting equipment, making smart nutrition decisions, strength training, and overcoming injuries. Extensive appendices with workouts for swim, bike, run, key training sessions, and indoor training make this book the ultimate resource.