Training Tips: Quality Workouts
Hello there friends and happy Tuesday. Right now, Landon and I are on vacation and I am most likely soaking in time at the beach. After a cold winter, warm weather feels LIFE GIVING. I will be back to regular posting next week, but until then, I wanted to share some training tips with you all! Today, let’s talk about quality workouts for a little bit…
SO many runners I talk to are frustrated with their running, stuck in ruts, plateauing, and simply, overwhelmed with where to even begin with training. And I get it. I’ve had seasons of feeling stuck in my training and just downright bored with the same old mileage and pace…
So how do we break through these training pitfalls?
The simple answer is, introducing quality workouts in your training regime!
First of all, what are quality workouts and what do they look like? I am so glad you asked. Quality workouts focus on getting a solid workout, harder than your typical daily run and usually focus on strengthening either distance or speed.
Typically, my runners start off in a base building phase. I like to have them go through this phase for at LEAST 4-6 weeks (dependent on their fitness levels.) After a solid base is built, I focus on adding one to two quality workouts in to my runners (and my own) running routine.
These quality workouts look different for each individual, but a general idea is focusing one day a week to a speed workout and one day a week to a long run. The rest of your running should be easy paced running.
What are the BENEFITS?
Quality workouts (Q workouts) have MANY benefits, but just a few are:
1. Increasing your speed (i.e. MAKE YOU FASTER)
2. Helping increase your distance and condition your aerobic capacity
3. Keep your workouts interesting
4. Ultimately, make you a faster, stronger, and more conditioned runner!
If you aren’t implementing a quality workout into your routine, I would suggest starting with at least one day a week to devote to adding in a quality workout. Maybe it is a little speed workout, a tempo run, a fartlek. Whatever it is, make sure you are intentional about each workout and know why you are doing what you are doing!
I promise you, you will be amazed at the difference one to two quality workouts make!
I’ve definitely seen a lot of improvement in my own running by simply adding one day a week, devoted to speed training. Honestly, speed work isn’t my favorite, but I have seen tremendous benefits by adding in that second quality workouts into my running!
I hope these tips help you and encourage you to do hard things! Yes, quality workouts are hard and uncomfortable, but as Jordan Hasay’s says, ” You’re just going to be hurting tremendously,” “That’s something you’ve got to love as a runner; you’ve got to take pride in that. I was excited to be hurting, and just embracing the pain, embracing the challenge, and just staying calm.” (In reference to the Chicago Marathon!)
Questions of the Day
- What is your current running routine?
- How often are you in training mode?
- Are you currently training for a race?