Running Toolbox Spotlight: Alterations

Other names

• Surges
• Pick-Ups
• Structured Fartlek

What are they?

Continuous, alternating bouts of faster running followed by slower running. Depending on the goal of the workout and program goal, you can make these workouts act as a introduction to stamina building, or extremely specific to your goal race by manipulating both the work and rest interval duration and intensity.

How and why do they work?

This training modality will challenge the central and peripheral components of the cardiovascular system, creating a stress-recovery paradigm that enable your body to become efficient at dealing with the response of a dynamic training load in an acute and cumulative manner. ​

Application

Surges

• 8 x 30 seconds with 2:30 easy between.​
• 8 x 45 seconds with 2:15 easy between.
• 8 x 1 min with 2 min easy between.

Pickups

• 30 seconds at 5K effort on 1K
• 45 seconds at 10K effort on 1K

Alterations for 5K

• Aerobic Support: 5 x 4 min Steady with 2 min easy between.
• Early Specific Endurance: 4 sets of 600m @ 5K date pace, 1000m Steady
• Late Specific / Peaking: 4 sets of 1000m @ 5K goal pace, 600m Steady

Bottom Line

​This type of training stresses the rest interval of the session and is a great fun way to build stamina and connect specific endurance, a pillar of successful running.

Learn more

Does this sound like something you would like to see in your training? 

• Request a training plan.
• Request a personal coach