This week’s workout was a speedy session focused on getting the legs moving at a fast speed. We brought the distance right down to 200m! I don’t do this session all that often because if you go off too fast, there’s a risk of injury. However, it’s valuable to occasionally remind the body of the speed it’s capable of.

The session is simple: 200m on and 200m off for up to 14 reps, followed by a tempo run to properly test the legs. The short distances place a lot of stress on the legs, dumping lactic acid into them quickly. The limited recovery between reps means that by the time you start again, your muscles are still fatigued, and you have to push yourself to maintain a consistent pace. By the time the session ends, you should be running very hard.

The tempo run after the 200m reps is vital for your training. It helps your body clear the accumulated lactate while still working at a challenging pace. It also teaches your body to be more efficient at processing lactate during sustained efforts. This combination of high-intensity intervals followed by steady-state running helps develop both your anaerobic and aerobic systems in a single session.

As always, make sure to warm up properly with a 15-minute jog, activation exercises, strides, and dynamic stretches. After completing the session, cool down with a light jog and stretches to aid recovery.

At the club, we work with four different ability levels, where group 1 is the slower group and ability increases from there. Choose your group based on your current 5K time.

Session Details

Pacing: The 200m reps should be run at your mile race pace. The tempo run should be performed at a pace just slightly slower than your current 10K race pace.
Recovery: The recovery reps should be a gentle jog; try not to come to a complete stop or walk them.

Group 1
8 x (200m “on” at mile pace / 200m “off” at easy pace)
1.5 km tempo run
Total distance: 4.7 km

Group 2
10 x (200m “on” at mile pace / 200m “off” at easy pace)
2 km tempo run
Total distance: 6 km

Group 3
12 x (200m “on” at mile pace / 200m “off” at easy pace)
2.5 km tempo run
Total distance: 7.3 km

Group 4
12 x (200m “on” at mile pace / 200m “off” at easy pace)
3 km tempo run
Total distance: 7.8 km