r/beginnerrunning • u/expat2immigrant • 14h ago
Training Help Help me start intervals?
Hi everyone, I started running regularly earlier this year and recently made my goal of running 5k. I had to take a couple of months off due to a work situation, but I'm back to it again now. My current time for a 5k is about 33 minutes; on a normal run, I've been going for 37 minutes (so 5k and some change). I'd really really like to get under 30 minutes as my 5k time, but I'm not sure how best to approach that. I've seen people say, "to run faster, run longer" and of course I'll do that, continuing to extend the overall time. But what about interval training? Unfortunately I don't live near a track or area with measured distances, so I'd have to rely on "speed run for xxx amount of time then drop to regular pace for xxx amount of time" but I'm not sure how to start doing that.
Can anyone recommend a timed (not distance) interval regimen to start? How many should I do total per run? For how long? Should it be part of a longer period of running? How many times per week? (I'm running now about 3x/week.)
Thank you in advance!
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u/Kind-cheesecake-3316 14h ago
Keep in mind that intervals are controlled. Running as fast as you can or running to exhaustion is out of control. That's not how intervals are done.
The first step is to know your lactic threshold and set training zones correctly.
Start here --> https://www.trainingpeaks.com/learn/articles/joe-friel-s-quick-guide-to-setting-zones/
If you don't know your threshold and don't have accurate zones then intervals will always be guesswork. It is very important to manage intensity of any given effort and load over time. Worse case is training with too much intensity, which results in the need for additional recovery and eventually burnout or injury. Avoid this with accuracy.
Intervals can be constructed when threshold and zones are determined. Intensity (pace, heart rate), duration of each interval, number of intervals and rest between intervals are all manipulated to produce the desired training effect. There are lots of resources online.
I would not jump head first into intervals. Start with a short session and see how the body reacts over the week. If all is good then slowly add more, a little at a time. Suddenly adding a lot of intensity to your normal routine is when many experience injury.
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u/Leather_Ad8890 14h ago edited 14h ago
400m in 2:30 with 1 min rest for as many reps as you can. Once you can do 12 reps increase the intervals to 600m or 800m.
2-3 mi easy run
“Long run” at 12-13 min pace starting at 3 miles.
1-2 more 2-3 mile runs during the week if you can.
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u/bohysko 14h ago
I’m a beginner runner, so my answer won’t exactly be “professional,” let’s say. :D
In three weeks, it will be one year since I started running. Back then, I could barely run 2.5 km without stopping. I’m planning to run my first 20-miler this Sunday (I run 20+ km every Sunday, so it should be doable). So yeah, there has been some progress.
I added intervals to my training about three months ago. I do 8×90-second intervals, with the goal of keeping a consistent pace during the fast sections. I do them once a week — and honestly? I hate them. :D
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u/Own-Arugula-1631 14h ago
There's many ways to do this. All the advice you can get is on how to do it the most efficiently and safest (not getting injured) but all comes down to running more and/or running harder. I got faster as a beginner by running hard the first couple kms and then just finishing. So for 5k training, id make my runs 7k and run the first 2-3k at my target pace and then just finish the rest however I could. If I could run that in training, in a race I could do the whole 5k at the fast pace. Then, slowly increase the distance you run the target pace or slowly increase the pace. Every week you will be a little stronger, so you just need to always be pushing that little bit harder. It's easy to get lulled into a routine and not realize the gains you are making.
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u/CockOfXanderCorvus 12h ago
What's worked for me as a beginner is doing a one mile warm up at easy pace, then 4x4 or 5x4 set, which are 4-5 sets, and doing the interval for four minutes. And then three minutes recovery in between sets.
The pace during the interval should be controlled, something that is somewhat difficult, but you can hold for the four minutes. For me that is between 8:30 - 9:00 min pace, which I check real time with my Garmin. I do this one time a week. The other runs are easy runs and then one long run, total four runs a week.
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u/lokirakmet 11h ago
4x4 100m sprints. With at least 2mins of rest. I do this it has helped me out a lot
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u/---O-0--- 10h ago
Try 4x4 minute intervals at your target pace (6:00/km). 2 minutes of recovery (very slow run or walk) in-between each interval.
Warm up for 10 minutes first, and 10 minutes cool down at the end.
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u/golem501 9h ago
My interval session is 15 minutes warm up then 1 minute fast, 3 minutes recovery for 9 times then 15 minute cool down. I run that very irregular because I hate it. I probably should be doing it every 2 weeks start least but I still see improvement. I also try to regularly put in faster 1 km sessions in my base runs.
You may want to see about that. Not sure what heartrate you're at the faster sessions should get your hr up.
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u/Ok_Nefariousness1416 7h ago
Personally I wouldn't obsess about intervals yet. I got sub 30 back in April by just running more, a few weeks after my long run got to 10k.
Whilst I have got quicker, I still tend to do a long run, easy runs and one tempo/threshold in a week. My long run at the weekend was 6.40/km ish pace, my tempo effort was about 5.15/km which gives plenty of contrast. That works for me, YMMV.
However, if you want to do intervals without a track you can programme your watch and run on your normal route. My Samsung allows you to programme up 400m runs with 1 minute breaks, for instance, just tracking off the GPS, most others will do something similar
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u/MiddleAgedDread123 14h ago
have you got a GPS watch that shows distance and running pace and can you find a flat length of path to use instead of a track? failing that, a treadmill? I'd make one run a speed work session and two steady runs. start with 12x400m, if you can hit 6min/km for each rep then move onto 10x500m, then 8x600m etc.