Running intervals – what are they and what does interval training involve?

You run, run and run, yet paradoxically your results have seemed stuck in the same place for a long time? The reason you are not progressing may lie in monotony, or more precisely – in the lack of dividing your training into exercises with different levels of intensity.

What can you do to get things moving again? The answer may be interval runs, which will add variety to your current training plan and, above all, help you start improving your results.

Learn what interval running is, find out what it can do for you and how you can start using it in your training.

What is an interval? What does it mean in sport?

Interval runs, commonly referred to simply as intervals, involve skilfully combining two types of exercise.

First – very high-intensity efforts (for example, running for several dozen seconds at 80–100% of your capacity).
Second – moderate- or very low-intensity efforts (for example, several dozen seconds of walking or slow jogging).

This kind of “mix” helps build a base for better fitness and endurance and, as a result, achieving better results both in future training sessions and in races themselves.

Of course, this type of activity can take different forms. There are, among others, exercises that can be done directly at home (for example, on a treadmill, exercise bike, cross trainer, with a skipping rope or even other equipment). However, given the title of this article, in the rest of the text we will focus mainly on the most traditional form of interval training – running.

How can you tell whether an interval is really an interval?

You will recognise it by 2 aspects:

On the one hand, if you feel that a given set (for example, covering a section quickly) has really taken a lot out of you, you are struggling to catch your breath and you feel overall fatigue – that may be a clear sign that you have completed an interval.
On the other hand, if you wear a watch with heart rate monitoring, you can use specific readings. You will know it by the fact that your device shows you have reached 90% (or more) of your maximum heart rate.

What can running intervals look like?

Interval training should take 2 key factors into account.

First – your experience and overall predispositions. If you are just starting your running journey, do not throw yourself in at the deep end and begin instead with simple running drills. There will be time for harder training sessions later. Our guide can help you with that: How to start running?. If you already have many kilometres behind you and a 5 or 10 km run does not make you think, “Why so far?!” – that may be a sign that intervals are for you :).

Second – your goals. You need to remember that enriching your plan with interval runs is meant to add variety to the effort your body is exposed to. Put simply: you do it to improve your performance. If you do not have particularly ambitious sporting goals and from time to time you simply like to go for an easy jog, intervals may not be the best option.

How to run? Examples of exercises.

Below we present a few suggestions. Keep in mind that these are only sample options that can be modified and, most importantly, adapted to your predispositions. We can distinguish short, medium and long intervals:

Distance intervals, meaning those in which you focus on covering a specific distance at the fastest possible pace. Here are a few suggestions for each type of training:

Short: running a distance of 50–100 metres, followed by a break of 50–100 m of jogging (they are most convenient to do on a track).
Medium: running a distance of 200–500 metres, followed by a break of 100–200 m of jogging.
Long: running a distance of 1–3 kilometres, followed by a break of 500–1000 m of jogging.

Time intervals, meaning those in which you focus on maintaining the fastest possible pace over a set time.

Short: running for 30–45 seconds, followed by a break of 30–60 seconds of jogging.
Medium / long: running at a pace 10–20 seconds faster than your target race pace, followed by a break of 30–60 seconds of jogging.

Each of them should be done in sets (from 3 up to as many as 8 during one session).

Remember: every workout should start with a warm-up that prepares your body for increased activity and, most importantly, helps protect you from the risk of injury or at least reduce it. The maximum duration of such exercises should be around 25–45 minutes (depending on your abilities).

Intervals are not for everyone. When is it better to skip them?

As we have already mentioned, due to the high intensity, this kind of activity is not recommended for people who are just starting their running journey.

Moreover, this type of training should be avoided by people who are ill (suffering from high blood pressure, heart problems or even circulatory system issues) as well as obese people(because this type of training may lead to injury).

Why is it worth it? What are the benefits of interval training?

Are you wondering whether this kind of effort is even worth it? Thanks to properly planned and executed intervals:

#1 You improve endurance

You improve the work of your heart, circulatory system, lungs and even muscles. All of this translates into better sporting results and an overall improvement in your fitness.

#2 You speed up fat burning

Increased effort helps you get rid of calories and is also great support for your metabolism.

#3 You feel better

Intense exercise releases a powerful dose of dopamine, which puts you in an excellent mood after training.

How often should you run intervals?

In this case, moderation and skilfully fitting this type of activity into your overall training calendar are very important. Because this form of running clearly puts strain on practically the whole body (muscles, nervous system, etc.), intervals are best done once, or at most twice, a week.

The frequency of such runs should be adapted to your training history, experience, skills and overall fitness.

Intervals for beginners and intermediate runners: if after each such session you feel very tired and the next day you have trouble moving normally, that may be a sign that 1 workout a week is entirely enough.
Intervals for advanced runners: if you take it quite seriously, this type of training session may appear in your plan up to 2 times a week.

What sportswear works best for interval runs?

Due to its characteristics (in other words: short, but fast and very intense effort), it is best to choose clothing that is flexible, does not restrict movement, gives you full freedom and also fits the body very well.

That is why rashguard shirts and leggings work very well in this role, for example. In the case of women, fitted tank tops are also a great choice. You can find all of them in our SMMASH online store.