4 Types of Speed Workouts that Increase Running Pace & Boost Endurance

Running is like cooking. Like making eggs.

You can be an OK cook, and whip up mediocre, edible eggs.

It’ll get the job done. You can eat them.

But you won’t enjoy them.

Now imagine you learn a little about the fine craft of cooking, and instead of mediocre eggs, you suddenly dish up the most delectable eggs benedict with mouth-watering hollandaise sauce.

Suddenly, instead of just eating crappy eggs for sustenance, you’re eating for enjoyment and the love of the flavor!

Running is exactly the same way.

You can be a mediocre runner who doesn’t know how to improve or make running easier, or you can learn more about things like speed workouts and make the sport truly enjoyable and get better quickly!

So start loving your sport, and learn how to integrate these 4 types of speed workouts into your regular running routine for a BANG of running flavor.

 

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First, What Are Speed Workouts?

To continue the cooking analogy, speed workouts are the hollandaise sauce to your eggs benedict. 🙂

They will seriously increase the quality of your running.

Speed workouts improve speed and endurance, making you a stronger, faster, better runner.

At the core, speed workouts are drills or workouts that push your threshold to improve your body’s capacity to run at a higher speed or effort.

There are 4 main categories of speed workouts that I’ll explain below in more detail.

It’s recommended to only do 1 speed workout per week, any more and you risk injury (or burnout).

 

Why Increase Speed & Endurance?

Doing speed workouts makes you a better athlete. A stronger runner, with more endurance and speed.

This means being able to achieve new personal records (PR’s).

Are you looking to beat your last 5K or half marathon time? Do speed workouts.

Increasing endurance also means being capable of running longer distances than ever before, and feeling more fit doing it.

Do you want to hit a new distance you’ve never run before? Whether it’s a 10K, 10 Miler, half marathon or marathon…increasing your endurance is key to making that happen.

And guess what? Speed workouts will drastically help.

Magic, right? I think so!

 

The 4 Different Types of Speed Workouts

As mentioned before, there are 4 main categories of speed workouts that runners use to increase speed and endurance.

Those 4 categories are: Tempo runs, interval workouts, fartleks and hill running.

Below, I’ll explain each one in more detail, so you understand how each type of workout is used in your running schedule.

 

1.) Tempo Runs

Tempo runs are often misunderstood. But they’re not as complicated as some runners make them out to be.

In short, a tempo run is a running workout in which you sustain your 10K pace for the duration of the run (with a slower warm up and cool down, obviously).

The intent of this workout is to teach your body to sustain race-like-pace by working at 85%-90% effort, thus increasing your lactate threshold.

Where did the tempo run come from?

Well, Jack Daniels, a famous running coach and PhD, popularized tempo runs as part of his VDOT training method from his book Daniels’ Running Formula. This method revolutionized running training (and is a very interesting book worth checking out).

Hungry for more info on tempo runs?

Devour this beginners guide that delves much deeper: The Tempo Run: Every Runners Solution to a Faster Pace.

 

2.) Interval Workouts

Intervals are probably the most common speed workout – most people have heard of them, even if they’ve never run track before.

By definition, interval workouts are a type of workout that alternates bursts of high intensity and low intensity or rest periods.

After that, the possibilities are endless…there are tons of different workouts and intensity levels, from simple to advanced.

But because of the vast options, it’s important to tailor interval workouts to your goal, and your current fitness level.

Learn more about running intervals, and get 5 awesome workouts, at The Complete Guide to Running Intervals.

 

3.) Fartleks

My favorite running word.

I don’t care what you say, no other sport has a better word than “fartlek”.

Fartlek, which means “speed play” in Swedish, is an unstructured running workout that is done by feel as opposed to regimented time or distance.

They’re very flexible, allowing the runner to speed up or slow down when they feel like (or by using street markers or surroundings).

Similarly to intervals, you surge at high intensity for a period and alternate with “recovery” periods. The difference though, is fartlek recovery periods are usually slightly higher intensity – you should be running through the recovery (albeit at a slower pace than the high intensity surges).

The Definitive Guide to Fartleks goes into much more detail on this fun speed workout!

 

4.) Hill Running

Ah, hills.

Many runners have a love-hate relationship with hill running (I get it).

Maybe they were used as punishment in another sport (poor running..why do other sports use you as a punishment?) or maybe you had a bad experience with them, but hills are one of the most effective speed workouts that exist.

Why?

You get more than just 1 benefit!

Hill running increases endurance, speed, and strength, plus, it torches calories and helps improve your running form.

Boom. Are you sold on running hills yet?? I hope so!

Want more details on exactly how to do hill workouts? Read A Beginner’s Guide to Hill Running: 4 Hill Workouts to Boost Speed & Power.

 

Integrating Speed Workouts Into Your Training

Speed workouts are powerful beasts that should be done only 1 time per week, no more, for optimal benefits.

More is not less…so don’t add 2 speed workouts to your weekly schedule and expect better results.

In fact, you’ll probably get injured instead.

Additionally, be very careful about integrating these high intensity workouts into your training. There is a time and place for each workout (and the base-building phase is not usually the place for them, unless you’re an experienced runner).

A running coach can help tailor a training schedule to your goals and fitness level, and it will likely include a mixture of the 4 speed workouts listed above, at 1 workout per week for the majority of the training plan.

 

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