Effort-Based Intervals - 100 Days of Summer, Week 6

The Workout: Effort-Based Intervals

From Mary Cain

Word of warning before this workout. This summer heat is tough. The best way to stay motivated and push through these training conditions is to always remember the importance of running by effort. Rather than go off of target race-pace, remember to gauge your workout by race-effort. The difference between the two is that the former focuses on numbers, while the latter takes into account the tough conditions.

Effort-based running acknowledges that your heart rate is beating faster from the start to keep you cool, so instead focus on trying to match the intensity of breath and burn. If you feel as though you’re pushing your body at an equivalent effort, don’t get too concerned if your times are slower than your normal pace comparisons. Your body doesn’t improve through numbers; it improves through hard work.

How To Do It:
Start with an easy warm-up of 15-20 minutes followed by stretching, drills, and strides.

6 x 1000m at 10k race-effort, one minute recovery (these should feel controlled, but strong).
Take five minutes of recovery.
2 x 800m at 5k race-effort, 90 sec recovery (lungs are burning, but form holding strong).

Finish with a nice, slow cool-down jog of 10-15 minutes.
Add 3-4 short, fast 30m - 80m strides if your body feels strong and you want to get a little extra form and speed in.

• Louis Serafini
  Organizer
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