Running on Saturday

Over the last few weeks I've been experimenting with a workout Greg McMillan calls a progression run.

In a progression run, you begin running at a slow, easy pace but finish at a fast pace. Not only have I found progression runs to be fun, but they are a great way to boost your fitness without any lasting fatigue. And, the benefits are the same no matter if you're a 3:15, 4:15 or 5:15 marathoner.

There are 3 specific progression runs that Greg shared with me, but the one I'll cover today is called the "Super Fast Finish".

For this workout, the name says it all. You run a normal steady run but run super fast in the last three to six minutes of the run. When I say super fast, I mean super fast. Pretty much like a 5K race to the finish. These runs are challenging yet don't require a long recovery. They are fast enough to really stimulate your Speed and Sprinting ability (muscle recruitment, coordination, mental focus and lactic acid tolerance) but short enough (three to six minutes) that you will feel no lasting effect on your next run.

I like to incorporate a Super Fast Finish at the end of a long, steady state runs, and have definitely noticed speed improvement as a result. You might try it out sometime and let me know what you think.

Okay, this Saturday, I'll be meeting with the group at 6:30am here at the studio for our scheduled 14 miles (or 3 miles for the new members of the group).

Attendance has been sporadic during this holiday month, so please let me know if you are NOT able to make it in on Saturday!

Brian Calkins