Many of us find pushing ourselves in training and racing one great source of enjoyment, which is why we love hard workouts that will be satisfying to do and that will improve your race-day performance.
Here are some great workouts to try on your hard day.
Workout #1: 400s With Short Rest
Where to do it: On a track or measured flat stretch of road or bike path
What it’s good for: Getting in a high volume of fast running without overexerting yourself; instilling a sense of pace
When to try it: After a base phase, but not within three weeks of a key race
How to do it:
- Do your normal pre-workout warm-up of 2-6 km.
- Run 400 metres (one lap of an outdoor track) or on a road or bike path at close to 5K race pace.
- Take a short standing/walking recovery so that you’re ready to start the next hard repeat at a fixed, easily calculated time. For example, if your hard 400 takes about 1:45, start a 400 every 2:30, so that your rest is approximately 45 seconds long. If your hard 400 takes about 2:00, start a 400 every 3:00, so that your rest is approximately one minute long. If your hard 400 takes about 1:20, start a 400 every 2:00, so that your rest is approximately 40 seconds long. Try to construct your workout so that your rest is between 40 and 60 seconds long.
- Continue this sequence of a 400-metres repeat at around 5K pace, followed by a short standing/walking rest that ends at an easily tracked time until you’ve done your target amount of 400-metre repeats. (See below for guidance on how many to do.)
- Do your normal post-workout cool-down of 2-6 km.
A few notes about the workout:
- This workout is a great transition from base training to more race-specific training. You’ll want to have done some lighter sessions at 5K pace before attempting it.
- It’s typical to do between 12 and 20 400-metre repeats for this workout.
- Rather than time each repeat, it’s simpler to start your watch on the first repeat and just keep it running. This allows you to note the time of each repeat as you complete it but also easily start the next one when it’s time to go (i.e., every 2:30).
- Fill the brief recoveries between repeats by walking/loitering around your start line.
- Don’t worry about slight variations in time among repeats. You’ll likely get in a rhythm after the first few and find that most are within a second or two of each other.
- If you start to slow significantly in the second half of the workout, call it a day. This session is about getting in work at 5K pace so that you can produce that pace on demand in subsequent workouts.
- Hold back early on — the short rests will catch up to you if you do the first few repeats too fast. If you’re feeling frisky toward the end of the workout, it’s fine to run the last one or two repeats faster.
Workout #2: Tempo Intervals
Where to do it: On a bike path or relatively flat road
What it’s good for: Boosting your aerobic strength without wearing you down
When to try it: Any time you would normally do a straightforward tempo run
How to do it:
- Do your normal pre-workout warm-up of 2-6 km.
- Run 5 minutes at between 15K and half marathon race pace.
- Jog 1 minute to recover.
- Continue this sequence of 5:00 comfortably hard/1:00 easy until you’ve done your target amount of tempo intervals. (See below for guidance on how many to do.)
- Do your normal post-workout cool-down of 2-6 km.
A few notes about the workout:
- Do this workout at the pace (or perceived effort or heart rate) you usually do tempo runs at.
- Aim for 10 minutes more at tempo pace than you normally accumulate in a tempo run. For example, if your typical tempo run lasts for 25 minutes, do seven 5-minute tempo intervals for a total of 35 minutes at that intensity.
- The 1-minute jogs between reps are key to this workout. They allow you to do more work at tempo pace but are short enough that your heart rate stays appropriately elevated.
- You should finish feeling pleasantly fatigued, but not like you went to the well. Doing a workout like this most weeks will increase your ability to hold a strong pace while leaving you fresh enough to feel good on the rest of your runs.
Workout #3: Mile Repeat Cutdowns
Where to do it: On the track, a bike path, or a relatively flat road
What it’s good for: Getting in good volume at a range of key intensity levels, and improving your ability to run faster despite mounting fatigue.
When to try it: During your block of hardest training for an important race, when you’ve built the fitness to handle challenging interval sessions. Don’t do this workout within 10 days of an important race.
How to do it:
- Do your normal pre-workout warm-up of 2-6 km.
- Run 1 mile (1.6km)/4 laps of the track at between half marathon and marathon race pace.
- Jog 400m/1 lap of the track to recover.
- Run 1 mile/4 laps of the track at between 10K and half marathon race pace.
- Jog 400m/1 lap of the track to recover.
- Run 400m/4 laps of the track at between 5K and 10K race pace.
- Jog 400m/1 lap of the track to recover.
- Run 1 mile/4 laps of the track at 5K race pace or faster.
- Do your normal post-workout cool-down of 2-6 km
A few notes about the workout:
- If you’re a lower-mileage runner, aim for the slower end of each mile repeat’s pace range. The volume of fast running at increasing speed will itself prove challenging.
- If you’re a higher-mileage runner and/or feeling frisky, aim for the faster end of each mile repeat’s pace range.
- Stick to the prescribed paces. Part of this workout’s point is to get used to running faster on each repeat. Don’t turn it into a standard mile repeat session.
- Run each repeat at as even of a pace as possible. Running the first half of a repeat too fast and then slowing, or vice versa, to reach the prescribed finish time for that repeat isn’t what we’re after here.
Workout #4: Threshold in Disguise
Where to do it: On the track, a bike path, or a relatively flat road
What it’s good for: Building speed endurance and improving your lactate threshold. The speed endurance part comes from running part of the workout at or near 10K race pace. The threshold aspect comes from immediately following that race-pace work with “recovery” sections that are much faster than you would run in a conventional workout. You’ll also get good practice at running even pace and bearing down mentally when you feel like slowing.
When to try it: Whenever you would normally do a tempo run or other threshold workout. Don’t do this workout in the final 10 days before an important race.
How to do it, higher-volume version:
- Do your normal pre-workout warm-up of 2-6 km.
- Run a continuous six laps of the track or 2.4 km on the road at 5-10 seconds per km slower than your 10K race pace.
- Go right into a continuous four laps of the track or 1.6 km on the road at 1 minute 15 seconds per kilometre slower than you ran the 6 laps/2.4 km.
- Go right into another six continuous laps of the track or 2.4 km on the road at 5-10 seconds per km slower than your 10K race pace.
- Go right into another continuous four laps of the track or 1.6 km on the road at 1 minute 15 seconds per kilometre slower than you ran the 6 laps/2.4 km.
- Do your normal post-workout cool-down of 2-6 km.
How to do it, lower-volume version:
- Do your normal pre-workout warm-up of 2-6 km.
- Run a continuous four laps of the track or 1.6 km on the road at your 10K race pace.
- Go right into a continuous two laps of the track or 800m on the road at 1 minute per km slower than you ran the 4 laps/1.6 km.
- Go right into another continuous four laps of the track or 1.6 km on the road at your 10K race pace.
- Go right into another continuous two laps of the track or 800m on the road at 1 minute per km slower than you ran the 4 laps/1.6 km
- Do your normal post-workout cool-down of 2-6 km.
A few notes about the workout:
- Do the longer version (which comes out to a continuous 8K) if you usually do at least 5 km of fast running in workouts. Do the shorter one if your hard workouts usually top out at 3.5 km total of fast running.
- Strive to run as even a pace as you can, on both the faster sections and the “recovery” sections.
- Stick to the prescribed paces. The workout is plenty hard. Don’t think you’re improving it by running the “recovery” sections faster or otherwise turning it into a more conventional tempo run.
- Your pace on the “recovery” sections will likely be a little faster than your normal running pace.
- You should finish this workout pleasantly tired and with a sense of accomplishment. If you’re feeling amazing toward the end of the second “recovery” section, go immediately from it into a fast 200 or 400 metres, as if you’re kicking at the end of the race.
Workout #5: Long Run with Pick-ups
Where to do it: On roads, bike paths, or other surfaces with no-hassle footing
What it’s good for: Learning how to run fast and with good form when you’re tired. Physiologically, it leads to more benefit from your long run, because the faster running will require you to burn carbohydrates; your body will adapt by becoming more efficient at burning carbs. Psychologically, it’s good practice at bearing down when you’re fatigued.
When to try it: On any otherwise easy long run that’s more than a week away from a race. Don’t do these end-of-run pick-ups during a long run that is farther than you’ve gone in the last month or that already includes faster running, such as some middle kilometres at marathon race pace.
How to do it:
- Start your longest run of the week at an easy, conversational pace.
- Gradually increase your pace as feels comfortable while maintaining an easy to moderate effort.
- With about 3 km to go, run 30 to 60 seconds at 5K to 10K race pace. Concentrate on good turnover and upright posture.
- Return to an easy run for the same duration as your pick-up. For example, if you ran a 45-second pick-up, follow it with 45 seconds of easy running.
- Repeat this pattern six to ten times, so that after your final pick-up your long run is almost over.
- The first one or two pick-ups will likely be a little jarring. Take a few seconds to get up to speed on your pick-up instead of immediately launching into the faster pace.
- It’s okay to vary the duration of your pick-ups. Start on the shorter end and, as you become accustomed to running faster, try to increase the duration of the later ones. Just be sure to follow each pick-up with a bout of easy running of the same duration.
- If you feel any acute muscle or joint discomfort on pick-ups that you didn’t feel while running easily, stop doing the pick-ups and finish your long run at an easy pace.
- After your final pick-up, run the remainder of your long run at an easy pace.
Workout #6: Stride/float 100-Metre Alternates
Where to do it: On the track is ideal; see below for an off-track variation
What it’s good for: Getting in quality without exhausting yourself; improving your ability to run fast but relaxed
When to try it: This is a great summer workout, when more demanding sessions might wear you down too much. You’ll probably finish feeling more lively than when you started, so it’s also a nice way to break up the summer slog feeling. In a race week, it’s a great way to keep some pop in your legs while still staying fresh for race day. Do it three or four days before your race.
How to do it:
- Do your normal pre-workout warm-up run of 2-6 km.
- You’ll be doing eight to 16 laps of the track. Go with the low end if you haven’t regularly been doing faster workouts or if you’re doing this workout during a race week. Aim for the longer end if you regularly do hard workouts and don’t have an important race in the next two weeks.
- Start by running at your normal easy pace for the first 100 metre of one lap of the track — that is, from the start/finish line into the first turn to the back straight of the track.
- When you get to the back straight, accelerate smoothly so that you hit 2 km race pace about halfway down the straight. Hold that pace for the remainder of the straight (for a rough total of 100 metres of fast running).
- Downshift to your normal easy pace for the next 100 metrre (into the turn until the home straight).
- When you get to the home straight, do as you did on the back straight — build to 2 km race pace by halfway down the straight and hold that pace until the end of the straight.
- Keep repeating these alternations of easy-pace-on-curves/fast-on-the-straights for your desired number of laps.
- Do your normal post-workout cool-down jog of 2-6 km.
A few notes about the workout:
- Don’t worry about timing yourself for portions of a lap, but do note your overall time for each lap. Your lap times should be close to the same throughout. Don’t run the early fast straights so hard that in the second half of the workout you have to slow to a jog rather than an easy run on the turns.
- For an off-track alternative, do 3-6 km of alternating 30 seconds easy/30 seconds at 2km race pace. Try to find a flat route without lots of turns to best simulate being on the track.
Workout #7: Cut-down 200s
Where to do it: On the track
What it’s good for: Building your ability to run fast but relaxed, and running at close to top speed without exhausting yourself
When to try it: Any time, including race week. In a non-race week, it can be your sole hard workout, or a secondary session. In a race week, it’s a great way to keep some pop in your legs while still staying fresh for race day. Do it three or four days before your race.
How to do it:
- Do your normal pre-workout warm-up run of 2-6 km.
- You’ll be running 12 x 200-metre repeats (half a lap of a standard track). As you’ll see below, your goal is to get faster throughout the workout while never straining.
- You can either jog 200 metres between, or take a standing/walking break near where you finished one repeat before starting the next one. The jog option is good if it’s windy, because you can do the jog on the half lap with the headwind, and have a tailwind for your fast repeats. (The goal here is to develop your speed, not to prove how tough you are by flailing into the wind.)
- Run the first two repeats at around 15K to half marathon race pace. Run the third and fourth repeats at around 10K race pace. These should feel almost laughably easy.
- Run repeats 5 through 8 at around 5K race pace. These will feel quick but your breathing should still be well under control.
- Run repeats 9 and 10 at faster than 5K race pace. Go almost as fast as you can while still running with relaxed form. This will probably be around your mile race pace.
- Run the last two repeats as fast as you can without straining. If you’ve gradually increased the pace throughout the first 10 without tying up, you should now be ready to let loose. You might surprise yourself how fast you can go on the final two.
- Do your normal post-workout cool-down jog of 2-6 km.
Workout #8: Do-anywhere Adjustable Ladder
Where to do it: On roads or bike paths
What it’s good for: This workout has so much going for it.
- You get in 25 minutes of hard running in just more than a half hour, making it time-efficient.
- You can do it almost anywhere, making it convenient.
- You can do it over courses that mimic upcoming races, making it specific.
- You get only a 1-minute jog between hard efforts, making it effective at teaching you to start races under control.
When to try it: Any time, including race week (see below for a race-week recommendation)
How to do it:
- Do your normal pre-workout warm-up run of 2-6 km.
- Run hard for 1 minute. Jog 1 minute.
- Run hard for 2 minutes. Jog 1 minute.
- Keep increasing the hard portions by 1 minute up to 5 minutes, while keeping your recovery jog at 1 minute.
- After the 5-minute rep, come down the ladder in reverse order (hard efforts of 4, 3, 2, and 1 minutes, each followed by a 1-minute jog).
- Do your normal post-workout cooldown jog of 2-6 km.
A few notes about the workout:
- Your first time trying this workout, err on the side of caution. If you do the first few reps too fast, you’ll really be hurting by the time you come back down the ladder.
- If you haven’t regularly been doing hard workouts lately, aim for 10K pace for the hard sections.
- If you’ve regularly been doing hard workouts lately, aim for 5K pace for the hard sections.
- If you want a good session that won’t exhaust you, go “up” the ladder at 5K to 10K pace, then “down” at mile to 5K pace. (This is a good approach four or five days before a race.)
Workout #9: Tempo Run + Short Intervals
Where to do it: On the track, roads, or bike path
What it’s good for: Improving your ability to pick up the pace when you’re already tired from sustained hard running. This workout is a mainstay of New Balance Boston and other professional running groups. The tempo run section builds your ability to hold a strong pace for a long time. Following that tempo run with a handful of shorter, faster intervals simulates finishing races strong. The workout as a whole is effective without being exhausting.
When to try it: Any non-race week
How to do it:
- Do your normal pre-workout warm-up run of 2-6 km.
- Run 3-8 km continuously at close to your half marathon race pace. Aim for between 15 and 35 minutes of sustained “comfortably hard” running. Newer runners should build from the shorter end of that range. More advanced runners should aim for the longer end.
- Jog 1 minute for every 5 minutes of your tempo run (i.e., follow a 20-minute tempo with a 4-minute jog).
- Run 4-6 x 400-metre repeats at your 5K race pace, with a 200-metre jog between each 400-metre repeat. Do only as many as feels challenging but invigorating. Stop if you’re straining to hit 5K pace.
- Do your normal post-workout cooldown jog of 2-6 km.
A few notes about the workout:
- You can do this workout on the track. But one great thing about it is its adaptability. Doing tempo runs on the roads or a bike path better simulates the courses you’ll encounter in most races. And you’re spared the hassle of finding an available track.
- If you do the workout away from a track, try to do the 400-metre repeats on a relatively flat section without turns, so that you can focus on picking up the pace when you’re tired.
Workout #10: One-minute Reps up a Long Hill
Where to do it: As long of a hill as you can find, but one of at least half a mile, and ideally one that varies in steepness
What it’s good for: Everything! Short hill reps build speed and strength, improve your form and range of motion, and hone mental toughness. This workout is also great for tuning into effort. Because you start each repeat at a different spot on the hill, there’s no comparing one rep to another.
When to try it: Any non-race week
How to do it:
- Do your normal pre-workout warm-up run of 2-6 km.
- Run uphill for one minute at 5K race effort (not 5K pace).
- Turn around and jog down the hill for 50-55 seconds, turn around again to face the uphill, and when your minute recovery is up, start another uphill minute at 5K race effort.
- Keep repeating this up hard/down easy sequence for your desired number of reps. (See below for guidance on how many to do.)
- Do your normal post-workout/post-race cooldown jog of 2-6 km.
A few notes about the workout:
- Run tall, with your head, shoulders, hips, and ankles aligned, no matter how steep the hill. Concentrate on quick steps on especially steep sections.
- If you’re new to hill repeats, start with 10. More experienced runners can do anywhere from 15 to 25.
- If your hill isn’t long enough to accommodate the number of reps you want to do, do a two-minute jog down after one of the reps.