Intervals

Half mile jog
stretch
one set of suicides, one stadium stairs, one hard quarter mile
800M @ 5K race pace (400M second group)
5X stadium stairs
400M @ 5K race pace (2X200M second group)
one stadium stairs/ stumps garden push ups and dips
recovery phase (light weight training/high reps)
800M @ 5K race pace (2X200M second group)
5X stadium stairs
Light weight training

Name Attendance

Caroline 21
Jodi 21
Cindy 20
Tiffany 20
Jennifer 18
Anne 17
John G. 17
Michael S. 17
Paige 17
Adrienne 16
Allison 16
Christine 16
Hector 16
John S 16
Kaffee 16
Mary 16
Allison FSU 15
Angela P. 15
Dolly 15
Lisa 15
Margaret 15
Mary Blythe 15
Susie C 15
Barb 14
Harriott 14
Holly 14
Jim 14
Kerry 14
Matthew 14
Glamour 13
Jimmy F 13
John O'Neill 13
Amy 12
Charles 12
Gary 12
Irene 12
Kristen 12
Kristin 12
Leslie 12
Brittany 11
Cleve 11
Dave B 11
Dave D 11
Caroline Mc 10
Fred 10
Jenny 10
Sally 10
Maggie 9
Steef 9
Prancey 8
Susie Mac 8
Carolyn 7
Michael 7
Paul 7
Roxanna 7
Stacey 7
Lisa M. 6
Dan Dan 5
Holli 5
John B 4
Kathleen 4
Arnaud 3
Frank 3
Sheridan 3
Wendy 3
Jennifer B 2
Sam 2


Interval Training Workouts Improve Speed and Endurance

Intervals training workouts that vary exercise intensity help build fitness fast

By Elizabeth Quinn,

Interval training has been used by athletes for years to build fitness. Interval training combines short, high intensity bursts of speed, with slow, recovery phases, repeated during one exercise session. An early form of interval training, "Fartlek" (a Swedish term meaning 'speed play') was casual and unstructured. A runner would simply increase and decrease his pace at will.
Today, athletes use more structured interval training workouts and HIT (High Intensity Training) to build speed and endurance. This variation of interval training and speed work can be a simple or sophisticated routine, but the basics are still the same as the original fartlek training.

What is Interval Training?

Interval training is built upon alternating short, high intensity bursts of speed with slower, recovery phases throughout a single workout. The interval workouts can be highly sophisticated and structured training that is designed for an athlete based upon his or her sport, event and current level of conditioning. An interval training workout may even be designed based upon the results of anaerobic threshold testing (AT) that includes measuring the blood-lactate of an athlete during intense exercise.

How Interval Training Works:

Interval training works both the aerobic and the anaerobic system. During the high intensity efforts, the anaerobic system uses the energy stored in the muscles (glycogen) for short bursts of activity. Anaerobic metabolism works without oxygen, but the by-product is lactic acid. As lactic acid builds, the athlete enters oxygen debt, and it is during the recovery phase that the heart and lungs work together to "pay back" this oxygen debt and break down the lactic acid. It is in this phase that the aerobic system is using oxygen to convert stored carbohydrates into energy.

It's thought that by performing high intensity intervals that produce lactic acid during practice, the body adapts and burns lactic acid more efficiently during exercise. This means athletes can exercise at a higher intensity for a longer period of time before fatigue or pain slows them down.

The Benefits of Interval Training:

Interval training adheres to the principle of adaptation. Interval training leads to many physiological changes including an increase in cardiovascular efficiency (the ability to deliver oxygen to the working muscles) as well as increased tolerance to the build-up of lactic acid. These changes result in improved performance, greater speed, and endurance.

Interval training also helps avoid injuries associated with repetitive overuse, common in endurance athletes. Intervals also allow an athlete to increase training intensity without overtraining or burn-out. Adding intervals to a workout routine is also a great way add cross training to an exercise routine.

Interval Training Burns More Calories:

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, more calories are burned in short, high intensity exercise. If you are counting calories burned, high intensity exercise such as intervals are better than long, slow endurance exercise, but you may pay a price. There are risks inherent in high intensity training, so it's important to know both the the benefits and dangers of high intensity training.

Interval Training Workout Routines:

Designing the right interval training routine can be sophisticated or casual. Elite athletes may go to sports performance lab to have blood lactate and exercise metabolism testing performed to determine the best interval training routine. On the other end of the spectrum, you can use the casual "speed play" interval training (fartlek). With this routine, simply pay attention to how you feel and set your intensity and duration accordingly.