The Workout of the Week (or as we like to call it, the WoW) is an ongoing feature from pro athlete Lauren Fleshman. If you missed the last few workouts or want to check in on upcoming ones, bookmark The Weekly Workout page.
What it is:
10-15 minute warmup jog
10 minute tempo, 2-3 minutes rest
6 x (1 minute quick, 1 minute rest), 2-3 minutes rest
10 min tempo.
10-15 minute cooldown jog.
Where: open road, bike path, wherever!
When perfectly executed, this workout feels so damn good you’ll wanna kiss me afterwards.
It’s the perfect mixture of strength and speed. The tempo’s aren’t long enough to get bored. The pickups are just enough to make you feel like a badass without getting destroyed.
You don’t have to choose cookies or ice cream.
YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL.
Oh and there’s also some science and stuff. Putting speed work between two tempo runs is an awesome stimulus for your body. The first tempo usually feels pretty meh but it gets the body moving. Then the 1 minute pickups start out really fun, become a bit of a challenge on #5 and #6, but before you know it, poof they’re done! The last 10 minute tempo you feel a little lactic acid from the pickups at first, but if you just keep running your controlled pace, it will clear after a few minutes and you’ll feel really strong. The magic of the workout happens during that final 10 minutes when your body has to clear the lactic acid on the go. It’s important to trust the process and run the appropriate pace for you.
Choosing Paces:
Tempos are done a little quicker than half marathon pace. The 1 min pickups are a little quicker than 5k pace. Use this pace chart if needed to help. You can also just go by feel, in which case the tempos should be a 7-8 out of 10 effort, and the 1’ pickups an 8-9 out of 10.
Variations:
The tempos on either end can build up to 15 minutes each. You can even do them as #RowlandTempo, progressing every 5 minutes.
Be good now. Don’t go blasting the tempo runs. Build a beautiful #IceCreamSandwich. Ultimate satisfaction comes from a workout well executed.
Photos from Amos Morgan