At first glance, it may seem that running athletes have only one type of training - jogging. However, this is a mistaken impression, as there is more to running than just "pure" running, and the runs themselves can be different. Therefore, in addition to cyclic exercise, proper nutrition and recovery, runners can use various types of running training.
Like most amateur runners, I eventually began to think about how to improve my results. After all, the usual increase in running volumes was not enough. Therefore, I decided to do a little research on what types of running training exist, in particular, recovery running, long running, light running, tempo running, interval running, and how they can help an athlete improve their results.
Recovery running
This is running for relatively short distances at an easy pace.
What is it for?
Recovery running helps to improve your body's performance. It is usually performed after a competition or a hard workout, i.e. when the body feels tired. The main benefit of such running is to improve your physical fitness by getting your body used to working even when you are tired. Therefore, running at a very low intensity is a good tool for adapting the body to stress.
Advantages
Allows you to recover if you run for a short time and in the lowest heart rate zones.
Long runs
Unlike the previous run, this is an extended training session to improve the body's endurance. This type of training also trains the body to work when tired.
What is it for?
If you are planning to run a half marathon or a marathon, you should definitely implement a long training session. It will increase the number of mitochondria and aerobic power. It is extremely important that the body learns to work more economically. And of course, from a psychological point of view, this is also an important workout: it gives you confidence before a long run.
Advantages
This type of training builds physical and mental preparation for future competitions.
Easy running
This is the most popular type of training among amateur athletes. Running at an easy conversational pace.
What is it for?
About 70-80% of all running takes place at the so-called conversational pace, the aerobic running zone. This means that the oxygen entering the body is fully sufficient to ensure muscle function without the occurrence of "oxygen debt".
Advantages
Improving overall endurance, preparing the musculoskeletal system for more intense training loads.
Easy running
This type of training involves running at the lactate threshold or threshold running.
What is it for?
During this workout, the pace should feel "comfortably hard" and be 83-87 percent of your VO2max. Depending on the athlete's individual capabilities and fitness, this will be the fastest pace that the runner can maintain for 20-60 minutes.
During tempo running, lactate and hydrogen ions - metabolic byproducts - acidify the muscles, which eventually leads to fatigue. The harder you train, the higher you raise your threshold by reducing the production of lactate and accelerating its neutralization. As a result, you can run longer and faster.
Advantages
Increase endurance and increase the period of time you can maintain a relatively fast pace.
Interval running
This is an alternation of high-intensity running with periods of rest in the form of light running.
What is it for?
Interval training sessions are usually of two types: short or long stretches, and they are most often held in a stadium. This is a great way to gradually improve an athlete's performance and resistance to fatigue during high-intensity exercise.
Long intervals are intervals from 600 to 1200 meters, which are performed at a pace for a 5 kilometer competition and alternate with jogging.
Short intervals are segments from 100 to 400 meters, which are performed at the pace for the 1500-meter competition.
Long-distance runners typically use shorter, faster intervals at the beginning of a training cycle to increase their pure speed, and then move on to longer intervals to develop speed endurance.
Advantages
Improving running form, endurance, mind and body concentration.