For the past 7 years as a running coach, I’ve noticed a general resistance toward short running intervals among all ability levels and populations. I consider a “short” running interval to be any duration under 2:00. I’ve found that most people believe that running any distance under 1 mile without stopping “doesn’t count” and says something about their capability.
I think this belief stems from the annual 1 mile gym class test we were all subjected to as kids, which unfortunately instilled that specific distance into our brains as “the standard.”
Regardless of the source of the collective resistance toward short running intervals - most runners or aspiring runners are doing themselves a disservice by keeping them out of their program.
Short running intervals can be incredibly useful and often necessary in lots of contexts but especially for 3 main groups:
1. Beginner Runners:
- When you first start running, it should be easy and fun. It shouldn’t feel like a drag or like you’re killing yourself every session. If you’re a beginner, the best training strategy is to make running doable enough that you want to show up consistently. Keeping the intervals short and sweet can accomplish this.
- Starting with short intervals early on also helps build muscle endurance without sacrificing technique. Most beginners end up with niggles or injuries because they don’t have the muscle endurance to stay light and efficient off the ground for longer intervals.
2. Runners with an Injury History:
- Similar to the injury plight of beginners, coming back from an injury with short intervals allows you to rebuild muscle endurance while maintaining efficient technique off the ground which will prevent you from getting re-injured.
3. Runners Who Struggle to Control their Heart Rate:
- A LOT of runners - from beginner to advanced - struggle to maintain a truly aerobic effort. Your aerobic system is crucial for building up to longer distances, recovering in between higher intensity intervals, and recovering in between workouts. For those who can’t seem to keep their heart rate in the aerobic zone (below 150 BPM) working on a high number of short intervals with a short walk rest in between can help expand your aerobic threshold.
Depending on where you’re at and what you need, you could start with running intervals that are as short as 20 seconds. If you’re a beginner or coming back from injury, you can rest in between intervals until you feel fully recovered. If you’re more experienced and working on improving your aerobic capacity, the rest should stay short - 1.5x the working interval or less.
For beginners and runners coming back from injury, I like to spend the first 4 week block finding a comfortable interval and keeping the interval duration the same, while the number of rounds increases and/or the resting time decreases. After the first 4 week block, the interval duration can start to extend if the athlete feels good and confident.
For runners working on improving their aerobic capacity, the first 4 weeks can progress by keeping the interval and number of rounds the same while decreasing the rest time, or keeping the rest the same while increasing the interval or number of rounds - so long as the athlete can keep their heart rate in the aerobic zone.
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