Training: Pushing Yourself Further

In this video, you'll learn how to structure your training sessions in order to gain in speed and endurance.

Once you fall into a running routine, it's sometimes difficult to know how to organise your sessions in order to make progress.

Here are several ideas for pushing yourself further and changing up your training.

You'll need to know your MAS to do these sessions.

To find out how to calculate your MAS, you can watch our video called 'Finding out and making use of your MAS'

We're going to look at three examples of training sessions to increase your cardiovascular and muscular capacity; interval training, threshold training and gradient training

Firstly, interval training

Run for thirty seconds at 100 per cent of your MAS, then for thirty seconds at a light jog

Repeat this exercise 10 times

Walk for three minutes to get your breath back, then do another 10 sets

This exercise will increase your running speed

Secondly; threshold training

For threshold training, you'll need to run at 80 per cent of your MAS. This will allow you to step out of your beginner's comfort zone, and to push your limits

Run for ten minutes at this threshold

Then bring it down to a light jog for three minutes

Repeat this exercise twice

This will get your body used to running faster for longer

Thirdly, gradient training

Find a slope of medium gradient

Run up the slope for thirty seconds, then lightly jog down again

Repeat this exercise five times whilst gradually increasing the time of your ascent

Gradient training allows you to strengthen your muscles and become more powerful

Bring the session to an end with a warm down

To find out more, you can watch our video 'The stages of warming down'

Interval training, threshold training and gradient training allow you to gain endurance and speed. Over to you!