Why am I Doing This?: Repeats
If you’re early in your training with me, or even just starting, you may have noticed something referred to as “repeats” in your early workouts. These short but sweet workouts are a crucial building block for your early season foundation, regardless of your goal race distance. Let’s dive into why Repeats and getting speedy can help make you a better runner.
What are Repeats?:
These are work bouts that last anywhere from about 30 seconds to 2 minutes where you’re roughly running a pace equivalent to your current mile race pace. Think of these as being fast, but controlled efforts with lots of rest…2 to 3x the amount of time resting as the work bout in fact.
What do they do?:
They build your speed of course; but they also build running economy (how much oxygen you use at specific running speeds), running strength, and sharpen running form.
How do they help?:
The speed that repeats are run is great for recruiting lots of your running specific muscles, especially the bigger one’s. This helps them stay more active at slower speeds as you do them consistently over time. Along with creating more elasticity in your tendons and fascia (the lining that covers muscles), this combination helps improve your running form and thus your economy.
How can I do them right?:
Follow your workout and don’t make it harder than it needs to be. As you’ve noticed, the rest between your reps is pretty long (sometimes up to 6 minutes). This is for a reason; Your body needs full recovery from your reps so you can reach a consistent speed on each one. Taking less rest than prescribed won’t make your workout better…it’ll be worse in fact. Done at the right speed, you’ll need that full rest to ensure you don’t lose speed or form as the workout goes on.
Bonus:
Hill sprints are repeats too…just a different kind. These give all the benefits of repeats with less stress from ground impact forces and require a little more work from your glutes and hamstrings (Butt and back legs).
Hope knowing a little more about these has you feeling the need…the need…for Repeat speed!
Happy Running
Coach D
