This overview is to support the Progression Session planned for the club’s weekly workout. With it to provide an overview of these types of sessions, the benefit of them and how you could vary them to suit your needs.
Progression runs are really what they say in that during a run, one gets running a little quicker. So you start easy, then get quicker until the end where you could be running close to max effort. The key aspect of them is that they can be used by anyone, following any programme with any target race.
The planned session for Feb 18th is ‘777’ which is:
7mins easy/RPE4
7mins med/RPE6
7mins hard/RPE8
or another way to say this is:
7 mins slower than race pace
7 mins race pace
7 mins quicker than race pace
The time can be increased for those running halves or full marathons say, 10mins for each phase and they can incorporate into the long run. For those 5/10k – the
intensity can be increased, but the interval periods cut to 4-5mins, have a recovery time and then repeat the effort. So, they offer great variation for everyone.
The benefits of them include:
- Development of aerobic strength
- Allows a period of higher intensity, and a focus on that
- Allows for variation in a plan, a clear option away from the traditional intervals
- Load management not as hard as intervals as they build up the intensity
- Allow you to develop a strong finish and a ‘kick’ finish
Some ideas:
| Type | Benefit | How to do it |
| Out & Back | Practice pacing, strong finish and self competitive | Aim to gradually build effort – 3/10 on the out, 5/10 on the return. Repeat, but increase the effort on each return |
| Structured | Bridge between workouts, teaches pacing and self-control | 1/3 E, 1/3 M, 1/3 H – can be based on minutes (10/10/10 for example) or by distance (1/1/1 mile). |
| Kick Finish | Test of muscular endurance and how to find that final push | While out on a steady run/long run – push the last 10-20mins. |
So, why not give them a go when you are running or with your own training.