Fastest way to get in shape…

I’m training for the Girlfriends Half Marathon and have been doing quite a bit of endurance work but I noticed that my speed was not where I would like it to be.  I was telling one of my colleagues Fraser Quelch, Education Director at TRX, about my frustrations and he suggested I try the following workouts that I’d like to share with you. So if your goal is to improve your fitness, increase your speed as a runner, cyclist, rower, walker, swimmer or improve your performance in any sport, try this…

Start by warming up for about 5 minutes. Then go very hard for 30 seconds followed by a 1 minute slower, more comfortable pace.  Do this 15x for about a 20 minute workout and then cool-down. Do this workout 2x/week for one to two weeks.

The next stage will be exactly as above except decrease the recovery pace down to 45 seconds.  Again, complete this workout 2x/week for one to two weeks.

The next stage will be exactly as above except decrease the recovery pace down to 30 seconds.  Start with 20 minutes of these intervals and then increase the volume to 30 minutes over the next few weeks.

Fraser reminded me that during the hard intervals, you should focus on quality. If your quality decreases because you are getting fatigued, take a longer recovery set so when you’re ready to go hard, you can really push the pace.

And guess what, I’m a believer.  I’ve only done 3 of these workouts so far and this morning I did a 12 mile run 8 minutes faster than my last 2 training runs of the exact route and distance.  Speed work is definitely the most effective way to get fit and fast quickly!

Try it and let me know how it goes,

Yours in health and fitness,

Sherri McMillan