Most people who run or walk will decide on a time or distance to run or walk, head out the door, turn their watch on and READY, SET, GO! They begin to run or walk and don’t stop until they are done or so tired they can’t go on. Using intervals is a bit different.
Doing your workouts with intervals mean that you run (walk) for a time, then walk (shuffle) then run (walk) again. It means that you stop to walk or shuffle before you are so tired that you can’t go on. It means that you give your breathing, heart rate and muscles a break before they are out of control or fatigued. It means you break the workout into small segments, bite size segments, a segment that gives you a physical and mental break, a segment that anyone can do.
Intervals can be done using any amount of time that you are comfortable running or walking. There is no right or wrong duration, it is what works for you. Running or walking with intervals may seem odd in the beginning, you think “I am not even tired yet, why should I take a break?’ but it is similar to drinking before you are thirsty. If you wait until you are thirsty to take a drink the “experts” tell us that you are already dehydrated. Well, same thing works in running or walking, if you wait until you are tired you have already used your energy and resources.
When using intervals you can actually move faster, your “moving” interval is faster since you are doing it for a shorter period and you don’t lose that much when you walk. Any interval works, generally it is recommended that if you can complete a mile in 10 minutes you should consider a 3/1 interval, however, you can do any interval which feels comfortable for you. The moving segment of the interval can be 1-10 minutes and the walking/shuffling is usually no more than a minute.
Our training programs use intervals for all of our groups, we use it in weekly group workouts, for our twice a week homework (if you want to run straight through on homework, that is fine too) and even for races. Intervals make it possible for anyone to begin and stick with a training program.
You run or walk faster, you give your legs, breathing, heart rate and head a break. Go ahead, try it, you will be amazed.