When life throws a wrench into your training plans, switch it up with one of these fast, effective sessions

If the holiday season (or life in general) has you time-crunched, it can be daunting trying to fit your running sessions in and tempting to skip your workout altogether. Here are a few quick, powerful running workouts to slide into your day when you’re short on time. You’ll feel the burn of a solid speed session without spending hours logging mileage or planning out intervals.

Fast fartlek

A fartlek run (fartlek is a Swedish word that translates to speed play) is perfect for a busy day because it has no pre-determined length or specific structure. You don’t need to have set interval lengths in mind for this one–just head out the door and run around your neighborhood. If you only have 30 minutes to spare, up the intensity of your workout by picking up the pace on the harder sections and shortening your recovery.

After a short, easy warmup, pick a landmark in the distance, like a tree or lamp post. Run at a harder effort or tempo to run to your target, then come back to your easy pace for a short recovery. Continue to do this throughout your entire run, and choose focus points that are varying distances away to really embrace the idea of speed play. Allow for a few minutes of easy running to cool down at the end.

Try a quick time trial

A busy day can be the perfect time to fit in a quick time trial. Whether you run a magic mile or aim for something slightly longer, like 3K, a fast-paced session is a great way to test yourself–try one again in a month or two to compare. Start with an easy warmup of 10 to 15 minutes, then crank things up a notch and see how fast you can cover the shorter distance. Follow your speedy run with an easy five-minute cooldown.

Quick hill repeats

Give your legs a strength boost with a fast hill session. Find a hill that takes roughly a minute to run up (if you’re new to hills, 30 seconds is perfect). Warm up with 10 minutes of easy running, and then shift into high gear as you power up the hill. Run easily to the base of the hill to recover, and run hard back up–repeat five to 10 times (adjust as needed for your schedule) and cool down with an easy five to ten-minute run.

The easy pick-me-up

Many runners follow the 80/20 rule, with 80 per cent of their runs easy. If you’re having a jam-packed day and can’t fit in what you have on the schedule, just get out the door and enjoy an easy 30-minute (or whatever time you have) run. Soak in the sights, take some deep breaths, and give yourself a pat on the back for allowing for flexibility in your running routine. It may not be the long run or speed workout you had initially planned, but you’re still adding miles to the bank. Your brain will thank you, too–the short breath of fresh air and movement will do wonders for your mood, and you’ll navigate the rest of your day with ease.

posted Wednesday December 7th
by Running Magazine