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Build pain tolerance and discomfort with stretch intervals

You may have heard others say that running never gets easier, you just get better and can therefore push yourself harder. For this reason, one of the cornerstones of improving running performance is learning how to handle discomfort. Building pain tolerance is just as mental as it is physical, and there are many ways to improve it.

Stretch intervals challenge you to pay close attention to your effort level and the gradual increase in pace builds pain tolerance by forcing you to speed up as fatigue starts to set in.

What are stretch intervals?

Stretch intervals can be applied to almost any workout, and the concept is simple: run a series of fast intervals, trying to cover a little more distance with each interval. This means you have to choose your pace wisely at the beginning of the workout: if you start out at your top speed, you have nowhere to go from there. On the other hand, you don’t want to start out too slow because this defeats the purpose of the workout. To do this session properly, your first interval should be hard, and your last one or two should be an all-out effort.

Stretch intervals work really well as a hill workout or any interval session that can be completed on straight, flat road or even a track. A GPS watch will help you determine how much ground you’re covering with each interval, but for a less high-tech approach, you could simply bring markers to drop and pick up as you jog back to the starting point. Here are a couple of examples:

Interval workout

Warmup: 10-15 minutes easy jog, followed by form drills and strides

Workout: 5-6 x 2 minutes, progressively getting faster, with 3-4 minutes rest (as you jog back to your starting point)

Cooldown: 10-15 minutes easy jog, followed by light stretching.

Hill workout

For this workout, find a hill with a moderate incline that you can run up for at least a couple of minutes. Carry two easily visible markers, like brightly coloured socks or mittens, and on your first interval, drop one marker when you reach the end of the interval to mark your spot. Jog back to the bottom and repeat, dropping the second marker when you reach the end of the second interval, and pick up the first as you jog back to the bottom to use for the next one. Continue this process for the duration of the workout.

Warmup: 10-15 minutes easy jog, followed by form drills and strides

Workout: 8-10 x 1 minute, gradually increasing the pace; jog back down the hill as your rest (about 2 minutes)

Cooldown: 10-15 minutes easy jog, followed by light stretching.