Running News Daily

Try this turn-it-up tempo workout over the holidays

Getting back into speedwork when you’ve taken some time off can be daunting. If you’ve done nothing but easy runs for the last several weeks (or months), the last thing you want to do is jump right into a big interval workout or long, hard tempo run. This turn-it-up tempo is the perfect solution when you want to re-introduce some speed without crippling yourself for the rest of the week. Give it a try, and have fun!

The workout is broken up into one-minute “intervals,” which are further separated into a 30-20-10 breakdown. The first 30 seconds of each minute are run at an easy pace, and then you turn up the speed a bit (hence the name) for the next 20 seconds, so you’re running at a moderately quick pace. You crank up the pace again for the last 10 seconds, so you’re running at a hard effort, before repeating the sequence. 

The purpose of this workout is to work on your turnover and get your heart rate up. There is no rest during the session, but you can run as slow as you need to during the “easy” portions to ensure you’re able to turn up the pace in the 20- and 10-second sections.

The workout

Warmup: 15-20 minute easy jog

Workout: 10-15 x (30 seconds easy, 20 seconds moderately quick, 10 seconds hard)

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