As runners we all know the importance of pacing races well, especially longer races which when paced incorrectly, leave us struggling for a lot longer. Does it really matter for interval running sessions though?

 

Aren’t intervals just about hard work?

Largely, interval runs are used for the purpose of pushing the body past it’s current comfort zone, so yes, going out all guns blazing at the start of an interval session and desperately trying to hold pace and failing, would do that. But it would also put your mental and physical strength at a disadvantage, and leave you missing out on better racing tactics too.

 

The other benefit of intervals

How intervals improve fitness is a common topic of conversation amongst runners, but the tactical element isn’t often mentioned. Simply put, the more time you spend running at the necessary pace, the more natural it feels meaning you will run that pace more consistently without checking your watch every few seconds.

 

As well as this tactical benefit, running intervals with more even pacing across the session also highlights where your fitness levels are. If you can’t manage the distance at the right pace when broken up into intervals there’s no way you’ll run that pace during the race, but at least you’ll know that in advance and can adjust your goals. Conversely, if you’re running the pace too easily, you can increase the challenge if it’s sensible and desirable to do so.

 

How to know what pace to run intervals

The question now becomes, “what pace should I run at then?”. Interval target pace will depend on the distance you’re training for, the length of intervals in a session and the type of interval session being used.

You can set your interval pace based on a recent test run or race time. This is generally my preferred option as it deals with the current position. 

The other option is to base your intervals on the pace you need to run for your time target, e.g. 7:15/mile for a 45 minute 10k.

 

How close should the paces be?

Across the session, your paces for any effort should vary by no more than 10 seconds/mile. This can be tricky in windy conditions or when running hills, so factor that in and focus on effort at that point rather than a specific pace.

 

45 minute 10k example

To give you an idea of how you can get the right pacing, here’s a recent result (Jan 2021) which saw one client improve her 10k time from 45:58 to 44:20 in 6 weeks when we applied these types of sessions. She’s excellent at pacing herself, always remaining consistent or  progressing the pace very slightly across the session, within sensible ranges. 

Using interval runs of 7-8 miles, including 3-4 miles of warming up and cooling down, we set interval distances of 800m to 1 mile at 10k pace, with the longest interval being closer to a tempo session (2 x 2 miles at 10 miles pace, 15 seconds per mile slower than 10k pace) and some intervals at 5k pace for 800m. Recoveries were 400m to 800m jogs typically, although some walk recoveries were used during sessions with higher numbers of repetitions or longer length of intervals.

This was a tough programme, but suitable for the athlete, and with 98 seconds of improvement in 6 weeks, it works. 

 

Action steps for pacing intervals.

  • Work out the pace you need/want.
  • Create session plans that are challenging but achievable, considering session length and type, interval length and recovery length. 
  • Stick to your paces, or slightly progress them if planning isn’t ambitious enough.
  • Reflect on how each session goes and whether the difficulty was appropriate (in context of the rest of your training).
  • Adjust accordingly.

 

Written by Kyle Brooks, Running Coach based in Norwich, Norfolk