Enhance your fatigue resistance with this 300m exercise

One of many hallmarks of nice distance runners is their fatigue resistance, even when working at excessive speeds. This permits them to run farther and quicker. Growing fatigue resistance is a key element of working coaching, and is necessary even for leisure runners. This 300m exercise is an effective way to show your physique to develop into extra comfy whereas working at increased speeds and studying to regulate your tempo on the go.

There are two important targets for this exercise. The primary, as talked about, is to extend your fatigue resistance (i.e., to get you extra comfy when working quick, so you possibly can keep that velocity for longer length). To do that, it’s essential to attempt to keep as relaxed as you possibly can, even whenever you’re working close to your prime velocity. This implies stress-free your shoulders and face, controlling your respiration and attempting to remain as easy as doable. 

The second is to enhance your cadence. As a substitute of working these intervals at one constant velocity, your objective is to get quicker each 100 metres till you’re working close to your max for the ultimate third of the interval. By altering your tempo each 100 metres, you enhance your potential to get your toes down quicker and put together your physique to deal with your race tempo.

The pacing on this exercise is absolutely necessary. The primary 100 metres will really feel sluggish, and it ought to. Resist the temptation to exit too onerous, so you allow room to speed up by way of the interval. Your accelerations ought to appear to be this:

First 100m – 50 per cent effort (roughly mile tempo)

Second 100m – 75 per cent effort (roughly 800m tempo)

Third 100m – 100 per cent effort 

This exercise is designed for the observe, however should you don’t have one, we suggest marking off each 100m on a flat, straight path, so you possibly can simply see the place to crank up the tempo. 

The exercise

Warmup: 15-20 minutes of straightforward jogging, adopted by 3-4 20-second strides

Exercise: 5-10 x 300m, accelerating each 100m; 100m stroll or straightforward jog between every interval

Cooldown: 10-Quarter-hour straightforward jog