Jargon buster

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You can train for a half marathon by simply going out and running, adding more miles each week until you can run 13.1 non-stop. This a way, but not the most effective way.

Including a variety of training sessions such as fartlek, intervals, tempo and recovery runs in your program help you build all the aspects of your running fitness, leading to easier, stronger and faster running. Use this jargon buster to help you understand how each session is constructed, and some of the theory behind them.

Intervals

Interval training involves putting in short periods of faster running interspaced with slower recovery runs. All three programs include interval training of some description, and although the details change the format and underlying principles remain the same.

The theory behind interval training is that by conditioning your body to run at faster pace, you become better able to run at your target race pace. There is a "threshold" between your comfortable running speed and the speed where your body begins to produce more lactic acid than it can get rid of. If you can increase this threshold, your comfortable pace is also increased meaning you can run faster, for longer.

The intervals will change depending on the phase of the training program, with longer, slower intervals (4 or 5 minutes) in the earlier stages and shorter faster periods (1 to 3 minutes) of running later on.

An example session from the level 1 program is "4x4mins, 2mins rec (2 miles total)". This means the total length of the run should be 2 miles, within which you should run 4 minutes at a faster pace followed by 2 minutes at an easy jog (or even a walk). This should be repeated 4 times.

The session structure should include a warm up, the intervals themselves and then a cool down, all within the 2 miles total distance.

Your pace should be about 15 to 30 seconds faster than your target race pace, but try to make them consistant across all 4 intervals.

Tempo / threshold

Tempo and threshold runs are the same thing, just with a different name so don't let this confuse you. In a tempo session you run as close to the lactic threshold (described above) as you can and hold it there for an extended period of time. All three programs use this style of training, building up from just a few minutes to up to 45 minutes.

An example session from the level 2 program is " 5 miles including 20 minutes tempo". This means your total run length should be 5 miles, with 20 minutes in the middle where you step up the pace to your threshold speed.

You'll know when you're at the correct tempo pace, because you won't be able to hold a conversation (apart from perhaps one word gasped out per breath!) but you should be able to sustain the speed for detailed duration.

Fartlek

Fartlek means "speed play" in Swedish, and this is the best description of what this session involves. It is similar to interval training in that you intersperce periods of faster running with recovery periods, but the duration and speed of the faster runs are more variable.

An example session might involve warming up with 10 minutes of easy jogging, then 30 seconds fast, 30 seconds easy, 60 seconds fast, 60 seconds easy, 90 seconds fast, 90 seconds easy, then repeating a couple more times before cooling down with 10 more minutes of easy jogging.

Over on the Members Training Club we will be detailing loads more fartlek sessions to keep your training interesting over the winter.

Long runs

This is the backbone of your training program and should be built up progressively in the weeks leading up to the race. It should be run at about 25 to 30 seconds per mile slower than your target race pace, and you should finish the run feeling as though you could have gone faster.

Recovery runs

Not all training sessions should be hard, in fact if they are it is very likely that you will over train and injure yourself. Recovery runs are a great way to continue to build your mileage and endurance, without placing too much strain on your body.

They should be run at a similar pace to your long runs, at about 15 to 30 seconds slower per mile than your target race pace.

Cross training

Although not featured explicitly in the programs, you may have come across the concept of cross training before. This is any activity other than running, such as swimming, cycling or weight training. It is useful for building endurance and strength without placing the same repetitive strains on your body that running does.

You should only consider cross training if you are running more than 4 days a week, unless you have a particular reason (such as you are also training for a cycling event or triathlon for example.)