Progression Runs: A Guide to Increasing Your Speed and Endurance

Progression runs, also known as ramp-up runs, are a training technique in running that involves gradually increasing your pace throughout the duration of your run. These runs are designed to improve your endurance, speed, and overall performance. By starting at a comfortable pace and gradually picking up the speed, progression runs challenge your aerobic capacity and teach your body to maintain a faster pace for longer periods of time.

Benefits of Ramp Up Runs

Incorporating progression runs into your training routine offers a variety of benefits that can help you become a stronger and faster runner. Here are some key advantages of ramp-up runs:

1. Improved Aerobic Endurance: Progression runs enable you to build your aerobic capacity by gradually increasing your effort level. This helps your body adapt to running at faster paces and increases your overall stamina.
2. Increased Speed: By gradually ramping up your pace during a progression run, you train your body to handle faster speeds. This can lead to improved race performance and help you reach your speed goals.
3. Mental Toughness: Progression runs challenge your mental strength as you push yourself to maintain a faster pace. This mental toughness can transfer to other areas of your life, helping you overcome obstacles and push through difficult situations.
4. Variety in Training: Incorporating progression runs into your training routine adds variety and excitement to your workouts. It breaks the monotony of steady-state running and keeps your training sessions engaging and dynamic.
5. Injury Prevention: Gradual progression in your runs allows your body to adapt and reduce the risk of injuries associated with sudden increases in intensity or speed. This makes progression runs a safer option for improving your running performance.

The Importance of Progression Workouts

Progression workouts are an integral part of any training program, as they help you develop the ability to maintain a faster pace over a longer period of time. These workouts teach your body to become more efficient at utilizing energy, improve your lactate threshold, and enhance your overall running economy. By incorporating different types of progression runs into your training, you can target specific aspects of your running performance and continuously challenge yourself.

Workout 1: Tempo Progression Run

A tempo progression run involves gradually increasing your pace from an easy warm-up pace to a comfortably hard effort. This workout helps you improve your lactate threshold, which is the point at which lactic acid begins to accumulate in your muscles. By training at this threshold, you enhance your body’s ability to clear lactic acid and maintain a faster pace for longer durations.

Here’s how to perform a tempo progression run:

1. Warm-up: Start with a 10-minute easy jog to prepare your body for the workout.
2. Progression: Begin running at a comfortable pace for the first few minutes, gradually increasing your speed every few minutes. Aim to reach your lactate threshold towards the end of the run.
3. Cooldown: Finish with a 10-minute easy jog to cool down your body and aid in recovery.

Workout 2: Fartlek Progression Run

Fartlek, meaning “speed play” in Swedish, is a fun and versatile workout that combines speed and endurance. A fartlek progression run involves incorporating bursts of faster running at varying intervals throughout your run. This workout helps improve your aerobic capacity, speed, and mental toughness.

Here’s how to perform a fartlek progression run:

1. Warm-up: Start with a 10-minute easy jog to warm up your muscles.
2. Progression: Begin by running at an easy pace for a few minutes. Then, pick a landmark or point ahead and increase your speed until you reach it. Recover at an easy pace for a few minutes before repeating the process. Gradually increase the duration and intensity of your faster intervals as your fitness improves.
3. Cooldown: Finish with a 10-minute easy jog to cool down and allow your body to recover.

Workout 3: Hill Progression Run

Hill progression runs are a challenging workout that focuses on building strength and power in your leg muscles. By incorporating uphill segments into your run and gradually increasing your effort level, you improve your running economy and develop the ability to maintain a faster pace on inclines.

Here’s how to perform a hill progression run:

1. Warm-up: Start with a 10-minute easy jog to warm up your muscles.
2. Progression: Find a hill with a moderate incline and begin running uphill at a comfortable pace. As you reach the halfway point of the hill, increase your effort level and maintain a faster pace. Focus on maintaining good form and using your arms to drive you up the hill. Gradually increase the intensity of your effort with each repetition.
3. Cooldown: Finish with a 10-minute easy jog to cool down and allow your muscles to recover.

Workout 4: Interval Progression Run

Interval progression runs involve alternating between periods of faster running and active recovery. This workout is excellent for improving your speed, anaerobic capacity, and overall running performance. By progressively increasing the intensity and duration of your intervals, you challenge your body to adapt and become more efficient at running at higher speeds.

Here’s how to perform an interval progression run:

1. Warm-up: Start with a 10-minute easy jog to warm up your muscles.
2. Progression: Begin with a moderately fast interval, lasting between 1 to 2 minutes. Follow it with an active recovery period of an easy jog or walk for half the duration of the interval. Repeat this cycle, gradually increasing the intensity and duration of your intervals. Aim to maintain a challenging pace during your faster intervals.
3. Cooldown: Finish with a 10-minute easy jog to cool down and allow your body to recover.

These progression workouts provide a framework for improving your running performance and challenging yourself in various ways. Remember to listen to your body, gradually progress the intensity and duration of your runs, and give yourself adequate rest and recovery between sessions. With consistency and dedication, you’ll see significant improvements in your running abilities.