walk or jog to recover....

drinker with running problem

I never know if it's better to stop & walk, or continue running between speed reps. Different groups i've trained with have done different things.

I prefer to jog as it's easier to pick up to start the next rep than if you walk, but what's technically best? Or is it just a preference thing???

[Deleted User]

I find that my legs get very heavy if I stop or walk, so i tend to jog very slowly.

[Deleted User]

Ditto, I prefer the increase in pace to be less of a jolt to the system so tend to jog in between, the recovery pace depending on the pace and length of the speed reps.

Hilly

Mostly I jog between because I think in a race I don't intend to walk.

drinker with running problem

ta very much ) I shall continue to jog then. Some people I know actually stop, wait for the recovery period and then start again. I couldn't do it, but they're v good runners, so I thought I was doing something wrong!!

Cheers!!

[Deleted User]

Typically I will stop, feel knackered, walk, start to jog and acclerate into the rep.

Used to do this on the track as well for 200m recoveries etc and some of the guys are now running 24mins for 5 miles (not me) so it must be the right thing to do

[Deleted User]

Strictly speaking I think you do both depending on the design/purpose of the session. I recall one of teh real training gurus trying to explain the differing physiological bbenefits to me here once....

eg if your session is designed to take you between to HR points you may be better standing/walking. if your session is intended to accchive a specific pace with limited recovery, then jog.

is that the difference bewteen Intervals and Reps?

[Deleted User]

400's and 1000's I just amble about as they all start and end in the same place.

2000's I do a reluctant jog as I have to cover 250m or so in 90s to get back to my start point.

Hills - I go back down the hill at roughly same pace as the climb.

Mike S

There is a difference (in terms of the effect of what you do to recover).

A standing recovery will allow your HR to drop faster, but lactic acid will be dispersed from the muscles more slowly.

Conversely, a jog recovery helps disperse the lactic faster, but the HR comes down more slowly.

In view of this, I tend to use jog recoveries for the great majority of my interval sessions, as I don't see the point of developing high lactic tolerance for race distances of 5K or more.

If I got the chance to do a mile race or another 1500 (have never done the former, and haven't done the latter for 8 years), I'd train by doing appropriate interval sessions off short standing recoveries.

[Deleted User]

The idea is to teach your body to cope with being tired in a race. You can get better quality reps if you allow yourself some recovery between reps.

I walk for 1 min 30secs then gentle jog before repping again for, at the moment - 3.15. I go by my heart rate though aswell. During my rep it gets up to about 95% max and in recovery I get it down to 50%.

i find if I jog between reps then I get too tired and struggle to complete the session properly.

I would just like to take this opportunity to empasise that this works for me and it might not work for you but if you choose to try this then I accept no responsiblity if anything goes wrong.

(Just incase "Oracle" shows up again)

[Deleted User]

There are so many different purposes to "speedwork" so called that it all depends on what you are trying to acheive. My main gripe is that most runners do "speedwork" to get faster without understanding what they are doing when 8 times out of ten (especially with beginners) a few more easy miles would have as more effect on speed LONG term anyway.

Take three different examples of "speedwork":

1) A sample session of 1K @Lactate threshold with the recovery being another 1K at a decent aerobic speed (say MP+30secs/mile). This session can progress over the last few months before a marathon with the "recovery" pace getting progressively faster. This is a very hard session, 100% aerobic and perfect for raising MP. Clearly here the recovery is relatively fast and the speed of the recovery is almost more important than the speed of the effort.

2) 800m reps with 400m jog recovery. Here the athlete is trying to stimulate the anaerobic system by lowering the blood pH. Too short a rep and the muscles get flooded with lactate but the body as a whole is not so affected (think of doing lots of press ups quickly). The longer rep with a decent recovery allows the lactate to be removed from the muscles so that the anaerobic work can continue for longer and have a greater affect on the WHOLE body. Clearly here the jog recovery assists in the lactate removal and thus the extending of the workout. (Similar to what MikeS mentions above)

3) 60m steep hill reps. Here we are trying to strengthen the heart and get more oxygen to the muscle - this is particularly helpful for someone who is very fit aerobically (i.e. can utilise the oxygen that gets to the muscles efficiently) to enable further improvement. Here the RANGE of HR from almost resting HR at start to very high at finish (not that you'll see that as clearly on a HRM as the time is so short) is the crucial factor. It is the quick increase in HR that stretches the left ventricle (?? - it's late!) causing the training effect we are after.

Hopefully this illustrates the broadness of "speedwork" and the fact that you need to understand WHY you are doing the "speedwork" to be able to do it efficiently.

The fact still remians though that all distances from 800m up are primarily aerobic and runners, beginners especially, would be far better off improving their aerobic capabilities with some more steady miles than training an anaerobic engine that, in the case of marathoners especially, they will barely use. It also has the added advantage of preparing the runner better for many different types of "speedwork" in future so that they can benefit more from it when the right time comes.