What’s in an interval?

Well, there’s rest in an interval, of course. That is obvious from the outset, but the practice of interval training might not be so obvious. Arguably a better answer to the question above is, “Intensity is in an interval.”

The required work of a standard interval training day often can’t be completed with the level of intensity that it can be completed with intentionally dosed rest periods. Think about the speed at which you’d run eight 400m efforts (two miles) with three minutes rest in between versus the pace that you might run two miles without stopping.

Forgive me if I’m still being obvious. But, let’s think about this for a moment. A key point here is if you can access more intensity during interval training, then you should. Working at a manageable pace only to enjoy some rest period during your training would be missing the point during an interval session.

Looking back to your ‘Intro Session’ you might remember hearing about intensity as a potent tool for building general fitness if done responsibly. Interval days like today are perfect days to practice intensity. Drive your efforts to get to the rest period in a way that you couldn’t sustain otherwise (without rest) and reap the benefits of high intensity conditioning.

 

Logan Gelbrich

@functionalcoach