I’m looking forward to adding more workouts to my blog in 2020. It’s been a long time coming even though I am constantly writing workouts to post here!
All of the workouts that I’ve ever posted have been strength training workouts. Mostly, because you all seem to be looking for those the most! Lots of you want to know how you can strength train at home with minimal equipment, or you just don’t quite know what to do at the gym once you get there.
I am a big believer in strength training–particularly for women. Personally, I’ve noticed a huge difference in my body (inside and out) since I made lifting a priority. However, I am first and foremost a runner.
I went for my first run when I was eight years old. I ran my first (1 mile) race when I was 11 and then ran track and cross country from middle school all the way through college. I caught the bug early. I’m 32, and I still love it.
However, now I deal with an autoimmune disease which has taught me that loads and loads of chronic, repetitive motion are not great for me. When I started dabbling in triathlon when we lived in Colorado, I realized that cross training was also really, really beneficial to me. I felt so much better by substituting some running days with swimming or biking.
These days I don’t think I ever run more than 20 miles in a week (I used to run 40-50). Often, I only run 10-12 with just two or three runs in a week. And here’s the crazy thing. I’m faster now than I was when I ran 40-50! What gives?!
So, here’s the thing. I prioritize speed workouts over everything else. I find I can get the best results with those. I don’t need to go out and just run 5 miles here and 5 miles there at a comfortable pace. I like those runs, and I do that still sometimes, but the best workouts for me are the ones where I’m hitting the track or pushing the pace on the road, with an occasional long run thrown in there to build a little more endurance. I find that these interval workouts make me quite tired without the fatigue that I can often experience with just a normal run. I’m pushing myself, and it’s making me stronger. Not to mention, these workouts keep me lean, build my cardio capacity, and get me ready for whatever race I might decide to jump into at a moment’s notice.
However, I am a morning workout person (mostly), and this time of year it is dark during my normal workout time. While I don’t mind running in the cold, I don’t run in the dark. It’s just not safe.
And here’s the other thing. I hate treadmills. Really hate them. I am not a gerbil. I want to go somewhere on my run. I don’t want to just run along watching the numbers tick by. So, so boring.
But, here we are, and it is January and dark and I still like running. So, if I do hop on a treadmill, I keep it interesting by doing a tempo run! It starts off easy (which is nice as you’re waking up in the morning), and by the end you are moving at a really good pace which is quite challenging. The run is over before you know it, and it feels less gerbil-like.
So here’s what a typical tempo run looks like for me.
Treadmill Tempo Run (Advanced)
By that last half mile, I am pushing the pace, and sometimes I take it up to 11.0 for the last tenth of a mile or so (5:40/mile pace).
Treadmill Tempo Run (Beginners)
Now, what if you are just starting out–maybe with a combo of walking and running? I highly recommend still doing interval workouts! You will build endurance AND speed so much more quickly with this type of workout rather than a steady pace. I’d recommend a beginner do something like this…
Treadmill Tempo Run (Intermediate)
And what if you are somewhere in between? You already have an established “running habit,” but your typical run pace is somewhere between 9:00 and 11:00 minutes/mile? You might consider a tempo run more like this…
This run very likely might be shorter than your normal run, but it will give you far better results (increased speed and endurance as well as fat burning) than a steady state run would. Don’t feel like you need to add “extra miles” after it’s over. You don’t!
Of course, feel free to experiment with this and find what works for you. You want it to feel very easy when you start, comfortable moving toward challenging in the middle, and very challenging by the end.
What do you do to work out in the winter? Send me a comment below!
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