Intervals

Wonderful Intervals... or not so...

Seems people I know who run are always doing intervals when they run. Intervals are run for how ever long you determine fast, followed by running slow for a set time and doing it over and over again until your run is done.

I can tell you that its hard enough just to run for a set amount of time and a set amount of miles at a constant pace or better yet, just to keep moving and running to finish.

Oh, but lets make it even harder. hum.. not sure this is such a good idea. You have to first give yourself credit for even going running in the first place because it's not always easy to motivate yourself to just do it. To even think about pushing yourself so hard is just not very appealing to me. Oh sure the benefits of interval training are more calories burned for the same amount of time, maybe a faster run/mile time. It's also harder on your body, feet and mental state.

I've read in various sources, that you should do intervals once a week, then follow that the next day by an easy run etc... I can tell you that the runners I know, do intervals every day. Is this normal? Is this even fun?

Last week while I had been running for 55 minutes, I was told by a passing walker/runner that I should be doing intervals. Yeah... someone just starting out running for who knows what distance is offering me advice. Thanks, but I just want to finish the last 5 minutes of my 6+ miles and be done!
Other's I know do intervals every day, at 9.5mph on the treadmill, then down to 7.0mph every other minute. I can't go that fast.. I'd fall on my face or land wrong on my foot and hurt myself.

Today I decided to try intervals. I warmed up with running for 8 minutes then I ran every other crack in the road, slow then fast for about 2 blocks. This was enough.. not fun. As I was running up a hill, I decided I could do intervals running down the hill. The momentum from going down the hill would give me the push I needed to run all out, followed up running up the hill at a slower jog. It felt great to fly down the hill, kept my heart rate up. Running up the hill, slowed me down but still kept my heart pumping.

My 4 mile run time was 34 minutes today. Not bad.. not bad at all...for a hilly route.  The last half of my morning run, I ran slow keeping my heart rate around 127- 130 for 30 minutes. In all, I think I ran about 8 miles today in 62 minutes.

So will I do intervals every day? Nope....Will I do it on the hills one in awhile... sure but don't push me. It's enough I'm just out running!

I would like to get faster and I do know this would be a good way to train myself. Running slow or at a constant pace won't help increase my time but it will help me build endurance. Just depends on if I really feel the need to be faster or do I just want to do it because it makes me feel good, not exhausted!