Progressive Pace
- Ideal for hitting a range of paces
- A good option for those who take a bit longer to warm up
- A good way to break up a longer run
A progressive pace run is a good way of breaking up a continuous run and perhaps working a bit harder than usual.
Equipment
You'll need a GPS watch or some means of measuring your pace for this session.
The Session
A progressive pace run is simple to explain and simple to execute. Just start with a nice easy jog and gradually increase the pace of the run.
Try and plan ahead so that for the final section of your run you are running fairly fast, then for the very last minute you can put in a really big finishing effort. Building up gradually like this can often mean you spend more time running at a faster pace than might otherwise be possible. This is because you adjust gradually to the intensity.
Depending on the length of the run, it's best to increase the pace every 3–5 minutes or so. If you prefer you can take a formal approach and set an alarm on your watch to go off periodically, at which point you increase the pace by a set amount. If you are taking this approach then work out in advance what is manageable in terms of both overall length and pace increments. It could be useful to work backwards from the fastest pace you intend to run and adjust accordingly.
Progressive pace runs work well for runs of anything from 30 to 90 minutes.
Variations
Progressive Heart Rate
Another workout that's similar in approach, but different in execution is progressive heart rate where you progressively increase heart rate instead of pace.
Real World Example
A runner with a 5k best time of 21 minutes (6:46/mile or 4:12/km) decides to perform a progressive run of five-minute laps, with the final five minutes performed at her 5k pace.
She decides that each lap should be 10 seconds/mile (just over 6 seconds/km) faster than the last.
Since she wants the run to last for 60 minutes, it will need to include 60 ÷ 5 = 12 laps.
If the final lap is to be run at her 5k pace, the first lap needs to be 11 × 10 = 110 seconds per mile slower than her 5k pace (about 68 seconds per kilometer).
So, she will start at 8:36/mile (5:21/km); her second lap will be at 8:26/mile (5:14/km); and so on.
Be careful not to go off too fast. You want to leave yourself room to speed up.
No need for a separate warm-up since you'll be starting at an easy pace and gently easing yourself into the run anyway. A good option for a cool-down is to just add an extra easy five minutes on to the end of the run.
Also See
Use our pace/speed converter to help work out your planned paces.