By EXCERCISE YOUR RIGHT! BY THADDEUS REICHLEY
Interval training — what’s the point? I have heard a lot of talk lately about intervals, and it seems many people are working them into their training regiments.
Most of us are familiar with the basics of interval training. It is a training session that involves repeated bouts of exercise, separated by rest intervals. Depending on the length of the exercise period and the intervals, it can either be aerobic or anaerobic training. In essence, it is a workout meant to boost performance by increasing strength, endurance and the body’s ability to deal with lactic acid production. Sounds good, right? I know that I do a few interval-training sessions a week, both biking and running. And swimming — unless you are one of those loonies who is out there at the crack of dawn doing those pier to pier swims — is usually done as an interval workout. For serious athletes, interval training can be the key to shedding a few seconds on a 10K. For the weekend warrior, it can be a great way to mix up a weekly routine and wake up some of those fast-twitch muscles that have been dormant for too long. However, there are a few things to think about before you start tacking on interval training to your current training load.
First, you need to think about your current fitness level. There is no way around it. Interval training is taxing on your body. It is the good old-fashioned hard work that many athletes consider the bread and butter of their training. If your body is ready for it, this training can be the next step in a solid fitness program. On the flip side, if you don’t have a solid base, it can actually be detrimental to you overall fitness and health. There is nothing like a pulled muscle to set you back a few months in your fitness goals. So, be careful. Make sure that you have put in the time before you start timing your output. If you are a beginning runner struggling to run 15 miles a week, it is probably not a great idea to hit the track for repeat 800s with 30 seconds rest. Get a solid base under you and then start small. Remember that an interval session can be something as simple as picking up the pace between telephone poles on a bike climb, or trying to run the middle section of a run a few seconds faster than normal. As you get more comfortable with the efforts, you can increase your mileage, intervals and weekly sessions.
Once you have determined that you are ready to start adding intervals to your training, you need to start thinking about duration and frequency. The mistake that many people make is in thinking that if some interval training is good, then a lot of interval training is better. Wrong. As you map out your schedule, it is important to keep in mind that any workout that is the same amount of time as your normal workout, and includes intervals, is going to be more work. If you are on a track or in the pool, it is easier to keep track of how far you are going because you can count laps and lengths. However, out on the roads or trails it is a little more difficult. You will cover more miles in the same amount of time that you usually workout, and your body will notice the difference. Because of this, you need to be aware of how much you are increasing your workload. Along with this, you need to watch your frequency. Interval training only works if you give your body time to rest. Proper rest between sessions will allow your body to recover and keep making gains. Not enough rest and you risk just beating yourself up until your body can’t take it anymore and you either get sick or injured. Beginners should shoot for once a week with intervals, while more advanced athletes can work up to several sessions of various length, intensity and muscle focus. When in doubt, always seek outside advice from a coach or trainer.
The final thing to think about when contemplating adding intervals to your schedule is, why? I was riding with a group the other day and we were planning a little interval session on a long climb. There were four of us, and as we were planning our sets, one of the guys said, “I think I am going to opt out and just ride.” I asked him why, and his response is something that I have been thinking about for the last week. He said, “I work all day long, and the last thing I want to do on a ride is to think about anything.” He did his thing, met us at the top of the hill and finished the ride. And, unlike the rest of us who were so focused on our watches and heart rates, he probably checked out the view along the way. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being focused and driven to achieve, but sometimes that can get in the way of the pure enjoyment of the sports we love. (Thaddeus Reichley is a middle school teacher and elite triathlete, living and training in Santa Monica. Look for his columns on the weekends and )
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 14, 2005. Read the original PDF.