Last week I wrote a post on Time Efficient Training. Over the next few weeks I’ll be posting a time efficient training session for each of the disciplines associated with triathlon, and here’s the first, a time efficient run session.

This acceleration runs increase in speed, culminating with a pace just above your target race pace. The idea is to progress each week by increasing the distance or speed of each increment. This session has many of the benefits of a steady tempo run but allows the body to gradually warm up, which reduces fatigue and injury risk. You can measure the increments in speed or heart rate. In this example heart rate is used. The formula may look a little confusing for each of the runs, however if you take a 5 minutes to work out the specific BPM’s (beats per minute) for your specific run you’ll feel the benefits in no time.

Acceleration Run For Sprint Distance Tri – 25 minutes continuous running as follows;

5 minutes at 30 BPM (beats per minute) below 5K pace OR 5 minutes steady

5 minutes at 20 BPM (beats per minute) below 5K pace OR 5 minutes at marathon pace

5 minutes at 10 BPM (beats per minute) below 5K pace OR 5 minutes half marathon pace

5 minutes at 3 BPM (beats per minute) below 5K pace OR 5 minutes just above 5k pace

5 minutes easy jog

Acceleration Run For Olympic Distance Tri – 40 minutes continuous running as follows;

7 minutes at 36 BPM (beats per minute) below 10K pace OR 7 minutes easy

7 minutes at 27 BPM (beats per minute) below 10K pace OR 7 minutes steady

7 minutes at 18 BPM (beats per minute) below 10K pace OR 7 minutes at marathon pace

7 minutes at 9 BPM (beats per minute) below 10K pace OR 7 minutes at half marathon pace

7 minutes at 3 BPM (beats per minute) below 10K pace OR 7 minutes just above 10k pace

5 minutes easy jog

Acceleration Run For Middle Distance Tri – 55 minutes continuous running as follows;

10 minutes at 28 BPM (beats per minute) below half marathon pace OR 10 minutes easy

10 minutes at 21 BPM (beats per minute) below half marathon pace OR 10 minutes steady

10 minutes at 14 BPM (beats per minute) below half marathon pace OR 10 minutes at marathon pace

10 minutes at 7 BPM (beats per minute) below half marathon pace OR 10 minutes at half marathon pace

10 minutes at 3 BPM (beats per minute) below half marathon pace OR 10 minutes faster than half marathon pace

5 minutes easy jog

Acceleration Run For Long Distance Tri – 1 hr 23 minutes continuous running as follows;

13 minutes at 25 BPM (beats per minute) below marathon pace OR 13 minutes easy

13 minutes at 20 BPM (beats per minute) below marathon pace OR 13 minutes steady

13 minutes at 15 BPM (beats per minute) below marathon pace OR 13 minutes steady

13 minutes at 10 BPM (beats per minute) below marathon pace OR 13 minutes steady to marathon pace

13 minutes at 5 BPM (beats per minute) below marathon pace OR 13 minutes just below marathon pace

13 minutes at 3 BPM (beats per minute) below marathon pace OR 13 minutes above marathon pace

5 minutes easy jog

Happy training!

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