Getting Faster With Progression Runs – 30 Minute Runner 2.0

startofrace

The 30 Minute Runner 2.0 experiment has entered into a new phase. After three weeks of base training with easy mileage, I’m now ready to start added some variety to my workouts – including the progression run.

I’m still in the “introductory” running period of the Run Faster program, so these first few workouts are not meant to be overly difficult of long – however, they are important in building a foundation for more challenging workouts in the future.

The Progression Run

I ran my very first workout yesterday in the Run Faster program – a 6 mile progression run. A progression run is simply a steady run that ends with a fast pace.  For example, my workout today was a 6 mile run with the last ten minutes at a moderate pace.  The ten minutes were also run uphill to maximize strength training.

One of the cool things about the Run Faster program is that it often combines the traditional Sunday long run with these progression runs. It is a fantastic way to take advantage of the benefits of the long run while also including a mini tempo run at the end.

Combining two workouts into run is a huge help for my very busy schedule.

It is important to keep in mind, however, that concluding a long run at a faster pace is really tough.  I had averaged about 8:20 minute mile pace for the first 5 miles of the run and I ended up dropping the last ten minutes to about 7:40 pace.

Due to the fact that I ran the last ten minutes uphill, I was really feeling it in my legs and lungs.  However, it was also a lot of fun to switch pace and get my legs cranking.

It is difficult to know if I ran the ten minutes at the correct pace.  In his book, Coach Hudson does not provide specific time goals for progression runs.  Rather, he leaves it up to the runner to determine what pace feels “moderate” or “hard.”

In order to run well during the “progression” phase of the run, I definitely recommend taking the first part of the run easy.

So without further ado, here is my current training for 30 Minute Runner 2.0 as recorded by the Garmin 310XT.  I realize that many of these runs exceed 30 minutes, but I had the time to go a bit further on some of the days and took advantage of it. Not every week will be the same.  Stay tuned for a recap of the first fartlek workout later this week!

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