Q: How often should I do interval training?
A: One to two times a week—that’s the sweet spot for most runners. If you’re just getting into it, start with once a week. More experienced runners chasing a 5K or 10K PR? You can sneak in two sessions, but don’t go wild.
Your body needs downtime to absorb the gains. Think of intervals like lifting heavy at the gym—it tears you down so you can build back stronger. But if you hammer it day after day, you’ll end up overtrained or injured. I’ve made that mistake. Trust me, chasing speed without respecting recovery is like sprinting into a brick wall.
On your non-interval days, keep it easy—zone 2 runs, cross-training, rest. You earn your fitness during recovery, not just while gasping for air on the track.
Q: What’s the best thing to eat before an interval workout?
A: You want fast fuel—carbs with a little protein, something that won’t sit like a rock in your gut. Aim to eat 30 to 60 minutes before your workout.
Here are a few of my go-to snacks before speed sessions:
- Banana with a swipe of peanut butter (simple, classic, effective)
- A small bowl of oatmeal with some nuts or a dash of protein powder
- Greek yogurt with honey and a few berries
- Half a whole-wheat bagel with jam or almond butter
Keep it light—you don’t want to be burping granola during 400m repeats. Also, hydrate early. Even mild dehydration (just 1–2%) can mess with your performance. I usually sip water throughout the morning if I’m training in the afternoon.
Skip the spicy noodles or mystery buffet. Save that for your post-run reward.
Q: How long should each interval be?
A: It depends on what you’re training for. Here’s how I break it down:
- Short (20–60 seconds) – These are the burners. Think all-out sprints, hill blasts, 100m repeats. They’re brutal but build serious leg turnover and power. I use these when I’m sharpening up for 5Ks or just want to jolt the system.
- Medium (1–3 minutes) – The bread and butter for VO2 max training. 400s, 800s, or 2-minute intervals. These suck in the best way. They build speed-endurance and help you hang on when your lungs are begging for mercy.
- Long (3–5+ minutes) – These ride the line between speed and endurance. Mile repeats, 1000s, 5-minute tempo chunks. You’ll be running around 10K pace here, and they’re magic for pushing your lactate threshold higher—aka running faster for longer.
Mix and match based on your goal race. For a half or full marathon, I lean on longer reps and tempo efforts. If you’re gunning for a sub-20 5K, the shorter stuff gets more airtime.
Q: Is it okay to walk during interval training?
A: Hell yes. Especially if you’re new or doing hard efforts.
Walking between reps isn’t weakness—it’s smart. If walking during recovery means you can hit the next rep at full power, do it. I’ve coached beginners who walked between 800s and still got faster. As your fitness builds, you can switch to slow jogging. But don’t rush it.
One runner I worked with told me that just knowing they could walk between intervals made them more willing to push hard during the reps. They often jogged the recoveries anyway. It’s a mental trick—and it works.
Bottom line: Quality reps > jogging recoveries with bad form.
Q: What should I do after an interval workout?
A: Recovery starts as soon as the last rep ends. No skipping cooldown.
I always do 5–10 minutes of easy jogging or walking right after a tough workout. It helps clear out the junk in your legs (like lactate) and keeps you from seizing up like a rusty hinge.
Then? Stretch. Calves, hammies, quads, hip flexors—any area that barked at you during the workout.
Within 30 minutes, get some carbs and protein in. Chocolate milk, smoothie, sandwich—whatever your stomach can handle. Electrolytes too, especially if you’re a sweat monster like me.
Later that day or the next morning, some light foam rolling helps. Or an easy yoga session. The secret weapon? Sleep. That’s when your body rebuilds and levels up. If you treat recovery like part of your training plan—not an afterthought—you’ll bounce back faster and stronger.
Q: Can beginners do interval training?
A: Absolutely—just ease in.
In fact, most beginners start with intervals without realizing it. Ever done run-walk intervals like “jog 2 minutes, walk 1 minute”? That’s interval training!
Early on, it’s about learning to push slightly outside your comfort zone. For example, try picking up the pace for 30 seconds—just until it feels “comfortably hard”—then recover for a couple minutes. Do that 4–6 times in a workout. That’s gold for newbies.
Start small. Maybe only 5–10 minutes of total fast effort inside a 20–30 minute session. Let your body adjust. A study from the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research found that even beginners benefit from low-dose intervals when done right. You’ll build fitness faster and keep things interesting.
Remember: intervals don’t have to mean death sprints. A “hard” effort for a new runner might be a brisk jog or hill walk—and that’s perfectly fine.
Q: I’m training for a marathon. Do I still need interval training?
A: Yep—but in smaller doses.
Marathons are endurance beasts. Most of your training should be easy running and long runs. But tossing in some interval work? That’s how you build range and make marathon pace feel less scary.
Think tempo intervals, fartleks, Yasso 800s, strides. You’re not doing 100m sprints. You’re training your system to handle speed and sustain effort.
Early in your training cycle, sprinkle in some VO2 max sessions or shorter intervals. Closer to race day, focus more on longer intervals at marathon or half-marathon pace.
Just don’t sacrifice your long runs or recovery for intervals. If you’re already stacking mileage, even one speed session every 10 days can work wonders.
Let’s Hear from You: What’s Your Interval Game Plan?
Got a favorite interval workout? One you love to hate? Mine’s 800m repeats—hurt like hell, but they work.
Drop your experience in the comments. If you’re just starting out, say which workout you’re going to try. Got questions? Ask away. I’ll help you adapt any session to your current level.
Running doesn’t have to be a solo grind. We’re all chasing something—speed, confidence, that feeling of flying.
Let’s chase it together.
Now go hit those intervals—and let me know how it goes.