Intervals

I've been hearing a lot about this "interval training" which sounds okay, if you're into that sort of thing. After spending three months training to cover medium distances at a glacial pace, I'm thinking maybe it's time to move in a swifter direction. I'm told that interval training results in improved performance, greater speed, and endurance.*

 

Okay except I don't know how. In theory I get that it's supposed to be sprinting mixed with recovery time, but that's pretty vague. I sort of see myself sprinting for about thirty seconds and then walking for thirty minutes.

Interval training has been used by athletes for years to build fitness. Interval training combines short, high intensity bursts of speed, with slow, recovery phases, repeated during one exercise session. An early form of interval training, "Fartlek" (a Swedish term meaning 'speed play') was casual and unstructured. A runner would simply increase and decrease his pace at will.

Somebody guess which part of that made me giggle. Also, how concerned should I be that the "related videos" for the article are both concerned with potty training? Is this targeted advertising? I have nothing to say.

I'm going to give this whole thing a try this week. We'll see.

*That's what she said.

Unrelated pictures of Yosemite.