I neglected to mention yesterday that my program this week calls for my first dose of strides.
Hubby kindly included the following explanation in my spreadsheet:
Strides are NOT all-out sprints but are short periods of faster running starting at around 5K race pace and getting faster to around mile race pace (95% of top speed).
7km with 4 Strides of 25 seconds each starting at 5K pace and progressing down to mile race effort with 1 minute recovery jog between.
Apparently my stride pace should range from 4:59 to 4:27 / KM (8:01 to 7:10 / mile).
I’m having a hard time deciding when to incorporate the strides this week. My weekday runs are either on the treadmill at the gym before/after HOT/Spin class or in the dark.
I’ve also been told that I can incorporate it into my long run, but I just can’t picture myself moving that quickly at any point during a 24 KM run.
What should I do?! Any words of wisdom would be appreciated.
Mission to a(nother) Marathon 
unless you do it tonight before it gets dark out… hmmm, can you go now? LOL then treadmill will probably be the best choice since they’re calling for about 15cm of the fluffy white stuff overnight 😦 good luck and have fun! 🙂
ohhh my training program has strides too and they are fun 🙂 they actually dont take as much out of you as you think, you could totally incorporate them into a long run. just short bursts of speed, i dont even really worry about the pace just pick it up (not into a sprint) for about 100m then slow back down between them. i usually did mine at the end of a run… so if i was doing a 6 mile run i would incoporate the strides into the last mile. hope that helps some 🙂
i always thought of strides as being 100-200 yards, and that you do a few at the end of a run rather than in the middle somewhere to “stride out” your legs and get a mini dose of speed. maybe we are calling different things the same name though. if you are supposed to do them in the middle of your run somewhere i would consider that more a ‘fartlek’.since his description says “25 seconds” you could do them after your run. it shouldn’t add on too much distance.i hope i am more helpful than confusing! in general, the goal is to show your legs some speed but not enough (nor for long enough) to raise lactate levels and tire them out.good luck – enjoy churning your legs faster for a few seconds!
I agree with Aron about just adding them to the end of a run – even a longer run. Probably not a good idea in the dark and on the ice/snow, though.
Yes, strides really aren’t that bad. Embrace the strides! On the long run it can actually help my leg fatigue to try to throw some in– something about using different muscles, perhaps?
Strides used to scare me but now that I’ve done a few, I actually like ’em! Can you do strides on the treadmill?
The one thing I remember about strides is that you know you’re doing them right when you feel like a total moron. :o)
Strides. That is new term to me. I have no advice but wanted to wish you good luck doing them.
I do them when coach tells me to. I start when he says go and run to whereever he tells us to run. It’s usually fairly short, like 25-50 meters or something like that. No thinking on my part. Sorry.
This is so funny, I did my first strides tonight and I had to look it up as well. I liked them (although they were tough). More effecient than speed, IMO. Hope yours went well.
This is so funny, I did my first strides tonight and I had to look it up as well. I liked them (although they were tough). More effecient than speed, IMO. Hope yours went well.
They aren’t as bad as they seem and help to switch things up. I second what everyone else is saying. Good luck.
I try to do the equivalent between landmarks when I run. I like to think of them as ways to get my runs done faster. That’s always a good incentive.
Doing the strides at an end of a workout might be hard but I feel like they will help in the long run.I would just try to pick up your pace for the 25 seconds. Experiment and see how it goes!
I like to do my strides after my runs since they’re short and sweet!
I like to do strides on the treadmill because running on the mill can get so boring. The strides shake it up.
I like to think of them as ‘near sprint’ runs…. just make sure not to clench your fists and concentrate on quick turnover
My advice would be that they don’t really take that much effort. I seriously think you could do them towards the end of your long run. I think you’d be surprised.
I guess “strides” are the same as “speedwork” ? I am still getting used to the running terms. Hah
I’m not much help since I run outside 95% of the time. I like how they do it on the Biggest loser. They crank the treadmill of to the stride pace, stand on the sides then jump on and run for the alloted time, then jump off and slow the treadmill back down before they get back on. That might work for you.
But you really can do it on a long run! In fact, it may be easier, since you will already be running long enough to have time to do them. Just do some quick pickups, stretching out a little more than on intervals. I used to do them every mile, for one minute or whatever works with your plan. Then drop back to long run pace. It breaks up the monotony and helps build endurance for the longer distances.