Written by Mon Solo

Unlock Your Running Potential with Interval Training

You can’t build fitness just by running slow and easy. Whether you’re training for a 3km race or a marathon, intervals are one of the most effective tools for building speed, endurance, and efficiency—and beginners should absolutely do them.

To get the most out of them, here’s a brief beginners guide explaining what intervals are, the three most common types, and—most importantly—why each type uses a specific intensity and recovery between reps. By understanding these, runners can best decide how to perform their interval sessions, targeting the adaptation they wish to elicit.

What Are Intervals?

Intervals are runs that alternate between:

  • Work: a burst of fast running
  • Recovery: a period of walking or slow jogging

For example:

6×400m (w/ 1 min walk)
This means: Run 400m fast, rest for 1 minute. Repeat 6 times.

Now lets breakdown the 3 most common interval sessions.

1. Short Intervals (30 sec to 1 min)

Example: 6–8 × 30 seconds fast, 90 seconds walk

  • Goal: Improve how smoothly and quickly your legs move
  • Intensity: High (RPE 8–9/10). Fast but controlled. You should feel quick and springy, not strained.
  • Recovery: 90–120 sec (full or near-full recovery)

Short intervals help your body learn how to run faster and more efficiently. They improve how well your nerves and muscles work together to make your stride smoother and quicker.

You rest almost fully between each rep because the goal isn’t to make you tired—it’s to practice moving well at high speed. If you’re too tired, your form breaks down and the workout loses its purpose.

Beginner version: 6×30 sec fast (90 sec walk)

2. Threshold Intervals (6–10 mins)

Example: 3 × 8 minutes steady-hard, 2 min jog

  • Goal: Help your body get better at holding a steady, challenging pace for longer
  • Intensity: Moderate to Hard (RPE 6–7/10). This is about your 10k race pace or a pace you could hold for 60 minutes. You’re working hard, but not breathless.
  • Recovery: Short (1–2 min jog or walk). Not full recovery.

Threshold intervals train your body to handle a tough pace without tiring too quickly. At this level, your muscles start to produce more lactate (a by-product of effort), and this workout teaches your body how to clear it efficiently.

Short rests keep your heart rate up and your body in that working zone. They also teach you how to keep going even when you’re tired—helping you stay focused and keep your running form steady.

As much as possible, jog rather than walk during recovery to mimic real race conditions and build better endurance.

Beginner version: 4 × 4 minutes steady effort, 2–3 min jog/walk for recovery

3. Aerobic Power Intervals (2–4 mins)

Example: 4–5 × 2 minutes hard, 2–3 min jog or walk

  • Goal: Help you run faster by pushing your body to work near its limit for a few minutes at a time
  • Intensity: Hard (RPE 7-8/10). You’re running near the edge of control—challenging, but not all-out sprinting.
  • Recovery: Equal to or slightly longer than the work interval (2–3 mins)

These intervals push your heart and lungs to work harder for a short period of time. This level of effort also causes your body to produce more lactate—a natural by-product of intense exercise. Over time, your body learns how to manage and clear this lactate more effectively, helping you stay strong at faster paces and avoid that heavy, tired feeling in your legs.

The rest allows you to catch your breath and flush out the tired feeling in your legs so you can go hard again without losing form. You learn how to stay strong under pressure and recover quickly between efforts.

Beginner version: 3 × 2 minutes at hard effort, 2–3 min walk. You should be breathing heavily, but still able to hold form.

Analogy

Imagine your body is a sink. Lactate is water. Your ability to recover is the drain:

  • Short Intervals: It’s similar to quickly turning the faucet on and off. The sink doesn’t fill. You’re practicing precision and fast movement while staying fresh. 
  • Threshold Intervals: The faucet is running at a steady, manageable rate. The drain can still empty the water—just like your body learns to clear lactate as it’s being produced. You’re training to maintain a strong pace without overflowing.
  • Aerobic Power Intervals: The faucet is blasting water. The sink fills quickly, and you stop before it overflows. During the rest, you let the water drain. You’re training your body to tolerate that intense flood of effort—and to recover well before doing it again.

In Summary

Each of the three interval types serves a different purpose in your training.

Short intervals are all about speed, rhythm, and running form. Since the efforts are brief, you’re not working long enough to build up much fatigue or lactate—so the focus is on quality movement while fresh.

Threshold intervals are longer, steady efforts that train your body to sustain a moderately hard pace for a long time. Here, you’re producing some lactate but still able to clear it efficiently. Over time, this helps you hold a strong pace without slowing down.

Aerobic power intervals are harder efforts that push your body near its limit, creating more lactate than your body can clear immediately. These workouts teach you to stay composed under pressure and recover quickly before repeating the effort. Strength under pressure | Hard | How to push hard, recover, and repeat strong efforts |

Tips for Beginners

  • Start with one interval workout per week.
  • Always warm up and cool down (5–10 min easy run + drills before, light jog after).
  • Let effort guide you—don’t chase exact paces early on.

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