Challenge Run Workout #1: 1:1:1 Tempo Progression Run

Your running coach for the Triathlete Challenge is Olympian, former collegiate runner, and elite-level coach Ryan Bolton. Bolton’s background at the highest level of triathlon and his recent experience coaching international-level athletes make him an ideal run guide for the next four weeks. The workouts he’ll be providing are variations on the same workouts that can be found in his new book, The Triathlete Guide to Sprint and Olympic Triathlon Racing. For more sessions like this, along with full 16-week short-course training plans from beginner to elite, check out his book available now from VeloPress.

With the final 10K time trial in mind, before you begin this week’s workout, you should think about a goal 10K time that you’d like to hit at the end of May to help pace out the next four run workouts. Be realistic about your current fitness and your ability to train/eat/recover properly, and don’t swing for the fences hoping to shatter your PR from years ago. That said, your goal should be a reach that you feel is just barely outside of your current grasp—set that goal and own it!

This week’s tempo progression run workout will serve as a starting point for the challenge and will literally help you “build” into the rest of the sessions. Be sure to pace yourself appropriately, and if after the run you’re overly fatigued, maybe take a moment to reevaluate your goal time.

1:1:1 Tempo Progression Run

Beginner:

Warm-Up:

15 minutes building to within 1:00 per mile of 10K race pace

Main Set:

15 minutes at 45 seconds slower per mile of 10K race pace

15 minutes at 30 seconds per mile slower than projected 10K race pace 

Cool-Down:

Walk 5-10 minutes easy

Advanced:

Warm-Up:

20 minutes building to within 1:00 per mile of 10K race pace

Main Set:

20 minutes at 30 to 40 seconds slower per mile of 10K race pace

20 minutes at 15 seconds per mile slower than projected 10K race pace 

Cool-Down:

Walk 5-10 minutes easy