One-Hour Workout: Off-Season Treadmill Pyramid

Every Tuesday we’ll feature a different coach’s workout you can complete in 60 mins (or less!).

This week’s workout comes from USAT Level I coach Maria Simone of No Limits Endurance. “This workout is a good way to keep some higher intensity work in your off-season routine, and can be included every other week or every 3 weeks,” Simone says. “While many of us will spend most of our time in aerobic training this time of year, small doses of threshold and suprathreshold training can provide benefit as well.”

Simone says the intensity work for the interval portions should hover right around threshold heart rate or pace. Each interval gets slightly harder, but it also gets slightly shorter. For example, you can add an additional six-minute interval to the beginning and/or add a few more one-minute max efforts at the end of the workout.

RELATED: Three Running Workouts For The Treadmill

Treadmill Progressive Pyramid Intervals

(45 minutes, add on up to 60 minutes)

Warm-up
10 minutes, easy/Zone 1
5 minutes, build to steady/Zone 2

Main Set
5 minutes, 85% max HR or pace
1 minute, easy recovery
4 minutes, 87% max HR or pace (slightly harder than previous)
1 minute easy recovery
3 minutes, 90% max HR or pace (slightly harder than previous)
1 minute, easy recovery
2 minutes, 95% max HR or pace (harder than previous)
1 minute, easy recovery
1 minute, near max effort
1 minute, easy recovery

Cool-down
10 minutes easy walk or run

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More one-hour workouts.

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