Common training mistakes - lack of variety

“It never gets easier; you just go faster” is one of the few absolutes when it comes to endurance sports. However, many athletes hit a plateau fairly quickly and it can be puzzling why they don’t see improvements anymore.

Lack of variety in training is something you should check out first.

Let’s have a close look at why always going at the same speed won’t help you get better.

Problem

After completing a few races, athletes who train on their own can find themselves in a position where even though they are training regularly, they don’t see an improvement on race day.

Setting a personal best seems out of reach and motivation is taking a hit.

Cause

One of the most common reasons for this is lack of variety in training. Most athletes spend their time training at the same moderate intensity during every training session.

With time, they will be able to have longer sessions, cover more distance or do more reps but when it comes to being faster, things don’t move at the same rate.

It’s hard running at close to your max for a certain amount of time, rest, and repeat it a few more times. That’s why many opt for something that is a little easier and they have seen yield results in the past.

Symptoms

Even though they can cover a bigger distance, their speed is, pretty much, the same. This becomes apparent during races where even though they are pushing really hard, they can’t beat their personal best or if they are able to improve it, it’s just by a few seconds.

Speed sessions or heavier loads cause problems and it seems like an impossible task to break through a plateau.

Fix

Here the fix is really simple. In order to race faster, you have to train faster.

A 40 minute steady run can be spiced up with faster intervals as short as 30 seconds with a minute of rest in between. Do this for 3-4 times and continue with the steady run.

Next time you are doing an easy run add 3-4 intervals of 45 seconds hard and 1 minute rest. After that go back to 30 second hard and 1 minute rest but do it for 5-6 reps.

Over a few months you will be able to significantly increase both the duration of the fast part of the interval as well as the total amount of reps. Try keeping the rest period to 1.5-2 times the fast period to recover for the next interval.

There are many way you can structure those intervals. You can make the intervals all the same effort. You can have longer slower efforts first and then make them shorter but faster towards the end. Pyramid shaped intervals are quite popular because after the initial ramping up, you start to enjoy the easing up of intensity and can finish strong even though you are still working hard.

Another tip you can use is to use elevation as a variable component. Steady sessions can be broken up with a few smaller hills where you will work on your strength and overall running economy.

Variety is the spice of life should be your guiding star when it comes to endurance training. It will keep you mentally engaged and will help you a great deal in reaching new heights with your performance.