A 4-Mile Run is a 4-Mile Run, Right?

My "normal" run is 4 miles. I do it a two or three times a week. It's my standard. My ordinary. My ham-and-cheese-on-white-bread workout.

Some days, it's a breeze. Some days I struggle to knock it out. It normally includes a quarter-mile warm up and cool down walk at each end. It normally is at a 5.8-6.0 mph pace. And it normally takes me about 45 minutes, all said and done.

So when I saw a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) version of my normal run, I thought it would be fun to try because, in the back of my head, I thought it would be easy. The plan said to run for one minute at 50% of your normal exertion, followed by a minute at 70% and another minute at 100%. Repeat this cycle 15 times or for 45 total minutes.

Run at 50% for a third of my normal time? How hard could that be? Sounds not so tough, right?

Ha! Famous last words.

I chose to do the 50% at 5.0 mph, 70% at 5.5 mph and 100% at 6.2 mph.

And the 45 minutes kicked my ass.

I got it done, but not without backing that 6.2 down to a 6.0 for three cycles at the end. And, I was all in when it was over.

I ran the same 4 miles in 45 minutes, and two thirds of it was considerably slower than my normal pace.

Intervals work. Intervals increase cardio efficiency, improve overall speed and increase endurance. They also help you burn more calories in the same amount of time.

I'm going to try and make one run every two weeks an interval one. Try it yourself. Start with a 30-second interval for 10 cycles and see where you're at. Increase interval time and number of cycles as you get stronger.

Learn more here: Interval Tips and Tricks