Cardio Interval Repeats

Well, it’s official. I did not get into the New York Marathon for 2019. While I am a bit disappointed because I truly thought it was my year for the lottery, I am also relieved. Training for a marathon is not for the faint of heart and to add in a whole bunch of air travel and staying the city, I am happy to set my sights on a few races closer to home.

What those races are, I am not sure yet. The only one on the horizon right now is the Fit Foodie Festival & 5k in Denver on August 3. There are also Fit Foodie Festivals & 5Ks in Austin, TX, Fairfax, VA, and San Diego, CA and if you want to run one you can use code BROOKE for $5 off your race entry. Rob and I ran the Fit Foodie Run in Denver two years ago and had an absolute blast racing and then handing out sampling bites from vendors and playing the grass with little Zoey in the beer garden.

Not to worry though, running is still my favorite way to workout and I just cannot stay away from a finish line for too long. The hardest part right now is going to be finding the time to train for longer distances as I am loathe to give up any time with the kids. This means I want the majority of any long runs to happen before the kids get up at 6:30. Thankfully with the days getting longer that will be a little easier to do. Taking them with me in the double jogger is not really an option as William cannot stand to sit in the stroller much past 20 minutes. That boy just wants to be moving himself!

Since 5k season is upon us, I wanted to share this Cardio Interval Repeats workout with you. One type of workout that I include in every workout program I write (whether finish line specific or strength building) is intervals. There are so incredibly good for building up your endurance, raising your heart rate, cultivating fast twitch muscles, and toughening up your mentality for race day. This particular interval run is idea for the 5k as it gets you 14 minutes of fast pace work.

If you are a beginner to running, or just starting to learn to run, I recommend you take your push paces at a jog and your easy paces at a normal walk.

Intermediates, aim for on race pace push paces and a slow job for easy paces.

Advanced runners, your push paces should be faster than your race pace by about 20 seconds per mile with your easy paces a comfortable jog.

Before starting the workout, including a cardio workout, be sure to warm up with some light cardio (5-10 minutes), and dynamic stretching. Do the same as a cool down when you finish your workout. Get a copy of the warm up and cool down routine I recommend here.

You can also check out my must have workout resources here. These are the things I use weekly, if not daily, to make my workouts as easy and comfortable as possible.

Cardio Interval Repeats

Warm up at an easy pace 5-10 minutes

Push pace 2 minutes / Easy pace 2 minutes.

Repeat this pattern for a total of 4 times through.

Push pace 1 minute / Easy pace 1 minute.

Repeat this pattern for a total of 4 times through.

Push pace 30 seconds / Easy pace 30 seconds.

Repeat this pattern for a total of 4 times through.

Let me know if you try it out and how you liked it!

More cardio interval workouts to try:

• 6 Interval Running Workouts For When You Just Don’t Feel Like It
• Mental Toughness Intervals 
• Short Interval Workout For That Finishing Kick 
• 35-Minute Bike Interval Workout

Get your 5K For All Levels Training Plan here. Whether you are a beginning runner, an intermediate runner who has completed a few 5ks, or an advanced runner who is looking to break a personal best, this training plan is for you. With twice weekly interval runs, twice weekly strength workouts, and once weekly longer runs, you will be in the best shape you can be to reach that finish line feeling strong, confident, and ready for more.