One is speed training. The other is long distance training. A good definition of speed training is any type of running that involves oxygen debt (Runner's World 6). Runners who want to incur oxygen debt work often do one of three workouts everyday of the week. The most popular method of the three is interval training. Several champions have trained using this program. Many times this workout is done on a track. Intervals are repeated efforts at given distances and specified pace with an interval of rest? (Jordan and Spencer 10). Runners, who train with intervals, often repeat distances of two hundred meters or four hundred meters with a set amount of rest and a set amount of time to run the set distance. One example of an interval program is running twenty, four hundred meter dashes in sixty seconds. Then in between each four hundred meter dash the runner is allowed one minute of rest. Therefore this workout should take exactly forty minutes. Years ago, this training session was used often to measure if a runner was ready to run the sub four-minute mile.
Another type of speed workout is the fartlek. This workout originated in Scandinavia. The word fartlek means,speed play.? This is a good translation of the Swedish word because this actually is what the workout demands. The method is described asgetting tired without feeling tired? (Jordan and Spencer 10). In order to do this workout correctly a runner must be spontaneous and begin sprinting whenever he feels like it, in other words play with his speed. There is no set time or distance to sprint. This type of training is not very rigid. Runners like to do this workout on grass or through a park. In those places, the distances are not marked out and the runners must rely only on how they feel. Detractors say that in order for a runner to benefit from this type of speed workout the runner must be very self motivated (Runner's World 40).
