Turbocharge your legs with these short sprint sessions

Logging repetitive runs can get tedious. If you’re following the same route at the same pace day after day, getting out the door can be a challenge. Switch things up with an occasional sprint workout, and your running performance will benefit, no matter what distance you’re training for. You’ll improve stride efficiency, increase leg turnover and develop explosive power, all while becoming a more resilient and adaptable athlete.

Try one of these short, simple workouts to get started: if you’re newer to running, reduce the number of intervals or take longer recovery breaks.

200-metre challenge

While this workout is easiest done on a track, measuring out a rough distance on a road or trail works too. Work on finding a pace that you can withstand for the entire length of the interval–it may take a few repeats before you get the hang of it.

Warm up with 10 minutes of easy running.

Run 10 x 200 metres with 60 seconds of rest (walking, if you can still move) in between sprints.

Cool down with 10 minutes of easy running.

Progressive 400-metre repeats

This workout is a more challenging version of the last one, with a catch–aim to pick up the pace on each repeat. Begin running at a pace that is challenging but manageable (think 10K pace), and make each interval slightly faster than the last.

Warm up with 10 minutes of easy running.

Run six x 400 metres, with 90 seconds of rest between intervals.

Cool down with 10 minutes of easy running.

The anytime, anywhere workout

Throw this into your training when you need to get moving but you’re short on time. The point of this session is to elevate your heart rate, and then to let it come down–it’s that simple, so you can make it a full-blast effort or a gently rolling one.

Warm up with five minutes of easy running.

Run 12 x one-minute repeats, with one minute of easy running to recover.

Cool down with five minutes of easy running.

Explosive hill sprints

Hills are a great way to build strength and power–and you don’t need to worry about your pace.  Throw out the data for this one and go by effort, aiming for a seven out of 10 on the RPE scale. Take note of where your first sprint ends, and try to go a little bit farther with each repeat.

Warm up with 10 minutes of easy running.

Run eight x 45-second uphill sprints, walking or jogging slowly down to recover.

Cool down with 10 minutes of easy running.

Make sure to follow one of these workouts with a rest day or a day of very easy running.