Adding speed workouts

Starting to introduce faster runs can be quite daunting. Before building into some heavier duty interval-type training, here are two workouts that you can use to ease into speed work. 

• Deek’s Quarters

• Mona Fartlek

Each was preferred as a sharpening workout for two of Australia’s marathon legends, Rob (“Deek”) De Castella and Steve (“Mona”) Moneghetti and used throughout the year at varying intensities, depending on where they were in their training cycle. 

Deek and Mona were of the high volume school of distance running, consistently running 200 km per week. Whilst it takes years to build up to that sort of mileage, the great thing about these sessions is that you can ease into them, starting slower and as your fitness (and confidence) builds, you’ll find that you can increase the speed at which you complete the workouts over time.

Deek’s Quarters

8x400m, 200m float

The 400m repeats should be at around 5 km pace and the 200m repeats are a float, which means it’s at a moderate pace, faster than jogging. Overall 4.8 km of work. Careful not to go out too hard.

Mona Fartlek

2 x 90 seconds hard, 90 seconds float 

4 x 60 seconds hard, 60 seconds float

4 x 30 seconds hard, 30 seconds float

4 x 15 seconds hard, 15 seconds float 

Overall it’s a 20 minute session, so not too taxing but enough to feel the intensity. Important to make sure there’s at least 10-15 seconds difference in pace between the hard and float sections (easier said than done for 15 second repeats!).