Speed Focus
What it is
building speed trains your neuromuscular system to fire faster, recruits more fast-twitch muscle fibers, and raises your lactate threshold. Your lactate threshold is the exercise intensity at which lactate starts to accumulate faster than your body can clear it, training at or near this level boosts your ability to sustain harder efforts longer.
Over time, with a speed focused training approach, you’ll be able to sustain quicker paces with less effort.
How it impacts your plan
Interval sessions: Fun, intense bursts (e.g., 6×400 m at 5K pace with walking breaks) that teach your body to love speed.
Hill repeats: Short uphill bursts to develop power and turnover.
VO₂ max workouts: Spending time running at your max sustainable effort with equal rest, these workouts will burn!
Reduce long-run emphasis: Long runs will be shorter, but still present every week to keep your aerobic base.
Recovery: You’ll see easy jogs and rest days mixed into your schedule to let your body grow stronger.
When to choose it
Pick speed focus when you’re itching to keep your legs laser-sharp between blocks and fine-tune your pace for that next big effort. You’ve got this!
Endurance Focus
What it is
If you dream of cruising steady miles and stacking up your aerobic base, endurance focus is your jam. It’s all about building resilience and running happily for longer with less fatigue.
How it impacts your plan
Long runs: Long runs will make up 25–35% of your weekly miles at an easy to moderate pace, comfortably challenging.
Threshold/tempo workouts: Sustained time running at a moderate effort with easy recovery to push your lactate threshold.
Recovery: A lot of your miles will be spent at a relaxed conversational pace—easy does it! This will help ensure your body is recovering and adapting to a higher load.
When to choose it
Opt for endurance when you’re in between races and want to keep building your aerobic engine for future adventures. Your legs will thank you later!
Balanced Focus
What it is
A mix of speed and endurance work designed to build both your aerobic base and your ability to hold faster paces. Ideal for maintaining overall fitness without over-specializing.
How it impacts your plan
Tempo runs: Steady, sweat-worthy efforts spent at a comfortably hard pace to boost sustained speed.
Short intervals: Quick bursts to maintain your turnover.
Moderate long runs: Spent at a conversational effort—enough to challenge endurance without burnout.
When to choose it
Go balanced when you want to straddle speed and stamina until your next race goal,
you’ll stay primed for anything from a 5k to a marathon.