If done properly, interval running sessions can be a powerful way to gain the much needed speed for that upcoming race. Here are a few tips to get the most out of your training session:

1. Warm up

Intervals are a more common cause of injury than longer slower runs, as the body is being through much faster changes in pacing. A ten minute warm-up jog is essential before any serous interval session; towards the end of the warm up, it is good to do a few running looseners, such as running with your knees up in the air, then running, or running fast on the spot. Then before the first intervals you can do some dynamic stretches. Then you can toe the line and off you go!

2. Don't overestimate the length of intervals

It is common for people to do intervals of a length longer then they need for the event they are training for, which can negate what they are trying to get out of the run. A good rule of thumb is not to have your interval distance more than one-eighth of what you are training for. For example for a mile race, 100m and 200m intervals are the ideal training. For longer races, there is obviously more opportunity to vary the distance of your intervals. For a marathon, you might start with sessions like ten 400m intervals or five 1-kilometer intervals, and then over the course of eight or nine weeks build up to three three-mile intervals.

3. The breaks between intervals: standing still or jogging?

It is much better if you have a slow jog in between intervals, especially shorter ones. It minimises the stop-start action that can place so much stress on the body. For shorter intervals up to 800m, a good length of time for the rest between intervals is the time it takes to slow-jog half the interval distance. For longer intervals, jogging is still the preferred option, but walking should be done in any case. Whatever you do, however, don't stay still!

4. Keep them regular

The optimum benefit is obtained from intervals when they are all performed at the same pace. Instead, we commonly go much faster than our target pace for the first interval or two, only to increasingly suffer as the session continues, and finish the last ones far behind our intended goal. It is actually no harm to do the first interval at a pace slightly slower than your target; your muscles are still warming up in any case and you will then naturally speed up as the interval goes on. Near the end of the interval, it can be easy to take a longer break between intervals, but try to resist the temptation (if you are truly exhausted, you should just stop the session there and then)

5. Warm down

Ten minutes jog slowing down to a walk near the end, then five minutes of static stretching. Interval sessions certainly counts as a 'hard' training session, and should always be followed by at least one or two days recovery running before the next hard session.