Time-based intervals are simpler than distance-based for younger runners. 1 minute hard, 1 minute easy. Repeat. The body learns to handle the repeated effort, which builds the engine for longer races.
What you need: A track or open path, stopwatch.
Setup: Runner at the start of a flat 200-meter or longer area.
How to run it:
- Warm up with 5 minutes of easy jogging.
- Run hard for 1 minute (fast but not all-out).
- Jog easy for 1 minute (recovery).
- Repeat: 8 rounds total. 16 minutes of work.
- Cool down with 5 minutes of easy jogging.
What to watch: Effort consistency. If the first 1-minute is much harder than the last, the runner started too fast. They should hit the same effort level on every interval.
If they’re struggling: 30 seconds on, 1 minute off. Build up.
If they’ve got it: 90 seconds on, 1 minute off. Or 6 rounds of 2 minutes on, 1 minute off.