Interval training builds speed and stamina at the same time. 200m repeats are the workhorse interval. Run 200m hard, recover by walking 200m, repeat. Six rounds and the kid is faster.
What you need: A 400m track, stopwatch.
Setup: Runner at the 200m start.
How to run it:
- Set a target 200m time (10% slower than the kid’s all-out 200m).
- Run the 200m at target pace.
- Walk the next 200m as recovery. Try to keep moving.
- Run another 200m at target pace.
- Continue: 6 total reps. Track each 200m time.
What to watch: Pace consistency. If the first 200m is way faster than the last, the kid is doing all-out sprints, not intervals. Intervals are about repeated effort at a sustainable pace.
If they’re struggling: Cut to 4 reps. Or longer recovery (walk 400m between).
If they’ve got it: 8 reps. Or shorter recovery (jog the recovery instead of walking).