Intervals for Masters Runners: What Do You Do?

I do intervals, but most are at around 5k pace. I manage the difficulty of the workout by adjusting rest time. I do think doing Speedwork helps.

(M48) I still to plenty of interval work. Mostly because I find it “fun”. I followed a Greg McMillan plan last April/ May and ran my over-40 PR (4:49.30) at a track mile. I will say I felt one rep away from an injury the entire training block. This fall, I ran quarters with the HS XC team I coach each week and ran my age 48 PR (16:46). I also had good success with Klaas Lok’s Easy Interval Method from fall of 2020 until March of 2022.

At 65, even more than in my mid-50s, I'm concerned with injury prevention. In the past 15 years I've wrenched both hamstrings several times in ways that prevented me from running for two or three months if not more. Especially at our age, de-conditioning is a serious concern. You're better off, in other words, knowing how to live the creed "a little less is a lot more" than putting in a gut busting workout that breaks or tears something. It's a hard lesson to learn, but I've finally learned it.

This spring my best 5K pace was 7:37 and best 10K pace was 8:07 (I'm hoping to go just under 8:00 this Saturday). With that in mind, and with injury avoidance at the top of the list, I've done the following over the past four months, in a context of 25-35 mpw:

--a fair number of hilly 8-mile progression runs early to midseason

--a fair number of 10-mile long runs

--lots of 3-4 mile tempo runs, almost all of which ended up with moderately negative splits. I feel as though I've finally learned how to pace them properly, Tinman style. I averaged 8:31 for the slowest of these runs and 8:12 for the fastest. Comfortably hard.

--A couple of CV workouts: 5 x 3:00 w/2:00 breaks

--One genuinely hard workout: 3 x 3:00 hills at 5K pace w/jog back down (about 3:00 break). I felt a very slight hamstring tweak after this, which seems to be okay now but told me exactly where the edge was.

--As goal races approached, more specific endurance work: 3 x mile @8:00 (i.e., 10K) with 90 second breaks. Last week, pointing towards my goal race, 3 x mile @8:00 + 1 x .5 mile at 7:30, all with 60 second breaks.

--This past weekend, a "short" long run with a fast finish: 2/3 mile @ 5K effort (7:52; I was a little off my game) with another 75 seconds at 7:27, sub-maximal kicking it in.

--All season, 5-8 x 30 second strides once or twice a week. These were key. Paces were closer to 7:30 early season and 6:45-7:00 pace later on.

Bottom line: I do NOTHING like hard interval work. I just can't risk it. In my last 10K, a couple of weeks ago, a course with 400 vertical feet, I averaged 92% of max (170/185) and ran the final 53 seconds at 6:22 pace. So the kick is there when needed, without any specific training at that pace.

Could I do even better with harder training--harder intervals? It's possible. But I suspect I could do just as well by losing three pounds and running a consistent 40 mpw. I'm faster at 65 than I was at 64. So I'll preach moderation. Learn where the edge is and, as you age, be willing to cut things a little short.

The things as a kid you could do the extra interval, tweak something and be back in a day. At 50 I am out 2 weeks . I still do intervals but I back off from the edge. Things like 12*400 instead of 16. And be willing to push back workouts.

And am definitely a lot more careful about easing into things and when making changes. No jumping from easy runs to hard 400s without a couple week build up

Intervals went from 200s at 800 to 200s around 5k

Mid-50s, mid 18s 5k here...my hamstrings tend to fail if I get down below 3k pace so I do the intervals but max pace is 3k, and preferably a little slower. It's fun to run fast but for me it is counterproductive.

On the other hand, once every couple weeks I will do maximum stress intervals on a rowing machine or stationary bike. I think it is important to practice all-out efforts and learn what max heart rate feels like...but I can't safely do that running anymore so I do it elsewhere.

66 YO. One interval session per week - 400's/800's/1000's/1600's. Just can't run as fast. Try to avoid 200's or shorter - it's the "all out" sprint stuff that injure aging runners. To perform at all in races, you have to do some faster than race pace efforts

Really good question. I'm 56, still do some fairly hard workouts. Currently doing 70-80 mpw on 6 days with some track intervals (600's/800's @ 515-20 mile pace) but more tempo & pace work. 2 workouts a week. 3 was too much. For me to keep higher mileage and tougher intervals, I discovered I have to do more strength work to keep from getting injured (eccentric heal drops, hip flexors, quads...lots of core and hips. When I have relaxed and gotten lazy, I get injured. Recovery for me, is treated as importantly as a key workout and easily take a day off if I feel too tired. While it takes us longer to recover, you can still workout harder if you pay attention to preventative maintenance and rest.

Im 54, a few years I found that it was very difficult to redline when training by myself. I started assistant coaching for a high. Training with those kids has really pushed me hit those sorts of paces that fell faster than just myself ( tbh, I’m doing intervals with the slower guys/ faster girls).

I do these once/week with the team . a variety from 200s to 800s

I love that muttery handle, fkkfkfkfk. I've muttered that to myself more than once over the year. ;((

Age 61: I have to do shorter/faster intervals (200, 400, 800) at least one day per week to keep up some level of speed.

I'm very cautious about the volume (less is almost always better), and I don't run another interval until my pulse returns to 125 bpm. I err on the side of caution. It takes so long to recover now if I get an injury.

In short, fewer intervals but high quality works pretty well for me.

49- just ran a 1:26 high half marathon on 20-25 mpw. (If I go over 30 I get injured)

In a week:

2 minute hill repeats at 5k effort

1 long run of around 90 mins (z2 easy)

1 flat road fartlek (various but usually a total of around 20 mins)

1 hard cycling workout, 1 long ride of around 3 hours

2 swim workouts around 2k yards

This…..

Mid-50s, mid 18s 5k here...my hamstrings tend to fail if I get down below 3k pace so I do the intervals but max pace is 3k, and preferably a little slower. It's fun to run fast but for me it is counterproductive.
On the other hand, once every couple weeks I will do maximum stress intervals on a rowing machine or stationary bike. I think it is important to practice all-out efforts and learn what max heart rate feels like...but I can't safely do that running anymore so I do it elsewhere.

B workouts mostly. In my early 40s I did fast stuff and ended up with long-term injuries. Coming back in my late 40s I actually upped my mileage (from 40-50 mpw) to 55-65 (added more for a marathon block), continued with tempos/threshold training but cut back on 5K and faster workouts, just doing the minimum, say 4X 800 instead of 6 or 7. Now, mid-60s I do reps or fartlek at 8-10K pace every week or 10 days and tempos about every week. Might finish with a faster rep or two, but that's it. Most everything else is slow/easy preferably on soft surfaces. Ran a sub 1:25 for the half this year, 18s for 5K.

Yep...it's age-related low/insufficient testosterone levels that cause havoc on recovery from hard workouts.

I'm 62 & haven't competed in running for several years now because of post-traumatic OA, but I'll hit one day a week of hard intervals (pain permitting). It's also about 4 or so days before I feel recovered. I'll be limping for a day or two afterwards & my whole body aches from waist down for several days. I'm a sad sight for sore eyes. Lol.

I have a friend from the gym who's 58 & bodybuilds as well as does some non-competitive running. He's also on TRT & looks like Hercules with good mass & low BF (he's increased his testosterone levels to that of his peak youth levels). On occasion, he'll join me for my intervals & not only does he smoke me but he's near fully recovered the next day (the guy is bigger than at 5-9 185 - I'm 5-7, 175). And the guy works 7 days a week & recovers from like a 20 yr old.

I didn't realize just how powerful the testosterone is.

Testosterone is golden hormone for men.

Works pretty good for woman also.😋 Yeah doping works...

I think it is real easy to overdue stuff because it is easy to remember when 16*400 at 75s pace was a 5k workout. These days it is closer to 800m pace. I don't avoid all out sprinting . I do limit it. This like 4*15s up a hill where I slowly ramp up over both the rep and across reps. Only the last couple are close to max.

I'm 70 with a total knee replacement and was told by my surgeon to never run or jog again but with no limits as to how far I can walk and hike. I walk at a good pace in the hills 25--35 miles per week. The uphill portions make me work harder and, I think, have a similar effect of doing intervals on a track. I've always loved running in the past and now going on a good, rather fast paced ( or even a leisurely paced) hike can be a pretty satisfying workout. We have to work with what we have.

10 x 400m @ 70 with 60 seconds rest.