Effort Sessions

Click below to randomily select an Effort Session
Effort Sessions
Our effort sessions are for all abilities.

Magic Mile

  • 15 Minute Warm Up
  • 1 mile as fast as you can.
  • 5 minutes cool down.

A Magic Mile effort session refers to a running workout where you run a single mile at a high intensity, essentially pushing yourself as hard as you can for that one mile distance, to gauge your current fitness level and predict your potential race times, typically associated with the training method developed by Olympian Jeff Galloway; it's considered a good way to determine your ideal training paces for longer distances based on your current capabilities.

Calculate your pace from you Magic Mile using the Calculator below.

Magic Mile time:

Minutes

Seconds

  • 5k Time: xx minutes
  • 10k Time: xx minutes
  • Half Time: xx minutes
  • Marathon Time: xx minutes

Spencer 400s (half a Yasso 800)

  • 5 Minute Warm Up
  • 400m Sprint 10 times with 2 minutes rest.
  • 5 minutes cool down.

A Spencer 400s effort session is a road workout that involves running 10 repetitions of 400 meters at a fast pace, with short rest periods in between. The goal is to develop speed, pace, and endurance. The idea is that your average time per 400-meter repeat corresponds to your potential half marathon time For example, if you run your 400-meter repeats in 1 minute and 30 seconds, you might be able to run a half marathon in 1 hours and 30 minutes The time between reps should be the same as your rep time

Hill Repeats

  • 5 Minute Warm Up
  • 10 times hill repeats, walk or slow jog down the hill.
  • 5 minutes cool down.

Hill repeats can help build strength, speed, and power. They can also help your legs recover faster after a climb.

Tips for doing hill repeats

  • Run with good form, keeping your head up, back straight, and chest out
  • Adjust the number of repetitions and effort level based on the hill's difficulty and your skill level
  • Make sure you're warmed up before you start
  • Rest enough between repetitions so your heart rate recovers

30 Second Sprints

  • 5 Minute Warm Up
  • 30 seconds Sprint 10 times with 2 minutes rest
  • 5 minutes cool down.

A 30 second sprint running effort session is a type of interval training that involves sprinting at top speed for 30 seconds, followed by a period of rest or low-intensity exercise.

Benefits

  • Improves speed, endurance, and overall fitness
  • Burns fat, even after the workout
  • Improves anaerobic fitness, which is the ability to break down glucose for energy without oxygen
  • Improves cardiorespiratory fitness

Kenyan Hills

  • 5 Minute Warm Up
  • Run up and down a hill keeping to the same pace up the hill as you do down the hill.
  • 5 minutes cool down.

Kenyan hills running effort session is a conditioning workout that involves running up and down a hill at a steady pace. The session is designed to strengthen leg muscles and tendons without putting them under the same stress as fast interval running.

Tips for doing a Kenyan hills session

  • Focus on maintaining a steady pace and feeling relaxed
  • Don't worry about how fast you climb
  • You can use a loop that's 200 meters to a kilometer or longer
  • You can also find a long route with undulating hills

1KM Sprints

  • 5 Minute Warm Up
  • 1km Sprint 3 times with 2 minutes rest.
  • 5 minutes cool down.

A 1km sprint running effort session is a workout that involves running 1 kilometer intervals with rest periods in between. It's a type of speedwork that can help improve your speed endurance, pacing, and form.

Tips

  • Run on a flat surface or track so you can gauge your distance and effort
  • Aim for even splits throughout each interval
  • Start slowly and don't go out too fast
  • Adjust the number of repetitions based on your fitness level
  • Run at a pace that feels like an 8 out of 10, meaning it's hard but not all-out
  • By the end of each interval, your breathing should be labored and you should only be able to speak a word or two at a time

The Out and Back

  • 5 Minute Warm Up
  • Run 15 minutes away from the starting point
  • Get back to the start point in 14 minutes
  • 5 minutes cool down.

An out and back running session is a run where you start at a point, run to a halfway point, and then return to the starting point.

Race Pace Tester

  • 5 Minute Warm Up
  • Run for 30 minutes at Race Pace
  • 5 minutes cool down.

1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 min, with 1 min jog in between each. A longer, harder pyramid workout than #2 but same intention. Aim for 10k pace for the 3-4-5-4-3 legs and shoot for 5k pace for the shorter ones.

Pyramids

  • 5 Minute Warm Up
  • Run 200m up a hill and walk back to the start
  • Run 400m up a hill and walk back to the start
  • Run 600m up a hill and walk back to the start
  • Run 600m up a hill and walk back to the start
  • Run 400m up a hill and walk back to the start
  • Run 200m up a hill and walk back to the start
  • 5 minutes cool down.

A pyramid running session is a training session that involves alternating between high-intensity running and low-intensity recovery. The distance or pace of the runs increases and then decreases, forming the shape of a pyramid.

 

All rights reserved © Hockley Trail Runners 2025