How Long Should You Rest Between Running Intervals

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Rest Between Running Intervals

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Hosted by
James Breese

Everyday Athlete. Founder of @strengthmatters. Love snowboarding, cricket, Manchester United, the mountains, coffee and trail running.

Ever found yourself panting and gasping after a running interval, wondering just how long you should be resting before the next one? You’re not alone. In today’s episode, we dive deep into the age-old question of how long you should rest between running intervals, and why we at Strength Matters are shifting towards heart rate recovery instead of mere seconds on the clock.

Spoiler alert: It’s all about personalization, and your heart might just be the most accurate timer you’ve got. Stick around to discover our newfound approach and why it might be the game-changer you’ve been searching for.

We’re a big fan of making every training plan personalized to the nth degree where practicable.

James Breese

Timeline Summary:
00:23Rationale Behind Using Heart Rate Recovery for Interval Rests. 01:51Introducing the MAF Method for Aerobic Base Building. 03:06Heart Rate Recovery as a Measure of Repeatability. 04:58How Intervals Vary Based on Goals and Recovery Points. 06:11Maintaining Consistency in Aerobic Power Workouts. 07:47Optimizing Training Sessions with Personalized Recovery.
Key Takeaways:
  • Changing Rest Interval Approaches: The importance of rest between running intervals and how the approach towards it has changed over the years at Strength Matters. The significant shift has been towards using heart rate recovery as a metric.
  • Personalization of Training: James emphasizes the need for personal and unique training methods tailored to individual requirements. 
  • The MAF Method and Aerobic Threshold: The simplicity and effectiveness of this method are highlighted.
  • Using Heart Rate for Interval Recovery: The goal is to make the training as personalized as possible, allowing the rest period to adjust according to the individual’s heart rate recovery.
  • Benefits of Heart Rate-Based Recovery: By using heart rate as a metric for recovery, it allows for better aerobic development and intraset repeatability. 
Websites & Links Mentioned:

In a nutshell, it’s more personal and unique and individual to the person we’re training with.

James Breese

For us heart rate recovery rest periods is the best way to do it. Particularly for runners doing running sets.

James Breese

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