So, you’re all ready to go out for your workout. You’ve packed a few GUs in your pockets, your wearing your favorite running shoes – or your carbon-fiber Serotta is gleaming in the warm sun with a bottle each of water and sports drink - and your power meter or heart rate monitor is quietly recording every beat of your heart. Great job, you have all the right gear, but what about your workout timing – specifically the amount of recovery you’re getting between intervals?

Just as intervals of different lengths lead to unique physiological adaptations, manipulating the recovery time you give yourself between intervals can also change the physical demands – and hence the physical results – of your workouts.

1. Super-short intensity – long recovery
   Intervals that only last 5-15 seconds are almost always done at a person’s maximum intensity . We’re talking about sprints here, people. To get the most out of each effort, you have to be able to produce maximum power, which means the recovery period between efforts has to be long enough to allow your muscles to fully recharge. Such short and intense intervals call upon the body’s ATP-CP system, which is more simply known as the “immediate energy system”. To completely oversimplify what’s going on in your muscles, during a sprint you burn through your available ATP in a handful of seconds, and the CP recharges those muscles’ ATP stores to make this important energy source available again. This is why you need to take 5-8 minutes of easy recovery walking/jogging/spinning between sprints.

2. Short interval – equal recovery
   These are typically all-out intervals that last longer than sprints, like speed work and VO_ max intervals. The goal with these workouts is to make an athlete adapt to repeated maximal efforts. In order for the intervals to be effective, it’s imperative that the easy periods between intervals are too short to allow for complete recovery before the next interval starts. Fortunately, this is a very simple scenario to orchestrate: just keep the recovery time the same as the interval time. Individually, these efforts shouldn’t be very long (30 seconds to 3 minutes); your goal is to add more intervals or an additional set rather than make each effort longer.

3. Long interval – shorter recovery
   Workouts designed to improve your maximum sustainable pace typically feature intervals that are 8-20 minutes long, sometimes even longer. The intensity for these intervals should be near and a little below your lactate threshold (the maximum sustainable intensity you can hold over 8 or more minutes). The idea behind this type of work is to accumulate as much time possible at this workload to push your body to adapt. If you’re looking to run a faster marathon or ride a faster century, these intervals are your bread and butter. Adequate recovery between efforts – typically 50-75% of the duration of the work period (8-minute effort/6 minutes recovery, 12-minute effort/8 minutes recovery, 20-minute effort, 10 minutes recovery)- allows you to maintain the right intensity/pace in your second, third, and maybe even fourth interval. However, one common mistake I see is that athletes often shorten their recovery periods during these workouts because they feel rested well before the next interval is supposed to start. Bad move; you’ll pay for it when you fatigue in the middle of your third or fourth interval and have to spend more time resting from that day’s workout than you would if you’d done it right.

4. Super-long interval – no recovery
   No recovery!? That’s just cruel. In reality, there are times when the work period of an interval is so long that you only need to do one. These moderate-intensity intervals play a big role in building a bigger aerobic engine, giving you the stamina to ride or run all day. For your runs or rides at a steady aerobic tempo, the intensity is above your normal cruising pace, but you’re still well within your aerobic system’s capacity to supply the necessary energy. To be effective, these work periods need to be very long—20 minutes on up to an hour (even longer for the pros)–and uninterrupted by stoplights or traffic These efforts are sometimes split into two or even three intervals for beginners, but more experienced runners, cyclists, and even swimmers benefit more from settling in for the long haul

Fuel Right, then Train Right
Of course, a perfectly-structured set of intervals will do you no good if you’re not properly fueled. With a good carbohydrate-rich meal about 2 hours before your workout and a bottle of sports drink in the 30 minutes before you head out the door, you’ll start your workout fully energized so you have great power for your first intervals. The additional fuel you take in during your workout, from a GU or more sports drink, will ensure you have consistent performance right to the last interval, and a balanced post-workout meal that’s rich in carbohydrate and delivers a moderate amount of protein will help you rebuild and be ready for another high-quality session tomorrow. So get out there, your workouts are waiting for you.

Jim Rutberg is a Pro Coach for Carmichael Training Systems, Inc. and co-author of the NYT Bestseller Chris Carmichael’s Food for Fitness and 5 Essentials for a Winning Life. To find out what CTS can do for you, visit www.trainright.com.

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With the days getting shorter and colder and the holidays imminent, exercise and eating habits easily fall into disarray… at least that’s what everyone tells me. That makes strategy even more important at this time of year.

For one thing, the same old thing gets boring quickly so keep exercise exciting. Try some of the interval work in Jim’s article to keep your mind engaged and your body responding differently. And in cold weather, intervals can really warm you up. Or stay indoors and treat yourself to a new workout video. If you don’t belong to a gym, consider a three-month membership for the coldest months—you might find (as I did) that you enjoy it.

My best strategy for staying balanced and enjoying the holidays is being vigilant about my boundaries so that I take care of what’s most important, including me. And when I keep what’s most important in the forefront, it makes the hundreds of daily decisions I’m confronted with much easier.

In health,
Heather Moreno

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Save time and effort this year by roasting a turkey breast rather than a full bird. Plan about 1 pound of breast meat for each person and you will surely have leftovers. Cut down on the salt by skipping the brining process. Instead opt for this creative herb and walnut mixture to give the meat flavor and keep it tender.

Walnut-Stuffed Turkey Breast with Cider Gravy
1 cup roasted walnuts
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. ground sage
2 tsp. canola oil, divided
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6-7 lb. whole turkey breast
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and quartered
3/4 lb. large shallots, quartered
3 cups fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup apple cider
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. flour
Salt and ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In food processor, pulse roasted nuts with thyme and sage until coarsely ground. Add 1 teaspoon oil, 1 tablespoon water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and generous pinch of pepper. Whirl to a grainy paste.

Continued... AICR's Weekly Health-e-Recipes

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