Why Every Runner Should Mix Up Their Running Training
- Georgie Gorman
- Jul 5
- 4 min read
Georgie Gorman - Move Sports Phyiotherapy & Pilates Geelong
Whether you're training for a marathon, chasing a new parkrun PB, or simply enjoy getting out for a few runs each week, it's easy to fall into the habit of running the same route, at the same pace, for the same distance.
While consistency is important, doing the same type of run over and over can limit your progress and potentially increase your risk of injury.
One of the most effective ways to improve running performance, build resilience, and keep running enjoyable is through variety. By incorporating different speeds, intensities, distances, and running drills into your training, you can challenge your body in new ways and develop into a stronger, more efficient runner.
And no, this isn't just advice for elite athletes. Everyday runners often stand to gain the most from a more diverse approach to training.
Not Every Run Needs to Be the Same
Many recreational runners default to what exercise professionals often call the "grey zone" – running at a moderate pace every session. It's comfortable enough to sustain, but not quite easy enough for recovery and not quite hard enough to maximise performance gains.
The problem is that your body adapts specifically to the demands placed upon it. If every run looks the same, eventually your improvements begin to plateau.
Introducing variety allows you to target different physiological systems, improve movement quality, and expose your body to a wider range of loads. This helps develop a more complete runner.
But the best part, is that reward for effort is way higher, and much more fun.
The Benefits of Running at Different Intensities
Easy Runs Build Your Foundation
Easy-paced running improves aerobic fitness, enhances recovery, and allows you to accumulate training volume with less stress on the body.
Many runners make the mistake of running their easy days too hard. Slowing down on these sessions can actually help you perform better when it matters most.
Interval Training Improves Speed and Efficiency
Intervals involve short periods of higher-intensity running followed by recovery periods.
These sessions challenge your cardiovascular system, improve your ability to sustain faster paces, and can increase running economy. In simple terms, your body becomes more efficient at using energy while running.
You don't need to be training for a race to benefit. Even runners focused on general fitness can improve endurance and confidence by incorporating occasional interval sessions.
Tempo and Threshold Runs Improve Endurance
These runs sit somewhere between easy jogging and all-out effort.
They teach your body to sustain a challenging pace for longer periods and can help bridge the gap between comfortable running and high-intensity efforts.
For runners preparing for longer events, threshold training can be particularly valuable for improving performance over distance.
Why Distance Matters Too
Just as pace should vary, so should the duration of your runs.
Shorter runs can focus on speed, technique, or recovery. Longer runs help build endurance, strengthen connective tissues, and improve your body's ability to tolerate time on your feet.
Changing the duration of your runs exposes your body to different training stimuli and reduces the repetitive loading that can occur when every session is identical.
Think of it like strength training. You wouldn't expect great results by doing only one exercise, with the same weight, every session. Running works much the same way.
Don't Forget Running Technique Drills
When people think about improving running technique, they often focus solely on fitness. However, movement quality matters too.
Running drills can help improve coordination, balance, rhythm, and body awareness. They provide an opportunity to practice efficient movement patterns that may carry over into your running.
Common drills include:
High knees
Butt kicks
A-skips
Bounding
Strides
These drills are often used by competitive athletes, but they're equally valuable for recreational runners. Just a few minutes before a run can help reinforce good movement habits and prepare the body for the session ahead.
Variety Can Help Reduce Injury Risk
One of the most overlooked benefits of a varied running program is injury prevention.
Running is a repetitive activity. Every step places load through muscles, tendons, joints, and bones. When the same tissues are exposed to the same loading pattern day after day, problems can arise.
Varying pace, distance, terrain, and training focus can help distribute load differently throughout the body. This doesn't eliminate injury risk entirely, but it may reduce the likelihood of overloading the same structures repeatedly.
It's also why many exercise professionals encourage runners to include strength training alongside their running. Building strength can improve tissue capacity and better prepare the body for the demands of training.
A Smarter Way to Run
Improving as a runner doesn't always mean running more.
Often, the biggest gains come from running smarter.
A well-rounded running program includes a mix of easy runs, faster efforts, longer sessions, recovery days, and occasional technique work. This approach helps develop speed, endurance, efficiency, and resilience while keeping training engaging and enjoyable.
Whether your goal is to complete your first 5km, run further without fatigue, improve your pace, or simply stay injury-free, adding variety to your training can help you get there.
Here's a generalised example of how to mix up your running training for improving speed and distance. You can adjust the distances based on your goals and current training capacity.
Monday: Easy run | short distance | Blue zone heart rate
Tuesday: Cross training
Wednesday: Mobility training
Thursday: Interval training
Example:
5min jog warm up
90s fast - 90s slow x2
60s fast - 60s slow x3
30s fast - 30s slow x4
15s max - 15s slow x6
5min recovery slow jog
Friday: Cross training
Saturday: Threshold | Long run | race/goal pace | heart rate zone 3-4
Sunday: Rest
Key Takeaway
The best running program isn't necessarily the one that pushes hardest every day. It's the one that challenges your body in different ways, allows adequate recovery, and keeps you running consistently for the long term.
At MOVE, we can support your running performance with running assessments, VALD strength testing, technique drills, running and strength programming.
