RUN IT OFF
Calorie-burning workouts from America's best coaches will help you slim down--and speed up.
By Matt Fitzgerald
Photographs by Joe Morse
PUBLISHED 03/04/2007
3. MATT CENTROWITZ'S 10-K RACE PREP
American University track and cross-country coach and former 5000-meter American record holder Matt Centrowitz is a big believer in workouts that closely simulate the demands of racing. Here's a race-specific workout he recommends to prepare for a peak 10-K performance and incinerate a lot of calories.
Run 800 meters roughly 20 seconds faster than your 10-K goal pace. For example, if your 10-K goal pace is eight minutes per mile, aim for 3:40. Walk or jog for two to three minutes for recovery.
Run 800 meters roughly 10 seconds faster than your 10-K goal pace. Walk/jog for recovery.
Run two miles at your 10-K goal pace. Walk/jog for recovery.
Run 800 meters roughly 10 seconds faster than your 10-K goal pace. Walk/jog for recovery.
Run 800 meters roughly 20 seconds faster than your 10-K goal pace. Walk/jog for recovery.
Estimated Burn: 520 calories
4. THE MONEGHETTI FARTLEK
Steve Moneghetti, a four-time Olympic marathoner for Australia, developed a unique fartlek workout that is now used by ZAP Fitness, an elite running team based in North Carolina. ZAP Fitness coach Pete Rea shares his version of the workout, which alternates short bursts of fast and slow running to boost overall calorie burn.
Run two sets of 90 seconds hard (five to 10 seconds per mile faster than 5-K race pace), 90 seconds easy (45 to 50 seconds per mile slower than the hard segments).
Run four sets of 60 seconds hard, 60 seconds easy.
Run four sets of 30 seconds hard, 30 seconds easy.
Run four sets of 15 seconds hard, 15 seconds easy.
Estimated Burn: 400 calories
5. GREG MCMILLAN'S SUPERFAST FINISH
Now the head coach of the McMillan Running Company in Flagstaff, Arizona, Greg McMillan has done this workout since his days as a high school cross-country runner. "The workout is exhilarating, yet it doesn't require a long recovery," he says. "You feel no lasting effects on your next run." So you can use the Superfast Finish workout to torch a few extra calories during average training runs or long endurance runs.
Choose a running distance that is appropriate to your current fitness level and goals. Complete all but the last five minutes at a comfortable aerobic pace. Run the last five minutes at approximately your 5-K race pace.
Estimated Burn: 390 calories for a 30-minute run (without a warmup or cooldown)
