Every Thursday I set the alarm for 05:15am to meet the boys at 5:45am outside Yelo cafe in Trigg and then we set off for my favourite run of the week, the progressive. Without a doubt this is the best run for a number of reasons.

1. You start at a very relaxed pace as the first 1-3k’s is all about catching up with the local gossip from the lives of the various members of the BK posse. Lately a few of the boys have left their partners and this has certainly made the early kilometres a lot more interesting than in previous years. For a start I now know that you need to swipe right if you like someone on Tinder. (It’s a different world this dating game these days, back when I was a boy you’d drink yourself silly and then stagger up to the prettiest girl you’d think would give you half a chance and make your play. Of course this normally ended up in total embarrassment for all parties involved and much amusement to all your friends who would be watching from afar. Happy days… I think? Now you just download an app and swipe left or right? Where’s the fun in that? )
2. Because you start so slowly you work into a run,  and the middle section feels easier because of the slower pace at the start. I live by the mantra ‘you never judge a run on the first kilometre‘,  many times I have had an awful first few kilometres but more often than not finish like a train. If you start and feel great and finish badly that is not a good sign of course, maybe over training ?
3. When eventually you do start to increase the pace you are fully warmed up and thus the chance of getting injured is reduced. See, I told you, this really is the run that just keeps on giving.
4. This is a favourite of the Kenyans, need I say more. The fastest runners in the world start most of their runs at a very relaxed pace, one even us mere mortals could keep up with. The finish is a different story and it’s every man for himself as they reach Olympic pace and push themselves before their cup of tea and afternoon nap, bless ’em.

1. The final reason (and yes this should be number 5 but for the life of me I can’t get the software to behave!) , and the most important,  is we get to enjoy the best coffee and muffin combination on this planet, and probably all planets assuming there are any more inhabited by runners, coffee and muffins ? Yelo at Trigg ( http://www.yelocornerstore.com.au ) really is the runners dream serving the best tukka and coffee I have ever had the privilege to digest. The only fly in the ointment is Yelo has been sold to a developer who has plans for a block of high end flats. This is very, very bad news and the boys have discussed chaining themselves to the railings in an attempt to stop this going ahead. This was finally poo-poo’d as being chained to a railing would certainly adversely affect ones ability to run. ?

This Thursday ,for the first time in ages, I managed to finally achieve a perfect progressive as the image from Strava (you are on Strava right? http://www.strava.com) shows. As I mentioned earlier Bart’s set the pace for the first few kilometres and there was much laughter as we talked through the high points of the previous weeks adventures. This is my favourite part of the progressive, the pre-pace banter. Once Bart’s drops off the pace (he has a dodgy hammy) we start to concentrate on the job in hand and after we turn for home it’s on. The normal distance is 14k but after being out for most of last year I have built up to 12k. This week we dropped to 10k as I’m racing the Bridges 10k on Sunday so am saving the legs for the time in the pain-box which is part and parcel of racing, if it doesn’t hurt you ain’t racing.

The post below was written by Jason Saltmarsh and reinforces what I had posted , some nice examples of progressives at the end but for me it’s just start slow, get quicker and finish like your life deepened on it ! As I always say ‘ Running is simple, hardwork is always rewarded‘.

Progression runs were once called the Kenyan secret. They’re great for building stamina, mental strength, and teaching the body to run increasingly faster at the end of a race. A progression run is a run with structured pace increases from beginning to end. The distance and pace will vary based on your specific training goals.

Let’s imagine two runners are preparing for a race. They both run their 10-mile workout in 70 minutes. However, one runner does it with even 7:00 splits, and the other runs the first 5 miles at 8:00 pace and the last 5 miles at 6:00 pace. Who will be better prepared on race day?

The Benefits of a Progression Run

The structure of the progressive run forces runners to start slowly. It teaches them mental patience and allows the body to fully warm-up before running at a harder effort. Many runners are too eager to hit the gas pedal on their runs, progression runs will help them become more disciplined.

Progression runs increase stamina and fitness. Athletes who regularly incorporate progressive runs will actually speed up towards the end of a race when everyone else is trying desperately to hang on. The marathon race begins at mile 20.

They will mentally and physically learn how to make a long killing drive to the finish that particularly in high school racing can be absolutely devastating to their competition. — Nate Jenkins, 2:14 marathoner

According to coach Greg McMillan this all comes at a very small price in terms of training fatigue and recovery time. Runners can use this approach several times during the training cycle for extra quality work, without fear of overtraining and injury.

Progression runs allow you to insert fast running into your training runs (feeding your need for speed) but in a way from which you can easily recover. — Greg McMillan, M.S.

When to Add Progression Runs to Your Plan

If you follow the Arthur Lydiard approach to training, you’ll want to add progression runs after the base building phase to introduce speed. But, progression workouts are really something you can add anytime. Depending upon the distance and intensity of the progression run, you may want to schedule it following an easy day and preceding a rest day.

How to Structure a Progression Run Workout

Progression runs start slow and end fast. Begin your run at an easy pace with successive pick-ups until you are a running at a hard effort. Often times, progression runs are described as running “relaxed.” Accelerating without strain is an important concept.

The number one benefit of progression runs is that they train you to react to surges in a relaxed fashion, which is important in marathoning,” he says. “You never want to cross the threshold too often in a marathon, and this workout pushes that redline in a gradual manner. All pace changes are done gradually so that your nervous system isn’t all out of balance. — Keith Dowling, 2:13 Marathoner

How far you choose to run, and at what pace you do your workouts is up to you. There are endless possibilities. The goal of the run is to become comfortable running your goal race pace on tired legs at the end of your workout. This is not a tempo run or a race effort, it’s designed to boost your stamina by introducing speed gradually over the course of your training run.

Sample Progression Run Workouts

Quarters with Fast Finish — 8 miles
2 miles @ 10K pace plus 60 seconds, 2 miles @ 10K pace plus 45 seconds, 2 miles @ 10k pace plus 15 seconds, 1 mile @ 10K pace, 1 mile @ 10K pace or faster

Out & Back — 35 minutes
Begin with an easy 20 minutes on the way out, then return at a pace that’s 1-2 minutes faster until your back to at the start

5K Race pace Thirds — 45 minutes
50 percent of 5K race pace for 20 minutes, 75 percent of 5K race pace for 15 minutes, 5K race pace for 10 minutes

McMillan’s Fast Finish Long Run
Begins with a long run at 1-2 minutes slower than marathon race pace. Pick it up to marathon pace with 6 miles left in the run. Pick it up again with 2 miles to go and finish with an all-out 400m

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