This post is a quick rundown of the various types of run workouts you may see in your schedule, and an explanation of what they are.

Warmup: easy run or drills before a workout.

Cooldown: easy run or drills after a workout.

Recovery Run: super easy run within a few days after a workout / long run.

Easy Run: an easy run with the purpose of adding low intensity volume to your training.

Long Run: long run (usually the longest of the week) with a specific purpose to build endurance. Intensity is usually lower.

Fartlek: Swedish for “speed play” fartleks are endurance training in which the runner alternates periods of sprinting with periods of jogging at their desire (unstructured).

Intervals: higher intensity runs with recovery periods of walking/easy running.

Hill Repeats: intervals up hill.

Tempo Run: running done in zone 3 (heart rate).

Threshold: running done in zone 4 (heart rate).

Cruise Intervals: Typically longer duration intervals in zone 3 or 4.

Strides/Pickups: a number of short, strong efforts with a purpose to get legs turning and shape the running form.

Progression Run: the power slowly picks up throughout the run, typically to reach a race paced effort or above race paced effort.

Pace Run: race paced run.

Race: a race effort.

Critical Power Test: a manual Critical Power test or a run designed to contribute to your auto-calculated Critical Power.

Run-Walk: a run designed with running and walking sections to either help build fitness for newer runners, or to focus on changing run form.

Walk: mostly walking activity as a recovery.

Hike: walking done mostly off-road.