The Michigan was developed within the Nineteen Seventies by College of Michigan head cross-country coach, Ron Warhurst. A difficult mixture of a fartlek run and tempo intervals, the exercise simulates the tempo modifications you’re more likely to expertise throughout a race and has change into a staple exercise for a lot of athletes.
Newcomers, beware
Attributable to its excessive quantity and the significance it locations on pacing, this exercise is much an excessive amount of for a newbie runner. Extra superior athletes, nonetheless, ought to give it a whirl, however be warned: it might take just a few tries earlier than you nail the pacing. As elite American middle-distance runner Will Leer mentioned on this interview, “The Michigan is a kind of exercises that grows on you over time…Early on it places you at this stage of discomfort that you just’re positive is an excessive amount of to endure for the 10km of working forward of you. However whenever you end a very good one, whenever you simply nail it, there may be hardly a greater feeling on the planet.”
To carry out The Michigan correctly, you want a observe and a one-mile (1,600m) route on grass or roads. Ideally, one which accommodates just a few rolling hills. The exercise entails alternating between more durable working efforts on the observe and extra even, tempo-paced intervals on the hilly one-mile loop. Whereas the pacing for the off-track tempos will keep constant all through the exercise, the observe intervals will get progressively quicker because the intervals get shorter.
The exercise:
The tempo miles all through the exercise ought to all be a couple of minute slower than your first mile on the observe. Runners also needs to take a three-minute jog restoration between each interval (tempo runs included).
Warmup: 15-20 minutes straightforward jog, adopted by type drills and strides
Exercise: 1,600m @ 10km tempo – 1 mile tempo – 1,200m @ 5km tempo – 1 mile tempo – 800m @ 3k tempo – 1 mile tempo – 400m all-out
Cooldown: 15-20 minute straightforward jog, adopted by mild stretching