Whenever I have been asked if I jog, I always responded that I have never jogged a step in my life. I am a runner - I run! Ok so a bit arrogant, and probably a lie, but most runners I know would answer the same when talking to a stranger that doesn’t understand our sport. We feel insulted. Our defense mechanism kicks in because we know that running is one of the most natural forms of movement that we as humans do and therefore what most everyone takes for granted. However, if you have ever run for sport, you know that not all running or runners are the same.

So if we all like to say that we “run” then who are the joggers? Are they simply the newbies lacing up the fancy new shoes for a run around the park? Or maybe the old guys that blew their knees out from too much pavement pounding back in the day? Or maybe the ex-athlete looking to get back in shape, but definitely not in the same shape that they used to be - if you know what I mean. So jogging is what it is because right now they can’t run? Or is jogging something people do because what every trainer tells us is that to get in shape you need to get in that cardio and if you head out for a 20-30 minute jog you will improve your fitness regardless of the pace? I think it is probably a little bit of all those things so let’s try to define it a bit more.

What I do know that differentiates jogging from running is that when you jog you put one foot in front of the other for the sake of covering either a set distance or a certain amount of time, but not both. A jogger isn’t really concerned with how far they go on their 30 minute run or how long it took to complete their 3 mile stroll around the neighborhood. The goal for the jogger is to go out there and figure out how to get from the start to the finish. In truth, there isn’t anything wrong with it and there may even be a place for it in a “runner’s life”. It’s just that if all you ever do is jogging then the road to fitness is long and time consuming. And let’s face it - who has that kind of time these days? Running is a much quicker way to get where you want to be. By simply adding in a few metrics to your aerobic routine you can turn your daily jog into a run with benefits.

When I said that running isn’t jogging what I didn’t talk about here was a specific type of running - that which we in the sport call interval training. Interval runs is where any jogger regardless of fitness level, age or experience can be a runner. In fact, it is my argument that if you want to see fitness gains faster then you should be starting with interval training from Day 1. It just doesn’t make a lot of sense for someone that has never run before, or at least not in a long while, to start back with a 30 minute run right out of the gate. The chance for success is really low and the chance for injury can be really high. Sure you can play it safe and move really slow so as to not overdo it, but then where are the fitness gains from that strategy? Remember that quality trumps quantity in most every aspect of sport and fitness.

When it comes to running the first thing you want to do is to hit a pace that is challenging enough to get your heart pumping and legs moving, but not so much that you can’t sustain the appropriate effort from start to finish. This is where interval training comes in. The purpose of intervals are to insure that very thing - maintain a high level of quality work within the specific training zone assigned for the workout without going over the top. The number of intervals and length of each one can be specifically tailored to the individual and their current fitness. Do this right and in rapid time your intervals get longer while holding the same pace and heart rate. This is truly the definition of increasing fitness. Higher work output with the same amount of input as in the past.

Now is the time to stop jogging and start running. All it takes is adding in a bit of structure to what you do already and you will reap the fitness benefits in no time.

Yours in running,

Terrence