10 Different Ways To Joggle and Run

The excellent Zen Habits blog recently published an article outlining 10 workouts to spice up your running program.

If you are only joggling one speed then you need to change things up a bit. Here are 10 different ways to run and how your joggling should be adjusted.

1. Long Run

These workouts last 90 – 120 minutes or more. Use a lighter set of joggling balls to keep your arms feeling fresh. These runs are all about time on your feet.

2. Hills

These workouts add strength to your stride. Use a heavier set of balls to make it a complete workout for your legs and arms.

3. Fartlek

These just mean running hard for a short, varied distance. Pick out a telephone pole and run as hard as you can to it. Pick out another landmark and do the same. Increase your juggling speed and by decreasing the height of each throw.

4. Tempo run

This is just running hard for a longer period of time. When I do tempos it is 3 or 4 miles at a 6:30 min/mile pace. My regular pace is 7:30 – 8:00 min/mile. Use lighter joggling balls for these workouts.

5. Road intervals

More speed work but I don’t see how these are much different than other workouts.

6. HIIT

High Intensity Interval Training. In these workouts you sprint as hard as you can for a short distance. I increase my speed to 5:00 min/mile but only go a quarter mile. Joggling is best done with light balls in a low throw, tight pattern.

7. Yasso 800s

Another type of tempo run but they are specifically 800’s. Basically you try to run ten 800’s at the min/mile pace you want to run the marathon. So if you want to do a 4:00 hr marathon, you run 4:00 min 800’s. If you want to do a 3:00 hr marathon, do 3:00 min 800’s.

8. Mile repeats

Another type of tempo / sprint run but done for only a mile. Use your racing joggling balls for this workout. It should be just about the speed you want to run for a 5K race.

9. Zen run.

This is just a run in which you try to think about running the entire time. When I apply it joggling, I’ll think about the balls hitting my hand at the same time my foot hits the ground. It’s not about speed, it’s about concentration.

10. Rest

Not much of a workout. But when you take a rest from joggling, practice some juggling tricks. To find some inspiration, check out the 25 free resources for learning to juggle.