Mixing things up on the treadmill

It was back to the treadmill for another speed workout today. "Speed workout" has become synonymous with "set of three 1-mile repeats" for me, and that's just what I did this morning.

I like the simplicity of doing one thing, three times, then being done. I also like the challenge of trying to run a whole mile as quickly as possible three times in a row (who can't run their fastest for a quarter-mile? It's over before you even get a chance to crank up the speed on the treadmill's control panel). I also like it because it's familiar. My training plan offers lots of interesting-looking options for speedwork, and I'm sure they're as much fun and as effective as my current go-to workout. But it's like trying something new at your favorite restaurant: The buffalo chicken sandwich is probably just as good as the veggie burger I order every time we go to the Quarry House, but WHAT IF IT'S NOT?

I'm still planning to order the veggie burger at Quarry House tonight. But next time I hit the treadmill, I'm gonna mix things up. I found a few good-looking treadmill speed workouts in Runner's World, and I think I'll try this one first:

The Broderick Crawford.

This workout gets its name from its "10-4" pattern, a familiar phrase to fans of the old Highway Patrol TV series. Begin by warming up for 10 minutes, then run for 10 minutes at your current 10-K race pace. Jog very easily for 4 minutes to recover, then surge again for 10 minutes at your 10-K tempo. Recover for 4 minutes, and complete the workout with 10 minutes of easy cool-down running.