The Tabata Protocol

This evening's workout was a Tabata protocol session. For those that have not heard of it, the Tabata protocol, in short, is 4:00 of high intensity interval training (HIIT). It's broken down to 20 secs max effort and 10 secs rest periods repeated eight times. If you're looking for a lung-burning, head-exploding, spit-thickening, kill-me-now kind of workout, this is at the top of my list.

I hadn't done Tabata protocols in the last few months mainly because I've been distance training, but the last two weeks of marathon mileage involve high intensity short runs. During the first half of the year, these interval workouts helped me to a PR for the Brooklyn half-marathon and a 3.5 mile race in Central Park. I'm banking on similar benefits for race day.