Pyramids

Pyramids are when you have a starting point and an end point to run to, and you work your way up to a sprint with each time you run one less lap back and forth.

For example, let's say my starting point is a street lamp on my street, and the end point is a tree 20 yards away.  When it says to run 6x, it means I'll run back and forth between the lamp and the tree and touch the tree 6 total times.   

6x =  Jog
5x =  Faster Jog
4x =  Run
3x =  Running Fast
2x = Almost a sprint
1x = Run for your life! (You shouldn't be able to carry on a conversation because you're so out of breath)
After each sprint you will need to rest because you will have gotten your heart rate up very high (or at least you should if you're truly sprinting.)  This is actually a necessary part to doing intervals, raising and lowering your heart rate.  You'll know when you're ready to start running again when your breathing is normal and you can talk comfortably without taking huge swallows of air to breathe. 
 
Here's how it goes:

• Warm up by jogging back and forth from point A (beginning) to point B (end) 6x (You'll touch point (B) 6x)
• Go down to 5x (Still a jog, but pick up the pace a bit) (This means you'll touch point (B) 5x)
  
• 4x (Getting faster)
• 3x
• 2x (Almost to a sprint.  You are running hard and fast.)
• 1x (Sprint as fast and hard as you can from point (A) to point (B))
• Rest for 30 seconds to lower your heart rate
• 1x  (Sprint as fast and hard as you can back to point (A))
• Rest for 1 minute to get your heart rate back down
• 2x (A hard run, but not a full on sprint)
• 3x
• 4x (You're progressively getting slower each time the lap increases)
• 5x
• 6x (Cool down.  You've done good work!)

Obviously if you've never run before in your life, don't do this exercise.  This is for runners who are looking to mix up their everyday routine and incorporate intervals into their workout- which will change your metabolism like non other.  If you are a novice runner, you can do this, but you don't need to do a full on sprint if you haven't done one in 10 years!  But, you can still progressively get faster the less times you run back and forth. 

I love these because I'm always challenged and never get bored!