yasso 800's

equal rest. e.g. For 800s at 2:50, take 2:50 rest.

Not worth a ton as a time predictor, IMHO.

Mr. Obvious wrote:

equal rest. e.g. For 800s at 2:50, take 2:50 rest.

Not worth a ton as a time predictor, IMHO.

Agreed. Look at the Yasso workout as one element to marathon training. You will need the weekly mileage with long runs and tempo workouts. I definitely would not rely on these workouts as a time predictor. I have heard people say that if you can do 10X800 meters - all under 2:50 (with a 400 meter recovery - all under 2:50) than you are in shape to run a sub 2:50 marathon. I just do not think that is the case. I might venture to guess, however, if you cannot run that workout, than you cannot break 2:50 in a marathon - again - just a guess.

It is a good aerobic workout, but you gotta go faster than 2:50 for the 400 jog. 2:00 should be plenty of rest (8:00 pace)

Yeah...i mean, i'm positive I could force out 10x800 w/ equal rest at 2:25 when I'm in shape, but there is no way in hell I could run a marathon that fast (nor will I ever be able to run a marathon that fast)

I ran 10 x 800 but cut the rest to a 45s 100m jog. I averaged 2:25 or 2:26 and I think I could have run that for a marathon at the time had I done a few more long runs. I ended up cruising through 21 miles at 5:30 pace before hitting a serious wall(muscularly, not aerobically) and finishing in 2:32 (5:48 pace I think).

Based on this, I think the shorter recovery made it a more accurate predictor. I think I could have run 10 x 800 in 2:22 with equal rest, and there's no way I was hitting near that in a race.

Back to RW with you.

Yes, but it shouldn't be a gut buster workout. These should feel more like cruise intervals and you should feel like you could do quite a few more than 10.

the consensus on Yasso 800s seems to be that they are a necessary but not sufficient test. If you hit your goal in the Yassos, you may be able to do it in the marathon. If you can't hit your goal in the Yassos you probably won't be able to do it in the marathon.

Also, the predictive value is better for experienced marathoners than first timers.

I love this workout and agree the rest needs to be shorter than the time you run the interval. 60 sec but no more than 90. Others are right that you need the long run and respectable mile base but I'd include it as a key workout.

I've read that the recovery should be a lap in equal time to the 800 interval, but it still is ~7 minutes off for a marathon time, so if you can do the 800's in 2:50, that's closer to a 2:57 marathon.

My senior year in college I remember doing 8 x 880 yards (yea, I'm old) with a two minute rest in 2:12 - 2:14. That summer and fall I ramped up mileage and added long runs while in grad school. I did a 2:22:34 in my first serious marathon at age 22. With five to seven years of focused marathon training instead of getting a job I 'may' have been able to run 2:15 - 2:17 for a marathon, but we'll never know. I think that if all elements of marathon training are in place, a runner probably will be a bit faster on the 800s than his marathon time.

I'm 55 years old and the best I could ever run Yasso's was like 6x 800 in 3:00.

Finished my last marathon in 2:58

Never in my life would I be able to run like 10x 800 in 2:58.

Maybe I could if all I did was running Yasso' for workouts and took long rests between intervals, but I don't see this as an ideal marathon preparation.

13x800m averaging 2:37 w/ 200m jog recovery (~1:00min).

I ran 2:53. 60+ miles a week, 8+ long runs over 17 miles and another day with a workout totally 13+ miles.

Yasso 800's predict nothing.

The further removed from racing on the track that you are the better the predictor workout this is. The vast majority of College guys don't have the base to run a great marathon (90+ mpw with good workouts) but can rip the track apart. I've never run a marathon, but have 8x800 with a 200 jog averaging 2:23 and doubt i would run much faster than 2:45 for the marathon

Totally?

gebrselassie wrote:

13x800m averaging 2:37 w/ 200m jog recovery (~1:00min).

I ran 2:53. 60+ miles a week, 8+ long runs over 17 miles and another day with a workout totally 13+ miles.

Yasso 800's predict nothing.

ajsldfmilamwc wrote:

The further removed from racing on the track that you are the better the predictor workout this is. The vast majority of College guys don't have the base to run a great marathon (90+ mpw with good workouts) but can rip the track apart. I've never run a marathon, but have 8x800 with a 200 jog averaging 2:23 and doubt i would run much faster than 2:45 for the marathon

This^^^

It’s merely a coincidence that the times will likely be close to each other. I could do 10x800 in 2:30 or so if I had that much rest (I’ve done this workout just a tad slower but with 1:00 rest). But it would take years of mileage and solid marathon training for me to hit 2:30 in a marathon. I would guess I could run 2:45 at the time for a marathon, assuming I didn’t hit the wall or cramp up or something.

gebrselassie wrote:

13x800m averaging 2:37 w/ 200m jog recovery (~1:00min).

I ran 2:53. 60+ miles a week, 8+ long runs over 17 miles and another day with a workout totally 13+ miles.

Yasso 800's predict nothing.

60 miles per week is low. What do the 80-100 mpw runners say about yasso 800's?

Mr. Obvious wrote:

equal rest. e.g. For 800s at 2:50, take 2:50 rest.

Not worth a ton as a time predictor, IMHO.

Ya Yasso's are a good workout, but not the best predictor for everyone. For what it's worth I recently did 10x800 at 2:57 avg with equal rest in between, then ran a 3:01 marathon a few weeks later. This was my first marathon at age 35 and I have zero running background. I've heard many ppl say they predict about 5 minutes too fast of a time, and that happened to be the case with me....