My understanding is that regular 6x800m with short recovery was a big piece of the Coe training puzzle. Often the recovery was 90sec, but sometimes 2min, sometimes as low as 45sec. Often the runs averaged close to 2min. This might be "3000m pace" for Coe? Sure, he never ran 7:30, but he had that potential.
I think the Coes treated these sessions like Marathoners treat long runs. These were the golden endurance sessions.
Regular 10 Milers were also important. Maybe 4:30 pace was reached on occasion, towards the end, but certainly not at the start, or even the middle. 4:30 for Coe was Mile pace + about 40sec, and I think for most of us, this represents "very brisk tempo".
Someone who always amazed me in his training was Moorcroft. Amongst all of the essential aerobic runs, he seemed to be a big fan of intense intervals with long recovery. Typically, 5x1000m with 7min rests, at sub 2:30 pace. Or 300m runs with 3min rests at sub 40sec. I wonder if, in addition to finding success with such methods, he simply hated short recovery stuff? Personally, I look forward to long recovery sessions, and shy away from short recovery. Maybe that's a mental weakness, but, quite possibly, it's an individual desire that must be recognized and embraced.
Cheers
GILT