How hard should speedwork be?

However hard you need to do it so that each rep is faster than the ones before it.

Speaking in terms of effort, there is no point in doing it with less than 100% intensity. The goal should be to achieve the fastest possible time for the whole unit of work, or the fastest average time per interval. You should be sprinting at 100% maximum effort at the end of the last rep.

What do you mean by speedwork? Sprinting? Race pace speed endurance?

What type of runner are you? What distances are you racing and when?

You should never race a workout.

DON'T STOP UNTIL THERE IS PUKE ON THE TRACK.

depends... wrote:

What do you mean by speedwork? Sprinting? Race pace speed endurance?

What type of runner are you? What distances are you racing and when?

These are good questions and folks would do well to understand what "speedwork" is and is not.

Speed work is not what Runner's World means when they publish articles like "How Speed work can help you break 5 hours" (only to describe a sub race paced interval workout).

Speed work is just what it says: working on all-out speed. It is running as fast as your can for short (something like flying 80s) intervals with full recovery. I have also known coaches who employ all out 200s for the same purpose. These are important for all middle and long distance runners but especially those competing at shorter distances. I don't have time now but you can search the benefits of these sessions.

What most people consider "speedwork" is something else. I get it that the term is (mis)used to mean anything "fast" but that misusage leads to a lot of confusion.

SD402 wrote:

Speaking in terms of effort, there is no point in doing it with less than 100% intensity. The goal should be to achieve the fastest possible time for the whole unit of work, or the fastest average time per interval. You should be sprinting at 100% maximum effort at the end of the last rep.

wrong, obviously.

For the guys out there that get pedicures, do gentle running , and increase pace until your cheeks get rosie.

%Y(TIUBlksdf wrote:

You should never race a workout.

You're obviously a pvssy.

You need one all-out effort every 3 weeks or so. If you don't race, you can run some workouts until you puke. Just don't overdo it.

I have done thousands of sprints in training. Never puked, not even close.

Maybe I'm just not fast enough?

not me wrote:

I have done thousands of sprints in training. Never puked, not even close.

Maybe I'm just not fast enough?

Just drink a glass of milk before your next speed session. You'll puke for sure and you don't even have to run all that hard to make it happen.

"...you can run some workouts until you puke. Just don't overdo it."

So exactly how far can your vomit fly before you have overdone it?

There is nothing wrong with racing every three weeks but you don't need an all-out effort every three weeks unless you are going to race in the next couple of months.

lkx52&^ wrote:

"...you can run some workouts until you puke. Just don't overdo it."

So exactly how far can your vomit fly before you have overdone it?

There is nothing wrong with racing every three weeks but you don't need an all-out effort every three weeks unless you are going to race in the next couple of months.

You are wrong. You need regular hard workouts, test trials, or races if you want to reach your potential. Puking is of course just a metaphor for going hard. But you should never get unfamiliar with pain. Too many get soft while doing marathon training. Even Kennster admitted he got soft before Chicago.

PUKER POO wrote:

not me wrote:

I have done thousands of sprints in training. Never puked, not even close.

Maybe I'm just not fast enough?

Just drink a glass of milk before your next speed session. You'll puke for sure and you don't even have to run all that hard to make it happen.

It won't work, I can guarantee.

"But you should never get unfamiliar with pain."

So says the X-fit guy...

Really hoping you write more, I'm intersted on your take. Or atleast provide sources?

guys i dont mean speed development i mean speedwork for distance runners.

lkas874 wrote:

"But you should never get unfamiliar with pain."

So says the X-fit guy...

If you can't stand some pain every three weeks, you've got nothing to do in running.