Recovery timing in between intervals?

How long a break you take in between your intervals depends on what kind of session you are doing.

If you are doing a pure speed session (similar to what sprinters do), then you want to run fairly short intervals (100, 200s, 300s, 400s, 600s and maybe 800s) really fast with a long rest in between. Eg. It might take you 2:30 to run an 800 pretty much all out, you could then take 5 minutes in between, and then do a few more (but you probably wouldn't do more than 6, as the purpose of this workout is pure speed).

If you were doing VO2 max intervals, then it's probably something like 1k - 1 mile w/2-3 mintues rest in between, and you'd shoot for 6-10 reps.

If you were doing tempo intervals, then you'd be doing something like 2k-3 mile reps w/30 seconds to 2 minutes rest in betwee, and you'd again be shooting for 6-10 reps.

Do a simple search either on the internet or just this site. Your question gets asked about once a week.

For a magic fall you must do 20x400 at your best individual pace, recover until your heart rate is down to 120bpm

Thanks guys.

I think I probably could have worded my question better.

Which tool is best to help me figure out when I need to start a rep again if I have a pre-determined recovery time (how to think the least about when my 30 sec/1 min/2 min recovery time is up)?

Re: Search - Google and this forum did not yield the results I was looking for. I probably didn't search using the right terms. Any links to existing discussion would be helpful.

I guess using heart rate is a pretty solid indicator of how my body is reacting, so maybe I don't need to be focused on the time as much.

The interval is the recovery period. If you rest between intervals, you won’t get much of a workout.

Touché.

I need to work on learning the terminology before I ask questions! ;)

confusedintervaler wrote:

I am new to interval training.

When running reps at different speeds on the track, and a training plan calls for, say, 3 minute recovery jogs in between, what is the best way to track this recovery time and know when it's time to start a rep again?

I currently use the Workout app on the Apple Watch, so I can look at the time to determine when the 3 minutes is up. But then this involves me staring at my Watch a lot to check the time. I could use the Timer or Stopwatch app, but I'd still have to check the time to know when to start up a rep. Do you use audio indicators? And which apps are best for this feature?

Or should I just switch to using a Garmin?

Just check the timer, it's not that hard. Consider getting a watch, it's better than carrying a phone, easy to just look down at the wrist. Learn to use the split function. doesn't need to be a garmin. any $40 timex will do.

Here is something that might help as it pertains to what I think is the spirit of your question. For me, I usually do my easy/recovery intervals around 8:00 pace and continue moving around the track, so I can usually estimate how much time has passed by how much I have run - one minute per 200m. maybe you will figure something like that out for yourself too. but ultimately it is not hard to just wear a watch and look at it roughly every 30 seconds or so.