I guess everyone has their own ideas, but I think most go with longer, slower intervals with more recovery at first, and gradually get more anaerobic over the season (shorter, harder, and less recovery). Thoughts on this? A friend told me this is how CU structures their season (from reading running with the buffs). Can't argue with their results.
Fleet of Feet wrote:
not the best strategy. longer intervals with shorter recovery early, and shorter intervals with longer recovery later
I agree with most that it probably equates to a 4:30 for 1600 as long as you don't have other deficiencies in your training that we don't know about.
A very good bench mark workout for the 1600 is as follows:
Run 10 x 400 starting one every 2 minutes (so if you run them in 67 second you get 53 second rest between).
Whatever you can average for the 10 should be the pace you can hold for a 1600m race.
I've known many many runners (at all sorts of levels) including myself who have used this workout and its very accurate.
Given your 15 x 400 workout I'd guess you can do the 10 x 400 workout in about 67-68 on average (i.e less runs but shorter rest)
mr cripple wrote:
Everyone knows you have to run 400's in either sets of 8,12,16, or 20. Running 15 will surely lead to slower times. 90 second rest is also wrong. You should always rest the previous 400 time + 6 seconds. This type of workout must also be run every 8 days. Any more or less will result in diminished fitness of your anaerobic engine and the consequent slowing of your mile time which I calculate at 4:26.74 at this point in time.
Hahaha, good one.
I ran pretty much that exact workout (16 instead of 15), with the same rest, and also in trainers, when I was a junior in high school. I was totally exhausted. Nine days later I ran 4:20.
However, that was my last good race of the season, and both my coach and I concluded that that particular workout had been a mistake. At a minimum, I should have run very easy for several days afterwards. As a training proposition, the workout can't be evaluated separately from the rest of your training. As an indicator workout, it's also probably not very reliable (personally, I don't believe in indicator workouts anyway). The responses you get here are therefore unlikely to be very helpful, unless they help you feel confident. Here's the most practical thing I can think of: if you'll be racing against guys in the 4:15 to 4:30 range, you should make it your business to beat them.
As many of the other posters said, I would say 4:28-4:32 right now.
Has anyone done the Kosmin test? I have found that what an athlete can do for that test is what they CAN run by the end of the season.
I agree with the 5:15 because your legs would be finished for the next couple days. However sub 4:35 is more likely. I have run a 4:47 on 8X400 in sub 67 and 1:30 rest. It also depends on how much you can stomach in a race.
4:22-30 After some rest. Depends on many factors not sure people have all the information on this. Listen to your coach.