Rupp does the 30-40

The Portland Beaver wrote:

There are some that would argue the 40/30 workout is a threshold session but I wouldn't expect the Letsrun crowd to grasp that one...

I'll take a stab at it. Threshold workouts are supposed to push your body to just below the point of creating more lactic acid than it can process and eliminate. This workout creates a bunch of lactic acid, then gives the body a rest phase to flush it out. Repeat until the lactic acid starts to build up to the point where you can't process it any more. Something like that?

The Portland Beaver wrote:

24 laps of 40/30 is incredible... I ran at Oregon in the mid 90's and we had some pretty good guys who could do no more than 12 laps. Obviously we didn't have any 27:30ish guys we did have a couple of future 5K/10K Olympians. I did 10 laps and ran 3:43 soon after so I have a real appreciation of how impressive 24 laps is. It's a great workout no matter how you cut it. You get to a point where the 40's feel harder than the 30's. We typically did this workout one time per year - usually late February / early March.

I wouldn't write Galen off for the NCAA XC title just yet...

After reading the threads with Hadd and Cabral commenting on differences between FT and ST distance runners, this workout appears to heavily favor the ST runner. That might explain why you could only do 10 laps but run 3:43 (I'm assuming you're more FT since you noted your 1500 time). Either Hadd or Cabral pointed out that FT runners have much more difficulty recovering between intervals if those recoveries are spent running.

Just a thought.

G Money is da man wrote:

I'm surprised this hasn't been posted and discussed yet.

http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1224550533173210.xml&coll=7

Impressive.

Thanks-thats just crazy-he's in tremendous shape-i've tried to do that workout; freaking nutts. 6miles is crazy-when you look at all the guys that have done it...Steve Mechesney, Salazar, Pre-etc.

Let us all keep in mind that Pre never had the benefit of the Breathe-Right nasal strip (just kidding), Nike (ironically), full-time private coaching (although that might be debatable), current footwear and clothing technology, or an under-water treadmill. Just to be fair.

You forgot the altitude chamber

and compare all that to living out of a trailer off of food stamps and cranking out the miles in shoes made off of a waffle iron....

Whatever, though. Pre was one of the greatest of his time and Rupp is an amazing young olympian with great potential.

I've always wondered, on this workout, how close the runner was to hitting 30 and 40 *exactly*. Running, say, 32/38 would be considerably easier for an athlete of Rupp's ability.

How does the coach keep each 200 right at pace?

They need to be 29 high or 30 point something or 39 high or 40 point something. There's nothing scientific or measured beyond that. There's definitely a rhythm to this workout and you can generally lock into your 30's and 40's. As soon as you start running 32's or something slower you're done and you'll know when when it's time to stop. Dellinger always let us go and we made our own decision to stop. However, like I said before, the 40's end up being more difficult than the 30's because you're trying to buffer the lactate from the 30.

ehhhh wrote:

nj wrote:

...PRE's 16 laps was considered to be one of his best efforts ever...

Alright, now 4lapsx5miles is... don't tell me, don't tell me, i'll get it...

"Most guys stop at 8 laps," says Dellinger. "Alberto Salazar did 16 laps. Pre still holds the record at 18." ~ Run with the Champions.

Alan Arkin wrote:

Let us all keep in mind that Pre never had the benefit of the Breathe-Right nasal strip (just kidding), Nike (ironically), full-time private coaching (although that might be debatable), current footwear and clothing technology, or an under-water treadmill. Just to be fair.

Yes, but I don't see Rupp rocking a fu-manchu either!!!

The Portland Beaver wrote:

There are some that would argue the 40/30 workout is a threshold session but I wouldn't expect the Letsrun crowd to grasp that one...

Actually, it's a "crest load" session - the prinicpal physical benefit is probably in the area of removing lactate from some fibers and transporting it to other fibers (or to the heart) to be used as fuel. There can be a psychological benefit, too, since anything that boosts confidence in the ability to handle the stress of varied-speed running can be useful as long as it's not abused to the point of hypertraining.

Awesome workout, anyone paid attention to the way the olympics distance 5k and 10k races were run? There comes a point in which the kenyans dropped from 65s to 59s and 60s then slowed down then ran 60s again. At the international level, people need to learn uneven pacing. The kenyas know this and they understand it is impossible to beat the top Ethiopias unless they teach themselves to be able to handle running 5ks at 64 and suddenly run 60s. I would say this workout will allow rupp to handle any cahnge of pace, specially crosscountry. Imagine anyone trying to drop a 30 sec 200 in the middle of a race, RUPP will LOL at him, and enjoy a nice ride. And for all the haters, go try and do 4 laps of 30/40, I'll ROFLOL at you when you can't even do 3 or 4.

In Dellinger's book, he gives Pre's schedules and the following workout appears:

24x220 (32/28rest)

Malmo said this once about the famed 30/40 Oregon workout...it was more a test of fitness than an actual workout working on anything.

Something you did from time to time to judge your fitness.

Alan

I want to try... wrote:

I wonder how one would adjust the 30/40 for less fit runners. My numbers would reflect a 2:55 marathoner or 1:24 half, any ideas on appropriate paces?

It's how many you can do

if you can't run 30/40 then it's Zero

I have wondered how Rupp is coached by a Professional Coach , access to agents clearly and a former alum, not on the staff of UO, as well as probably/possibly train with professionals, although I could be off on that.I thought there were NCAA rules regarding training with professionals.

I am sure this had been looked at before,obviously but it is one of the weirdest collegiate athlete situations I can remember. He runs about 5 races a year for the Ducks, jumps in and out of Collegiate competition at will.

I know some will see this as silly,. stupid etc. I am just wondering.It seems he promotes the school when it is convenient for them, and jumps in and out of Collegiate comp so regularly it seems silly actually to call him anything other than a gun for hire.

I do not remember that last major XC runner who ran 1 or two events when NOT injured for a major university in a season, it is barely a season, then.

YOu have to admit is is more than a little different.

Someone can probably look this up, but how many events, real events has he competed in as a Collegian for Oregon?

And please do not give me, the "it is only major champs that matter anyway" rhetoric, that is not what I am taling about.

i bet none of you out of your prime haters could do this workout. so stop hating and do it yourself. and then you go pro

Doesn't this augur for a low 27 minute 10K? If so, he is once again right up there for the NCAA cross country title - although weather, course conditions and the like make the race outcomes more variable than in a track race.

Look, irrespective of all of the trappings that surround Rupp, he is a tremendous talent and that workout is one heck of a workout - maybe 20/30 in the world (one has to give a nod to the tremendous depth of African talent) could do it?

reconsider wrote:

Look, irrespective of all of the trappings that surround Rupp, he is a tremendous talent and that workout is one heck of a workout - maybe 20/30 in the world (one has to give a nod to the tremendous depth of African talent) could do it?

20/30? Now that is a heck of a workout.

Consider the fact that Salazar was roided to the gills when he ran makes Rupps feat even more impressive.