SUB 3:50 1500 Thread

Dennis, I hate to break it to you but your post is unhelpful to the OP and anyone else reading this thread for several reasons. First, you never broke 3:50. Second, sharing haphazard training isn't a useful form of giving advice. Third, your entire post is rambling and not written in a comprehensible or informative manner.

Think before you post.

One thing that surprised me about this thread was how low everyone's mileage was. I ran a 4:08 mile indoors, but during that september i was doing 90-95mpw. Would it be bad to do 100mpw+ for the mile? I think it would dramatically help my strength, but it seems like people here are doing more like 60-70mpw

Med School Runner wrote:

Dennis, I hate to break it to you but your post is unhelpful to the OP and anyone else reading this thread for several reasons. First, you never broke 3:50. Second, sharing haphazard training isn't a useful form of giving advice. Third, your entire post is rambling and not written in a comprehensible or informative manner.

Think before you post.

Wow. You must be God's creation to all that is running. Med School Runner, your post is not useful to the original poster because one, and only one, you don't provide any information that the original poster was asking; rather felt the need to refute the legitimacy of my post.

I, on the other hand, provided the original poster with my progression and some workouts used during my training, which was geared toward a sub 3:50. I also provided flaws in my training regimen as a lesson learned.

Rather than being a pompous ass, why don't you provide some insight considering your infinite coaching wisdom.

I think most guys do achieve sub 3:50 on lower mileage than 80-90.

You should be able to do it on 60-70.

When I first did it, I had run 70 during the fall, but was running as little as 35-40 during the track season.

I am a big proponent of specificity. If you are going to run 3:49, then you had better be able to run 3x800@2:04 and 1200@3:05-6.

A strength workout I did that season was 1600-800-800-400

with 5 min rest; 4:22,2:05,2:05, 58.

A speed workout was 3x600@ 1:26 with 5-7 min rest.

Plus I often ran 1200 in 3:06, plus 400-600-400 @ 60/61 pace.

Med School Runner wrote:

Dennis, I hate to break it to you but your post is unhelpful to the OP and anyone else reading this thread for several reasons. First, you never broke 3:50. Second, sharing haphazard training isn't a useful form of giving advice. Third, your entire post is rambling and not written in a comprehensible or informative manner.

Think before you post.

It's Dennis Reynolds, he's a self centered a$$hole.

However, his approach to dating is pretty damn effective.

Actually, I did. I posted under the name "Another sub 3:50 runner guy" on the first page. Nobody cares if your training was "geared" towards a sub 3:50. Apparently it was NOT since you never accomplished that goal. Similarly, I wouldn't give advice on how my training is "geared" towards a sub 4 minute mile no matter how much I want to run that time.

Dennis Reynolds wrote:

Wow. You must be God's creation to all that is running. Med School Runner, your post is not useful to the original poster because one, and only one, you don't provide any information that the original poster was asking; rather felt the need to refute the legitimacy of my post.

I, on the other hand, provided the original poster with my progression and some workouts used during my training, which was geared toward a sub 3:50. I also provided flaws in my training regimen as a lesson learned.

Rather than being a pompous ass, why don't you provide some insight considering your infinite coaching wisdom.

Could someone knock up an example week for base, prep and comp?

Also, is 3:50-55 possible with a 400 pb of 51? Rarely race 15s. 800 pr is 1:55. What time do you reckon I could run?

Bump!

OK, here are actual weeks of base, prep and comp for 3:53 1500m runners last year.

base; nothing earth-shattering here. 60 miles total with one tempo of 8-10k and 6x1000m@ 3:00-3:05 with 90 sec rest.

Prep period; one long workout such as 4x1000m@2:48-52 with 2-3 min rest; one faster workout like 6x600m@1:36 plus 4x300@45/46. And a hard workout like 3k@9:00 or 8k tempo.

Competition phase. Very specific. 2 sets 3x500@1:18 with 75 sec rest plus 7 min.

1200m 3:08 plus 300m 44.

3x600@1:34 with 90 sec rest plus 4x300@44 with 75 sec rest.

3 different guys with different levels of speed ran these type workouts and ran 3:52,3:53 and 3:56.

What i want to add/develop in the future is a better 3k component like 8:35-40 in practice.

Hope this helps.

Cheers. So do I have the speed element needed for 3:55, with 51 and 1:55? I've always struggled with endurance. (apart from last year but I was out for 2 months before track and lost it.)

Let me know if I'm on the right track here. PR's 1:53, 3:57, 8:46, 15:31. Was at 50 mpw most of last year. Types of workouts when I was most fit: 4 mile tempo at 5:30 pace, 6x800 in 2:25 with 2 min jog recovery, 6x400 in 63-64 with 1 min standing recovery, 5x300 in 41-42 with 3 min walking/standing recovery, 9 miles in 6:20-6:30 pace.

I've never been able to train as fast as other people of my own racing ability, and I think that's because my aerobic system sucks. In order for me to hit the above workout times, my easy days have to be 5 miles dead easy, usually at 8:00 pace.

I'd like to be able to build up to where 7:00 pace is a recovery run, where I can do 5-6 mile tempos, 8-10x400 at race pace, 6-7x1000, etc. but it would destroy me now. So my plan this summer is to build up to 70 mpw, try to extend my tempo run from 4 miles to 5 miles, and then see how that treats me.

I also do have a history of injuries, so I can't do anything drastic. And I am 31 so I will not recover as fast as a 21-year old, but those pr's are all from last year so I am still improving. Got a late start, what can I say.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Am I on the right path with a 20 mpw bump and a 25% lengthening of my tempo run? I don't want to increase everything at one time, so this is my idea to be gradual.

am I on the right track? wrote:

Let me know if I'm on the right track here. PR's 1:53, 3:57, 8:46, 15:31. .

Stopping right there. Run more.

I focused on the 1500m primarily the year before I broke 3:50 and ran 1:55, 3:52, and 8:46 (3k). The year I broke 3:50 I bumped up mileage and focused entirely on bettering my longer events. I brought my 5k from an abysmal 15:57 to 15:07 (still not really in line) and my 3k down to 8:31. In my 1st 800 of the season (on literally no speedwork) I ran 1:53 low, and a week later, in my only 1500 of the season, I ran 3:49.

Basically it was all tempo, easy running, or 3k pace work. Maybe a grand total of 1000m at 1500m pace throughout the year and nothing faster. Obviously this wont work for everyone, but you seem to be pretty similar to me in that you tail off significantly after 1500m (and in your case maybe even after 800m). Bumping up the mileage and strengthening your aerobic system will do wonders.

And don't worry about working out with people of your own ability level if you have to go over the intended effort. I'm really similar in that regard, I do most of my workouts with 8:45-9:00 3k runners, running 2:55 pace. Be your own judge of effort, forget about splits, and just run more.