no interval work success?

Funny that this thread has popped back up again.

Last year I did 4mo at 100 miles per week with no interval training. I nailed a 5K taking one minute off my PR. My 10K+ remained soft comparably as I only took one minute off.

Now I am running 70mpw and adding 6x1 mile interval with 2 minutes rest. Each interval is about 5-10 secs per mile faster that 10k. I just took one minute off my 10K PR and think I could have run about 40s faster. I was in total control the entire time and did not push harder becuase the splits were already faster than planned. Yesterday I did an 8-mile tempo at only 9 seconds per mile slower and felt good (tune-up for a half marathon).

I think for me the intervals have helped enourmously. I plan on keeping them in my diet as I ascent back up to 100mpw in prep for a winter marathon.

Over the summer i averaged 85-90 mpw, about 20 mpw than i ever ran before a week before and took a 35 sec. off my PR 5k time by running a 15:13 in mid july, accomplished with really no speedwork. My key workout of the week was a 10 miler pushing the last 2 miles hard and keeping the rest at very strong pace. I did this workout probably 3 times a week on average.

I run for a DII school and when the season came i dropped my mileage to about 55-60mpw and and a lot more intense track and speed work and i can't seem to break 27 min. for the 8k. I know I can based on my 5k time, I think I need to get back to high mileage, less intensity. I've always responded better to it, even in HS i seemed to respond better to long, strong miles tha than tapering and just doing fast days and recovery runs.

Anyone else got some advice or similiar situation?

Do what works for you. You already know what that is.

Tinman what do you think about this approach by sol richards?

of all time.

I ran my most outrageous marathon of all time (2:35, pouring rain, much of it run into a 50mph headwind), on going out every day and running 5-10 miles, but doing it all at sub-6. My only speed was 3-2-1 Hailu Ebba intervals run, probably 1x/week, and----HILLS.

I've done "Hadd" religiously for >1y now and the result has been a guy that can run forever, but quite slowly. I am NOT a believer.

I'm going back to the short, sweet stuff.

I too believe that intervals are over rated. I know that I could up my speed and have a stronger finish with more miles better than I could by doing speed work on the track. If you train at race pace out on the roads once or twice a week (or more) you will run races at a pace you are comfortable at. When it is time to sprint and you have not become depleated by racing at a faster pace than you train, you will have the speed you need.

I have never raced well without very hard interval training.

Bump

I wish I had some hills near where I live but I dont so I've been trying to work out something on the treadmill. Lately, I've been running as follows: at every 10 min. mark, I take the incline to double the first digit of time. So at 10 mins., I'm running at 2 degrees, at 20 mins., I'm at 3 degrees, etc. etc. The most I've been able to do so far has been to 50 mins. at 10 degrees. Its a great hill workout for me and I dont have to travel far to get to the gym. I have the speed set to 10 min. miles but I plan on increasing that gradually as my condition improves. This obviously has no breaks anywhere but is a straight uphill climb.

Ooops, sorry I meant to say that at 20 mins., I'm at 4 degrees.

I've read that many Kenyans run a hill thats 22K long about once a week. Thats where I got the inspiration for this workout. On the treadmill, there is a screen that shows METS. No one seems to mention this much. Its a measure of effort but I'm not sure about what it is supposed to show. I've maxed out at 14 METS. Does anyone have any experience training with this METS standard?

Here is the theory behind METS. 1 Met is the VO2 it takes to exist. This is estimated at 3.5 l/kg/min. 14 METS would mean your estimated VO2 - given average economy - would be 49. This would be roughly 245 m/min on the flat. I think this is worht about 9mp or 6:40 pace.

correction. That should be ml/kg/minute. Sorry just woke up.

Interesting thread.

Last winter I bumped up the mileage and ran really well at some longer races (15k & 1/2 marathon) with the thought that I'd take those big miles and "sharpen up" in the Spring and run a few 5ks. I started doing track work 2x per week, one day of longer intervals 800-1600 and one day of shorter stuff 300's & 400's with a short rest.

My times went no where. I didn't seem to get anything out of the track work except really tired.

I think I'm going to give up on track work and just do hills and tempos and long runs this Fall.

bump

Anyone with more detailed info about Bill Adcocks training?

It was really very straightforward. Pretty much everything he did was in the 5:30-6:00 range and usually he ran twice a day. The AM run was usually in the 5-6 mile range and the evening run 10-12 miles, but occasionally he'd get up to 14.

He has quite a few exapmles in "The Road to Athens."

Try this training method. No intervals or base period necessary

Week 1, 2, and 3-

Run 20 MPW, rest a day a week or less

Week 4 -

Monday - 1200m time trial

Tuesday - rest

Wednesday - rest

Thursday - mile or 5K race

Friday - rest

Saturday - 1200m time trial

Sunday - rest

Repeat, but increase the mileage during weeks 1-3. After several months of doing this, you'll see 10-20 seconds of improvement. I went down from 5:09 to 4:42 after a year of this.

As a coach, I have had at least two athletes who ran quite well on no intervals. We would have them do a few intervals at the end of the season, but it didn't take either of them more than a few speed sessions to "sharpen".

I tend to agree with Mark Wetmore: "Interval training is dramatically overrated."

Sean Nunn

Raytown South

Good to see this thread up again. I have just re read some of it. Some good stuff here team.