Another Mile Prediction... 400m repeats

ElGuerroujFan wrote:

These were run on a a hill approx 2% grade. **Starting on a downhill, it went downhill 400, uphill 400, and so on.**

-EGF :)

Fixed.

a bump for people who like to log in at 9 40

Definitely NOT ElGuerroujFan

Your average pace is a bit over 5:33. You're probably in better shape than that because it's an unusual workout setting (uphill/downhill rather than a flat track).

But it's not the one workout, it's the progression over a sequence of workouts that's more important.

Thanks for the response !

So you are saying that i am 5:32 or faster for a mile. That is good. It gives me somewhere to go from.

When you say the progression over a sequence of workouts, do you mean you want me to do the same workout every couple weeks to see how i am progressing ?

my 2c wrote:

Your average pace is a bit over 5:33. You're probably in better shape than that because it's an unusual workout setting (uphill/downhill rather than a flat track).

But it's not the one workout, it's the progression over a sequence of workouts that's more important.

These mile predictor workouts get ever more difficult.

It used to be 8 x 400m with 60 - 90 seconds recovery. Now it's 13 x 400m with 30 seconds recovery.

Unless this is the 'El G' specific predictor work out, if you know what I mean...

I am afraid i have no idea what you mean.

I am sorry that it was so complex, i really was just running some repeats and hoping for advice and predictions. Do you have any predictions?

When you "imperial unit's guys" say 2% grade, does it climb 2 meters over 100m or 2 feet over 100 feet? (Serious question)

It is over feet i am pretty sure.

I use onthegomap .com

ElGuerroujFan wrote:

Thanks for the response !

So you are saying that i am 5:32 or faster for a mile. That is good. It gives me somewhere to go from.

When you say the progression over a sequence of workouts, do you mean you want me to do the same workout every couple weeks to see how i am progressing ?

I don't know if 11 x 400 on a +/-2% grade is the workout to do every few weeks, but having some kind of index workout is useful. It helps to see if you can do more reps, or you can do them faster, or with less rest.

If 400 repeats on a slight grade is the most race-specific workout you can do right now, you may as well try it again in a few weeks. Can you get to 12 x 400? Maybe slightly faster on average, with more even splits?

I already ran a 13x400 today, so moving up to 12x400 is uneccessary.

However, i see your point of having an index workout. i will try to do 14x400 next time.

Try 20 x 400m on sand, even better on a pebble beach. 20 seconds recovery to keep things real, maybe 30 seconds for the odd one or two if you happen to spot a hottie in a bikini. Add 5 seconds to the average rep and you have your likely mile time. Aouita ran a 4:13 mile on sand on his first ever run at 15 years old.

I'm assuming that you meant 1:27 where you typed 1:07. If so, you look capable of running six pairs in 77/87, which translates to about 80 seconds each on flat ground, in my experience. Very short recovery means that 5:20 should feel comfortable. Maybe 5:10?

webby wrote:

I'm assuming that you meant 1:27 where you typed 1:07. If so, you look capable of running six pairs in 77/87, which translates to about 80 seconds each on flat ground, in my experience. Very short recovery means that 5:20 should feel comfortable. Maybe 5:10?

Oh yeah, i checked again and i lapped the time 20 seconds into that rep. so yes 1:27.

So the time i am seeing from these predictions are 5:10-5:30 easy. That seems like a very good shape to me. That means I am closer than ever to breaking 5. I just got to finish up this small base and then my vo2max phase, then kill the trial.

Aouita Fan wrote:

Try 20 x 400m on sand, even better on a pebble beach. 20 seconds recovery to keep things real, maybe 30 seconds for the odd one or two if you happen to spot a hottie in a bikini. Add 5 seconds to the average rep and you have your likely mile time. Aouita ran a 4:13 mile on sand on his first ever run at 15 years old.

I might have to try this. The only problem is that beaches are a little closed right now :/

To the idiots that think el g actually ran 14x400 sub 55 with 30s rest, bare in mind he would’ve been in shape to run like a 3:20 mile

Brazilian Guy wrote:

When you "imperial unit's guys" say 2% grade, does it climb 2 meters over 100m or 2 feet over 100 feet? (Serious question)

Those are the same.

;( Thanks for the heads up then :)

Base training for what exactly? When is your goal race? 13x400 is not really the appropriate type of session to be doing if it is early on in training. For what it's worth, 13x400 with 30 sec rest would be near impossible to do at mile race pace. So I'd venture to say you are somewhere in the neighborhood of 5:10-5:15 shape for a mile.

If you are base training -- you want to be doing longer, steadier workouts.

-- 20mins @ 6:15 per mile

-- 6x3mins at 6:00-6:15/mile with 1 min jog between.

-- find a steeper hill (4-8% grade) that takes between 30sec and 2mins to climb and do 8-10 reps up with a very slow jog down for recovery between each.

That's the stuff you want to focus on right now.

Thanks, yeah i have been trying to build a base (5-7 miles easy days, 9-10 mile long runs), but i just love hammering speed work. It is more of me being like ¨oh good, i can still run fast¨.

Thanks for the examples though, Today I did 180m reps (10% grade) up a hill 12 times. The rest was between 30 seconds and 1 minute every time, jog back recovery.

Averaging in the high 30s for this workout, last rep in 29.27 seconds. It is worth noting that before this I ran 4 miles in 29:36. Then stretches and then this workout. 1 mile cooldown, The goal today was run about 8 miles volume. Next week will certainly be easier.

I plan on using the first 2 workouts you proposed next week, so thank you again. :)