Best Interval Session for 5/10k Progress

There isn’t one interval session that will make you ready for a race. Training is about getting in consistent workouts week after week and month after month.

For 5k and 10k, I would suggest there are a few key areas of focus.

1 - Log some good easy miles. Jog on feel.

2 - Tempo runs ranging from about 4 miles up to about 7-8 miles depending on ability and weekly

3 - Hill repeats ranging from 30s to 3’

4 - Interval sessions of repeats ranging from 400m to 2k.

5 - Long run of about 25% of weekly volume.

If you kNow you do too much and end up injured, I’d suggest perhaps substituting one run a week for a visit to the gym.

Good look.

2a. For an 18:30ish 5K runner, a plain old 20 minute tempo, about 3 miles, is an excellent workout.

4a. At 5K pace, intervals close to or above a mile are hard to sustain, but 10K pace in the mile-2K range makes for a great workout.

RobG wrote:

Hi all...since my first marathon last year I've continued to use YASSO 800s in my training schedule.

I'm thinking that 800m is too long an interval, and that I should be going shorter now that my focus is back on the shorter races (5/10k). What would people advise for an interval workout for the shorter distance?

I'm 41 and currently I'm in about 18:30 5k shape, maybe quicker, but looking to knock at least a minute off that by increasing mileage and tailoring my workouts. Historically I struggle without a target/plan and just end up getting really fit and overdoing it/ending up with an overuse injury!

Any advice would be appreciated!

Increase mileage and stick to the tempos and fartleks. I do zero intervals.

As the other people were saying - 20 minute tempo run is a phenomenal workout.

Fartleks are intervals

Thanks people....have loaded the 3m Tempo to my Garmin :)

Absolutely going to up the (easy) mileage.

First of all: For long distance improvement don't use distance as measure of unit for intervals. The measure of unit is HR (heart rate) which is the same as heart beats per minute. This measure is relative to your max heart rate.

Why do intervals? You want to train at an ntecity that cannot be sustained over time when running without breaks.

What is best for long distance? If you want to improve VO2max and if you have the guts to keep it up over time: 3 times weekly long high intencity interval sessions of 5 times 5 minute intervals at 85-90% of max heart rate.

20 x 400m is outstanding! At 5 k race pace and recovery easy walking back to 120 bpm ( or 60 % of MHR ) gOOD Luck! :)

tempos are king wrote:

RobG wrote:

Hi all...since my first marathon last year I've continued to use YASSO 800s in my training schedule.

I'm thinking that 800m is too long an interval, and that I should be going shorter now that my focus is back on the shorter races (5/10k). What would people advise for an interval workout for the shorter distance?

I'm 41 and currently I'm in about 18:30 5k shape, maybe quicker, but looking to knock at least a minute off that by increasing mileage and tailoring my workouts. Historically I struggle without a target/plan and just end up getting really fit and overdoing it/ending up with an overuse injury!

Any advice would be appreciated!

Increase mileage and stick to the tempos and fartleks. I do zero intervals.

As the other people were saying - 20 minute tempo run is a phenomenal workout.

Fairly slow-twitch people may respond to that kind of training, but most people need intervals and speed to come close to their 5k potential. And for most people, cruise intervals and broken tempos are better than normal tempos.

If you can`t figure out how to quite fast improve your 5 k with a minute you are welcome to my

magic coaching. :)

The Wizard JS wrote:

20 x 400m is outstanding! At 5 k race pace and recovery easy walking back to 120 bpm ( or 60 % of MHR ) gOOD Luck! :)

The goal should be to remove the lactate acid while maintaining as a high a heart rate as possible between between repetitions. You make it sound like the drop to 120 bpm is desired. As max heart rate is highly individual why did you pick the magic number 120 as 60% of max heart rate? When doing such short distances you want to make sure to start another rep before the heart rate drops to such low heart rates as 120 bpm. The heart rate takes time to build up and from 120 bpm you will not be able to reach 160 bpm before 45 seconds of running. That leaves just a few seconds in desired training zones for VO2max.

there is no "one best workout"

you just want to hit variety of pace ranges from mile/3k in short 30 second intervals at the end of a workout to longer tempos closer to half marathon pace. ill list a few of my personal favorites

16 x 30" hill repeat at mile effort. can also do 12 or as many as 20. jog down and when needed do another few minute jog to stay fresh. not an aerobic workout so take the recovery you need.

8-12 x 3 on 1 off. can also call these 800 or 1k repeats if you prefer to go off distance. doesn't really matter in my opinion. hit a pace slower than 5k pace, and probably slower than 10k pace too. I prefer doing these over grass with some slight hill but if you go to a track think more like 10k pace

20/30/40 minute tempo. now this isn't the same pace for all. I think daniels? wrote about how to scale down but essentially that 40 minute tempo will be closer to half marathon pace

4-6 x 2k would be my other favorite w/ 400 jog. theres something a bit comforting about a mile so ive always felt that the additional lap really helps develop some mental toughness

basebab wrote:

there is no "one best workout"

Thats true.

However there are really bad workouts:

Hobby jogging (with or without breaks) of 40 minutes. -> No gain (unless beginner: low gain)

Hard short intervals with too long breaks aimed at improving VO2max -> Lots of suffering low gain.

Don't strain without gain!

Semiler wrote:

The Wizard JS wrote:

20 x 400m is outstanding! At 5 k race pace and recovery easy walking back to 120 bpm ( or 60 % of MHR ) gOOD Luck! :)

The goal should be to remove the lactate acid while maintaining as a high a heart rate as possible between between repetitions. You make it sound like the drop to 120 bpm is desired. As max heart rate is highly individual why did you pick the magic number 120 as 60% of max heart rate? When doing such short distances you want to make sure to start another rep before the heart rate drops to such low heart rates as 120 bpm. The heart rate takes time to build up and from 120 bpm you will not be able to reach 160 bpm before 45 seconds of running. That leaves just a few seconds in desired training zones for VO2max.

I will teach something ... :) The goal with the workout isn`t to remove lactate ! The main goal is to USE the lactate in the energy process to recycle the by-product into new energy. When running at 5 k race pace this energy process will become more efficient over time if repeated frequently. It wasn`t me that picked the magic number of 120 bpm , it was the great forgotten coach Woldemar Gerschler and his compatriot Ph Reindel from the -30s with scientific and practically world class coaching....and you will reach high heart rate enough to contribute to increased maxO2 up to the highest possible individual level, but as I told the main thing is to teach the body to improve the energy process at 5 k race pace .

The Wizard JS wrote:

I will teach something ... :) The goal with the workout isn`t to remove lactate !

If you accumulate lactate then you run slower and slower for each repetition. If you run slower for each repetition because your legs are full of lactate acid then training effect reaches a minima.

Luckily that will not happen with your training program because you walk/jog for a long time between repetions and lactate acid is removed. The problem is that your heart rate has dropped too much.

I run interval hill repeats at a spot there are many others running hill repeats. Way too often I see runners climb the hill at a tough pace, and then exhausted at the top they enjoy a long break. They do not understand that the long breaks ruin the hard work they are laying down. Going a little slower up the hill, suffering less, and enjoying a shorter break is a much more effective exercise if improvement is the goal.

The thing is that the heart rate drops perfectly to a level that gives the very best individual stroke volume and a heart that grows stronger.What many runners ,and even coaches, don`t understand is that the recovery phase is at least as important as the effort. When it comes to hill repeats in the best way and need for recovery depends on what purpose you have with the workout .

6x1km @ 5k with equal rest

20 min tempo

10-15x400m @ 3k pace 1' rest

4-5 x mile @ 10k 1-2' rest

Semiler wrote:

What is best for long distance? If you want to improve VO2max and if you have the guts to keep it up over time: 3 times weekly long high intencity interval sessions of 5 times 5 minute intervals at 85-90% of max heart rate.

I see that as an LT workout rather than VO2max.

Alfie wrote:

Semiler wrote:

What is best for long distance? If you want to improve VO2max and if you have the guts to keep it up over time: 3 times weekly long high intencity interval sessions of 5 times 5 minute intervals at 85-90% of max heart rate.

I see that as an LT workout rather than VO2max.

Please put on a heart rate monitor. Find a long hill and start running. Come back and tell me it was not tough enough for you. Then if that is the case, you are young and have talent, there is a potential.

Alfie wrote:

Semiler wrote:

What is best for long distance? If you want to improve VO2max and if you have the guts to keep it up over time: 3 times weekly long high intencity interval sessions of 5 times 5 minute intervals at 85-90% of max heart rate.

I see that as an LT workout rather than VO2max.

+1 !