Alfie wrote:
"
a) 20x400 @10k pace with 60s rest
b)5x1 mile @10k pace with say 3 mins rest
If the FT does B, he will use his anaerobic system a lot over the first 2-3 mins of each interval and with the long rest it will recharge each time so he doesn't get a ton of work in
Do the 400s though and the FT use the anaerobic system for the first couple reps but there isn't enough time to recharge so for the last dozen it is stressing the aerobic system more"
Re the earlier post: can someone explain this to me?
With workout B, why can't the FT runner get a lot of work in? He can run each rep above AnT?
With workout A, why can the FT runner only use the anaerobic system for the first couple of reps?
In B, the FT running is using the anaerobic system for 2:00 of the reps and with the long rests he is fully recharged. So he gets say 5x3:00 of aerobic work. Compare that to the ST guy who gets 1 min of anaerboic work and 5x4:00 of aerobic work. One guy is getting 20 mins of work, the other is 15:00. That is a lot more.
In A, it takes the FT guy 2:30 mins to recharge the anaerobic system so with 60s rest he isn't recharging so that in the 5+ reps he is getting say 15s of anaerobic work and 60s of aerobic work.
Again this is far too simplistic description of the physiological responses to running but it is a real simple explanation of why some people think FT and ST running the same distance should train differently.
This is definitely a bit in the broscience world. There are some studies but things are far from definitive. Again it isn't about why some people should run the 800m and the others 10k. It is why when you have 2 30 min 10k runners, why one should be doing 400s and the other repeat miles to improve their vo2max or LT.