Wilson Kipketer 5*1k

This is from an old email I have from the early 2000's when a group of 800m athletes were up in St. Moritz. Find it hard to believe he'd go 2:18 for 5 reps even at sea level.

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Wilson is some what of a loner in the training area and really seems to not like
others seeing what he does. Normally training at about 1.30 when most athletes
have left the track and are eating. I did witness two sessions a 3x 1000 (2.25,
2.25, 2.26) with 12 rec and a 3x 600,300 session in (76/77,35) with 5 and 12
recovery and looked incredible.

thanks for the reply, sounds very impressive but... human. really not sure what to make of the video. what's in it for kipketer to be untruthful? it's strange. it feels wrong to doubt him or suggest he's lying - i'm not accusing him of lying. just shocked. if he was doing this in training, i wish he would've stepped up and raced el guerrouj.

Genuinely could just be misremembering and not realizing that the session he mentioned was essentially 5x race effort solo on 5 minutes recovery. I remember there was an interview discussed on here years ago where Rick Wolhuter said he used do something like 4x 400 averaging sub 50 with like 30 seconds rest or something ridiculous but it was pretty clear he was getting his paces mixed up. The sessions listed are much more believable (though for me the 1ks seem a little slow for that much recovery) and tend towards more speed that I would expect from an 800 guy like Kipketer.

Factor in the altitude in St. Moritz, and for an 800m runner that probably didn’t have much endurance beyond the 1500m distance, I can see how you get to that long of rest.

The goals of workouts and the structure is very different for PURE and FAST 800m runners vs RESISTANT and those athletes of longer distances.

2:18 sounds fast considering his 1k PR is only a few seconds faster

but when you break it down he is a 1:41 guy. He can run 1 second slower per 100m and hit sub 1:50 though 800 and maintain for sub 2:20 though 1K

I believe the first few reps are nice and relaxed, but I refuse to believe he isn't dead tired afterwards

He probably starts with 5 mins rest but I would be shocked if he didn't take a couple extra seconds or minutes between reps towards the end of the workout

2:18 1k all out is 3:35 for someone in shape to run 1500. Daniel Komen on his best day couldn’t do this workout. Jakob certainly couldn’t.

nobody in the world can do this workout.

Probably 2:28 instead

let's say kipketer could run 2:13 for 1000m in his best shape.

In a random day of training, untapered, alone, at altitude, that probably already converts in 2:18. So you believe he can run 5times all out in the same day? let alone 5min recovery.

I bet he could not even do 2 with 10 minutes recovery.

Wilson is the goat...

the goat of 5x1000? definitely not. A 1500-5000 runnner would be way better for this kind of workout.

So El Gerrouj is the one who could have ran it the fastest and not even close to 2:18. Maybe 2:25

No. 800m.

obviously it's speculative but the kipketer that cruised 1:41s and 1:42s every week like it was nothing could (and should) have been taking the 1000 world record - i'm going to generously give him 2:11.

but 5 reps of 2:18?! i mean, i could run about 2:24 right now; there is absolutely zero chance i could run 5 times sub 2:35. zero.

He probably just misspoke. Don't worry about it any further. That said, I would consider 5x1000 / 5min rest to be a typical base phase workout for an 800m specialist (much slower than 2:18 of course, it's a slip of the tongue).

Interesting ... 1000m repeats, hard pace (although obv likely not 2:18), with 5 minutes rest? For base phase? I would have thought maybe around LT pace with something like 200m jog recovery, during base. If doing hard 1000m repeats with 5' rest, wouldn't that be more like mid-to-late season, pre-peak? Anybody care to clarify or weigh in on this?

5x1000m with 5 minutes recovery is a repetition workout. A lactate threshold workout wouldn't need so much rest inbetween, same with Vo2 max where you want to keep HR up.

An approximation off Vdot puts his rep pace at 2:22. His pace is quicker, but with only 2:18 of work and a long rest for an elite, I don't think it's as crazy as others here do.

It depends on the TYPE of athlete. FAST 800m runners don’t do as much traditional LT work. There are so many ways to stimulate LT, and some work better for different types of athletes.

3x8x150 at 21 (for a 1:45 runner) has a more aerobic affect than a 20’ tempo run, which more often than not raises the mmol much higher, and it becomes not aerobic.

In the same way, something like 4x(3x300) is a great way to affect LT for a speed based 800m runner.

Don’T think about long rests, rep length, etc. and think it isn’t aerobic. Think more about the EFFECT of the training.

He seldom raced a serious 1000 safe to say 2:12+ 3:30 capable at peak

Still 5x2:18 doubtful , 3x maybe

But isn't 1000m longer than is recommended for Rep pace? And 5k at that pace is good amount of volume.

2:18 pace is coming through 800 in 1:50, so 9 seconds of his PB. Obviously he's an elite athlete who probably has a higher than normal workload tolerance, but its hard to imagine a 1:50 guy doing 5x1k @ 2:29.

I could see him possibly working down to that pace for one hard rep, maybe beginning closer to 2:25. But yeah he's probably misremembering.

The 3 x 1k @ 2:25 workout cited above seems like it'd be pretty easy for him, though not sure what that'd equate to if it was at altitude. The 3 x 600,300 in 76,35 is flying - that's 600 at race pace basically - but seems plausible for someone with his ability.

Yes, an insane session. No idea really if possible (maybe not) but he's the second greatest 800m runner ever and willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that it's within the realms of possibility.