Quarter repeats

No. Try a 1 minute recovery at the same pace. Then start adding laps out to 20 x 400. Killer workout. You build a good rhythm with 60 seconds...long enough recovery, but short enough to keep you focused into the next lap and not think about the pain.

I use this for strengthening in the fall. 20 x 400 at just under 5K pace with 60 second recovery, no sets. Just get on through it. The tough laps are 12-16, then the last 4 feel very easy.

Make no mistake, this is a tough workout but once you complete #20, you know you accomplished something difficult and built some strength and mental endurance.

it depends on your goals; how you felt afterward; and where you are in your training.

Doing only 10(low), at 5K pace with 90 seconds recovery between each sounds a bit anemic - but it really depends on the purpose.

10 - 12 x 400m @ ~mile pace with 90 seconds recovery would be more appropriate.

Is "5K pace" - from a recent race? or is it goal 5k pace?

I would increase the number of reps(15-20), decrease the speed of the interval to a pace that you can easily handle and decrease the amount of rest that you take.

Well I was going to do 12 of them but it was scorchingly hot (mid 90s) and no shade and I was hitting my times or lower on each rep so I just called it even on 10. The reps were at about 16:45 pace and I'm coming from a base of over 700 miles this summer, which was 50-60 miles each week, with 2 or 3 weeks at 45 or below and I've been above 50 since August. I guess I'll try the 60 seconds rest at a lower goal pace. Thanks.

Good for you.

If you repeat the workout, try and reduce your lap time by 1-2 seconds, keeping the recovery at 60. Hopefully it cools down in your area as fall approaches.

Once I run my first 20 x 400, weekly in the fall, I try to drop my lap times by 1 second the next time, then the following week drop the recovery by a second, then the lap time, then the recovery, so on.

Good success to you.

I like to run 20 x 400 at JD's I pace off short recovery - presently 45 secs which I will try and bring down to 20 secs (trying to remove 5 secs every month or so). It's a hard session but a great confidence booster - don't do it every week though.

It's August. Don't worry about it. So you did 10x400 at 5k pace with 1:30 rest. I'm assuming you're training for a 5k race? The next time you do 10x400 do them with 60 second rest, then the time after that take it down to 45...and so on until you can do that workout with as little rest as possible. Even better, once you can do 10x400 with :60 second rest extend it to 10x500m with ;60 rest, then drop it down to :50, :40, etc. :30 seconds is about as minimal a rest as you'd probably be able to do, and it would not be fun.

Alan

Another good workout is 20x400 on the 2 minute. You start a 400 every 2 minutes. The faster you finish the interval, the longer you have for recovery.

Yea that is a pretty tough workout. I did that for high school track a few times.

I'm thinking of keeping my mileage somewhat high around 60 mpw with Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday being workout days. Tuesday speed, Friday tempo or hills, and Sunday long runs of about a hour and half. For speed on Tuesdays, I'm thinking of doing 400s one week, 1Ks the next week, and mile reps the 3rd week. Then, once I get through that, I'll start back at the quarters and either make it faster paced or shorter rest and do so for each Tuesday workout, in a 3 week period. Only I will move up to 12 repeats of the quarters, 5-6 Ks and 4 mile reps.

I think that sounds pretty solid. Anything worth/not worth doing? Thanks.

400s are easy. Try 5 X 1000m @ 3000m pace with 3min rest, or 8 X 1000m @ 5km pace with 3min rest. This is a better MaxVO2 workout than 400s according to Jack Daniels(Daniels Running Formula). It takes 2min at MaxVO2 pace just to get to your MaxVO2, so if you run your 1000s in 3:15 you get only 1:15 of MaxVO2 work in. Times 5-8 that's 6-10min at MaxVO2. Faster dudes would be better to run 1200s, more time at MaxVO2 per rep. The rest is almost irrelevant as time at MaxVO2 is what counts.

So I read. Well, from experience I find the 1000s are better race simulation than 400s. I save the 400s for 1500m pace efforts or faster, sharpening type stuff. Actual speedwork for me are 800-1500m reps, and I must say I always got good results off the longer reps.