what the hell is the purpose of this workout...way too much recovery. the times were between 300-310, and I am a 16min 5ker.
what the hell is the purpose of this workout...way too much recovery. the times were between 300-310, and I am a 16min 5ker.
That's a great workout. The repeats should be fast-about 10-15 seconds faster than 5k race pace. So yeah I guess 3:00 for you.
Its race preparation.
how soon before your main race would you do this type of workout?
I'm guessing your coach wants you to be a low-15 5ker later in the season and this is a step in that direction.
sweathog wrote:
I'm guessing your coach wants you to be a low-15 5ker later in the season and this is a step in that direction.
I did a workout similar to this.
We did 6X1000's with a 3:30 second rest.
our times ranged between 3:00 and 3:03.
IMOTEP wrote:
what the hell is the purpose of this workout...way too much recovery. the times were between 300-310, and I am a 16min 5ker.
One strategy that is sometimes used is to get to where you can run a workout on goal pace with relaxed rest, the gradually cut down the rest as you go through the season. A 5K guy might go from 1000's with 3-5 min recoveries at 3K pace down to 2 min recoveries at the same pace before peaking.
The relaxed recoveries can also be used for peaking or race week training by running on goal pace with relaxed recovery to produce lower lactate loads, and the lower lactate allows the workout to be run closer to an important race.
Of course, it might also be that the coach doesn't understand how to set recoveries right.
2:54,2:53,2:47,2:46 with 2-4 minutes of recovery
Race preparation for a 16:00 5k runner would not be 3:00 per kilo...that would be race preparation for a 15:00 runner.
What you were basically doing was a repetition or lactate tolerance workout. Basically, the idea behind this workout is to build up a tolerence for the affects of high intensity running. By repeating this workout you become more effecient at a much faster pace than race pace. Running it with short rest at this point in the season would be pointless as you wouldn't make it past the first two reps without losing control of the workout.
Ideally if you were to repeat a similar workout (any workout that is much faster than race pace) you would either a) decrease the rest over time and/or b) increase the distance over time. So 4x1000m with 5:00 rest becomes 3xmile with 5:00 rest or 4:1000 with 2-3:00 rest. Over time you gradually become more effecient at running while "the bear is on your back" and the legs are swimming in acid. This helps alot during the last mile of your 5k.
Since it's late September so you have like 4-6 weeks left in the season? You're probably entering the last portion of your training so expect to see more workout to sharpen that last mile.
Alan
Just to add my two cents worth...
We've been doing 1000m x 3, building to x 5, for years now with 3 mins 45s recovery. The times achieved equate very closely to 3000m race PRs.
I do 6 x1000m with 2-2.30 rest in about 3.08