has anyone tried using large intervals for v02 development? for example 2000m at 3000m pace. i can see myself doing something like 2 x 2000m at 3000m pace in a workout if i can recover something like 5 to 7 minutes in-between.
i think i've seen serious runners do something like a hard 2000m interval and then a bunch of 300m repeats afterwords.
anybody have experience with these?
summer running wrote:
has anyone tried using large intervals for v02 development? for example 2000m at 3000m pace. i can see myself doing something like 2 x 2000m at 3000m pace in a workout if i can recover something like 5 to 7 minutes in-between.
i think i've seen serious runners do something like a hard 2000m interval and then a bunch of 300m repeats afterwords.
anybody have experience with these?
The purpose of interval training is to do a fairly high volume of high intensity running without burning ourself out. 2x2000 at 3k pace would be an absolutely all-out session and it could perhaps serve as a substitute for a tune-up race, but I think it is too taxing to be used as a regular Vo2 max session.
David Moorcroft (13.00 5k runner) did a staple session of 5-7 1ks off 6-7 mins recovery in sub 2.30s
I'd think the last 800m of that session would be nigh unto impossible, unless you're an elite runner with very high maxV02. I find a session of 4 X 1200m @3km pace very tough with a good amount of rest. Isn't the classic workout about 5000m worth of 3000m paced stuff with about equal time rest i.e. 5 X 1000m @3km pace with equal rest? Or 8km worth of 5km paced stuff equal rest interval.
Keep in mind, though, for Moorcroft, 2:30/1000 was 3000m race pace, so doing doing a bunch of 1000s in 2:27 wasn't quite as inhuman as it sounds to us.
It'd be like your good high school kid running 9:20 for two miles doing 1000s in 2:52 with lots of rest- certainly a very good workout, but nothing totally crazy.
8k worth at 5k pace I generally go with half recovery time rather than equal and find that works better and is still d0-able.
2x2000 (even with long) rest is likely to be almost impossible (you might be able to do the workout but you will not recovery quick enough).You want intensity but you also want volume. Running slightly slower (5k pace) and shorter (1600m) will allow you to do 3-4 intervals which will be another 800-2400m of training (2-7 min).For a lot of people going even slower (8-10k pace) works well also. doing 5-6 x1600 at 10k pace is doable (or something like 3x3200) and you get a lot of volume at a quality aerobic pace. You will need to do some faster stuff (the 3-5k pace intervals) when you get close to peaking but being able to do ~30min of quality work versus ~15-20 min provides a big boost to the aerobic system.The best way to figure out what you respond to is to try the various workouts. Everyone is slightly different.
summer running wrote:
has anyone tried using large intervals for v02 development? for example 2000m at 3000m pace. i can see myself doing something like 2 x 2000m at 3000m pace in a workout if i can recover something like 5 to 7 minutes in-between.
i think i've seen serious runners do something like a hard 2000m interval and then a bunch of 300m repeats afterwords.
anybody have experience with these?