If a 5K is so aerobic, then why do so much speedwork?

I question everything wrote:

[quote]But if they are only 1500m runners they have no (known) marathon pace! How can a sub-4 mile guy that has never trains longer than 12 miles at a time and has never raced longer than some 8K college XC race know his marathon pace?

You took what I said too literally. Of course they haven't figured an actual marathon pace, just an approximation. Without marathon specific training, the 1500m runner shouldn't even plan on meeting his girlfriend at the finish line.

well. wrote:

[quote]Even 1500m pace is more aerobic than anaerobic.

That wasn't my point. I was merely attempting to show the relationship between faster running at shorter distances with the ability to run more efficiently at a slower pace.

It does seem that the greatest 5k runners, men and women, do have significant speed as Bekele and Dibaba/Defar prove. There is a reason Komen exeled at 5k and why el'guerrouj was no slouch either.

Many agree that a defar/dibaba could smash 4 minutes in the 1500 and of course the Chinese of the early 90s - who are very similar to the ethipoians of today - shared the same traits of masterfully combining speed and endurance to excel at 3 & 5K (8:06 converts to 13:56 btw and Qu ran 1:56, 3:50, 8:12 (converts to 14:07) AND 2:24!) Paula at her peak could very much compete with a Dibaba at 10k but she would never get close to 14:11.

Speedwork plays a huge role at the 5K.

concao wrote:Paula at her peak could very much compete with a Dibaba at 10k but she would never get close to 14:11

actually, she wouda gone somewhere between 14'17.5 - 14'20 if she'd been wabbited to 3k in her 14'31 in '02 in a gun-to-taper

also, in her book she said she ran a 4'01tt early millenium

she had plenty of speed...

jjjjjjjjj wrote:

best miler in the country fifty to fifty five mpw.

Really, Wheating runs 50mpw? Lagat's an old man now, son. Old men do low mileage.

Observation? wrote:

So, if a 5K race is between 88-93% aerobic (Sports Medicine 2001), then why are we doing so much anaerobic work? Shouldn’t we work more TEMPO & less, say, 400’s?

Sure, I see the other 7-12% in the above numbers, but it seems like we might—just might—be getting wrapped-up in too much speed work.

Let's just run!

Every pace is important, in the right proportion.

But let me ask the mother of all exercize physiology quetions relating to aerobic/anaerobic:

Is the push of phase, mostly anaerobic, and the rest of our running gait mostly aerobic?

Bekele run the 100 meters in 10.9 seconds.

Like WOW!

A 10k runner run 10.9 in the 100 meters.

Here is the times of the great K Bekele!!

100 meters 10.9

150 meters 15.9

200 meters 21.9

300 meters 35.7

400 meters 47.7

500 meters 1:03

600 meters 1:15

800 meters 1:46

those times are horseshit

there are 1'43 guys ( maybe even 1'42 ones ) who can run no faster than 47s

these guys will not have anywhere close to the endurance abilty of kennster ( they aren't 5k/10k wr holders ), so how come they can go 1'43 off 47+ & he can only go 1'46 ???

he woudn't break 50s or 1'48

Are you white? Tell us how fast you run the 100 meters?

cablinasian

9.47 ( -2.5m.s )

ventolin^3 wrote:

those times are horseshit

there are 1'43 guys ( maybe even 1'42 ones ) who can run no faster than 47s

these guys will not have anywhere close to the endurance abilty of kennster ( they aren't 5k/10k wr holders ), so how come they can go 1'43 off 47+ & he can only go 1'46 ???

he woudn't break 50s or 1'48

I agree that Kenenisa Bekele wouldn't break 50 in a 400m race. He might do that with a hand timed rolling 400 at 8000ft.

In a sea level 400 he would run 51.0

But I disagree with your 800 assessment, he would run 1.46

What is that your 40 meter time?

Time0ut wrote:

Tell us how fast you run the 100 meters?

ventolin^3 wrote:

9.47 ( -2.5m.s )

That's for 100 feet, not 100 meters.

Are you white what is your 100 meter time?

Hey guys, what can you run the 100 meters in?

Wellnow can you tell us, who the hell you coach?