a quick question for all you letsrun posters out there
I want to run a 4:23/9:30 for 1600/3200 this year in track and was wondering, what type of paces and times should I be hitting in workouts to indicate these times.
for threshold/tempo runs
for 1000m repeats
for 400m repeats
for 800 and 1mile repeats
thanks.
I've never found these threads helpful and here's why:
A 59sec 400 runner is going to need vastly different training than a 52sec 400 guy.
Even if they both do the same mileage, although almost always the slower guy will need to do more, specific workouts will be different. There is the rare breed of slow twitcher that will be able to go 9:30 off of tempo runs not faster than 5:30-5:40, miles, and a few rustbusting races.
Other more typical runners might need 6-10x400 in 66 with rest diminishing over the course of the season weekly, with maybe more intervals on another day.
You get it? However, at this point in the year a good bet would be 6-10 mile progression runs going from slow to under 6 minute pace, always controlled. Then some full recovery easy 200's (35?) on another day.
I would guess, when in shape:
miles - 4:50s
1000 - high 2:50s
800 - 2:15 - 2:20
400 - 65 - 68
Try these training paces:
400 meter race pace - 56
800 - 61 (2:02)
1600 - 66 (4:24)
3200 - 71 (4:44)
5k - 76 (5:04)
10k - 81 (5:24)
Half marathon - 86 (5:44)
Marathon - 91 (6:04)
Aerobic endurance - 96-101 (6:24-6:44)
Recovery - 106+ (7:04+)
Tempos are done at HM pace. Repeat miles at 10k. 800's and 1000's at 5k. 400's at 1600.
If you have good endurance you can use a 4.5 second spread between distances rather than 5. I also find this breaks down for me at 400 and 800 since I have good speed and the recommended paces are too slow. But for everything aerobic it works.
HendricksRunnerIN wrote:
a quick question for all you letsrun posters out there
I want to run a 4:23/9:30 for 1600/3200 this year in track and was wondering, what type of paces and times should I be hitting in workouts to indicate these times.
for threshold/tempo runs
for 1000m repeats
for 400m repeats
for 800 and 1mile repeats
thanks.
You've got it ALL WRONG. You don't work out hitting the times a 9:30/4:23 guy would and HOPE it makes you run 4:23/9:30. You do the training where you are at RIGHT NOW and then run the race. ONLY THEN should you be hitting the 9:30 times in the workouts.
"If you want to work out faster, run your races faster first!" ---Jack Daniels.
My junior year I ran 4:26/9:24. Some workouts from my logs:
[All workouts done on a shitty cinder/kitty litter track in trainers unless otherwise noted. Races done in spikes on real tracks. I also used duel meets as workouts most of the time which I found to be very effective as speedwork.]
March:
5k tempo on roads @ 17:15
5 x 800 @ 2:29, 400 jog
10 x 400 @ 70, 400 jog
4 x 800 @ 2:24, 400 jog
10 x 400 @ 67, 400 jog
RACE (as workout): 4:46, 10:10 (solo runs)
RACE (as race): 1600 @ 4:35
April:
12 x 200 @ 30, 200 jog
10 x 300 @ 48, 300 jog (this wasn't too hard because of a real race 2 days later)
RACE: 9:42 (solo)
RACE: 2 x 800 @ 2:06
RACE: 800 @ 2:05, 800 @ 2:03, 400 @ 54
MAY (all races)
1600 @ 4:26 (leadoff on a relay), 1600 @ 4:32 (DMR anchor)
800 @ 2:02, 400 @ 54
3200 @ 9:24.9 (going 4:48-4:36, last 1600 solo)
3200 @ 9:31 (hot/solo)
3200 @ 9:24.1
My senior year where I improved a little bit for 3200 (9:19) I ran all of the aforementioned workouts a little bit faster (4 x 800 @ 2:17-18 on a real track, solo, with some wind, in march, 12 x 400 @ 68) and I also ran a 5 mile tempo (slightly hilly) on the roads at 5:38 pace with a teammate in February. From the winter of my junior year through the end of senior year I was at 60 mpw (excluding racing season, where I dropped to 35-45) with no doubles.