Do you believe Bekele did this workout?

Yes. This is a man who routinely closes world class 10ks in 53.

No one could do that workout.

Just like no one could run under 4 minutes, 8 minutes, 13 minutes or 27 minutes.

We are talking about the best here.

With those numbers he's capable of make 22.7x in open 200. Marvelous.

OBN # 2 wrote:

Do you Believe Kenenisa Bekele did this workout?

16x (400 in 52-54, rest, 200 in 24-25) w/ 90sec-2min rest b/w everything

http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2011/03/kenenisa-bekeles-workout-how-do-we-get.html

I have read the same article (linked on letsrun) and wondered the same thing. I wonder where Magness got his intel from... Doubt that he actually saw the workout...

KB has run 12:37 and 26:17, and these times are absolutely mind boggling/seemingly untouchable, but no I still don't think that KB did that workout.

Maybe, MAYBE if all the 400's were in 54, all of the 200's were in 25.high and all the rests were 2:05. But even then, it just doesn't sound like a work out KB could do, at any time.

Maybe someone like Coe could have done it, but I doubt KB could have (Coe had about 4 secs on KB in an open 400). Consider that KB's open 400, in his prime, was 50 flat at the best.

are you saying coe had 45 speed?=0

malmo fan wrote:

are you saying coe had 45 speed?=0

Well 45 and bits at least, yes.

See this thread - Coe 4x400m Video (90min after 1:44.06)

I agree with the above poster, I dont see bekele getting through this entire workout and hitting all splits...maybe a kipketer or rudisha, who I think probably had a bit more speed than a coe, who I think may also have been a hair slow

This is going to be like the Lagat 400 thread. Bekele is capable of way faster than a 50, many seconds faster. I am not clear on what exactly the rest is between the two and the four

Considering Bekele can close in a 53 at the end of a 10k, no problem.

The question of this workout isn't about the speed. An 800 meter runner couldn't complete this workout despite the relative ease of the pace due to the sheer volume. For somone like Bekele, this workout isn't impossible, I'd expect it is ROUTINE

Someone would need to have Rudisha's speed and Bekele's endurance. There has never been such a runner.

Who would be more likely to be able to do this workout? Bekele or El G?

Snatch wrote:

This is going to be like the Lagat 400 thread. Bekele is capable of way faster than a 50, many seconds faster. I am not clear on what exactly the rest is between the two and the four

This ^ is correct. No friggin way Bekele couldn't do in the ballpark of 47. How in the world does anyone think that his best 400 would be 50?!?

Snatch wrote:

This is going to be like the Lagat 400 thread. Bekele is capable of way faster than a 50, many seconds faster. I am not clear on what exactly the rest is between the two and the four

Based on what, exactly? The guy doesn't have a blazing fast 1500 or 800. I'd be surprised if he could break 49.

Everyone scale this workout back by multiplying it by much slower than bekele you are. So if you are a 17 minute 5ker, multiply it by 1.347, and it becomes 16 x (71.5 400m, rest, 33 200m). To me it doesn't seem too unbelievable relative to fitness.

That's 9 to 11 seconds faster per 400 than his 5000 PR. I think the pace is manageable for him. His 10,000 PR is 10 seconds per mile slower than his 5000 PR, so I believe that the volume wouldn't be a problem either. Letsrunners forget how good the best in the world is. Think of a 14:37 5k runner. He would be 40 seconds per mile slower than Bekele in the 5k (a short race).

matters of grave importance wrote:

Snatch wrote:

This is going to be like the Lagat 400 thread. Bekele is capable of way faster than a 50, many seconds faster. I am not clear on what exactly the rest is between the two and the four

This ^ is correct. No friggin way Bekele couldn't do in the ballpark of 47. How in the world does anyone think that his best 400 would be 50?!?

47? Good one.

47.5 , 12'37 >>>>> 1'42.17 , 3'23.75 , 7'14.39

Do you think Bekele can run 3'23?

Go read a book.

Even if you don't believe in the calc displayed above, surely you can see using common sense that someone with the endurance to run 26'17, would, with 47 sec 400 speed, be able to run 2 51's back to back for a 1'42 - 1'43. But surely even you know that Bekele could never throw down 1'42 - 1'43.

Just a few comments.

1. The guy mentioning the volume of this workout was right. I'm sure the likes of Kipketer and Co. (pardon the pun) could manage the speed of this series but not 16 reps of each.

2. It does look more like an EL G workout, though again, the volume still appears too much.

3. I don't think it's impossible for Bekele to do something approaching this, although I'd say it's been exaggerated. I seem to remember Aouita copying a Coe work out where he ran something like 10 x 54 to 55sec 400m with 1 minute recovery. I might have mis-quoted that somewhat so apologies if I have, and please someone put me right.

4. Despite what another poster put, I don't think Coe was any slower than Kipketer over 400m, if we look at their 400 opens and fastest 400m relay splits, there is less than 0.1 sec between each pair of times. I would imagine Rudisha is slightly faster than both over 400m, but that doesn't mean he'd be able to put together as many 400reps with short recoveries in the area of time given, due to inferior endurance ability, certainly compared to Coe.

5. I would imagine Bekele would break 50 sec for 400m at his peak, but NO WAY was he EVER a 47 sec man. People don't seem to understand the difference between closing even a relatively fast 5 or 10k in 51 or 52 secs and running a 1 off "all out" 400m.

EL G's coach said he could run around 47 high/ 48 flat in a single 400m in training. He had superior speed endurance than Bekele. Yes, Bekele may have had a quicker turn of speed, but he wouldn't have been able to sustain top speed for as long as EL G.

6. I'd say Bekele could run about 48.5 - 49.0 for 400m at his peak.

idiot3 wrote:

Someone would need to have Rudisha's speed and Bekele's endurance. There has never been such a runner.

Steve Ovett and Said Aouita come to mind.