I just did the Kosmin test this morning (2 x 60 seconds run with 3 min rest. Add total distance covered) and I totaled 700 meters. The Kosmin calculator predicts that I can run 2:14 for 800 meters right now.
I am 52 years old, and there is no way in hell that I can break 2:24 right now, let alone run a 2:14. Is the Kosmin test considered respectable among coaches? Im curious because its probably 10-12 seconds off for me.
Our coach gave us the Kosmin test at the start of track season. He gave us 2 minutes rest instead of three, and the 800 meter results were spot on, within one or two seconds of the test. Three minutes rest is just too long to give.
The Kosmin test tends to underpredict (predict results too fast) for men much over 2:00 and for women. It might be that people in the 2:00+ range are running more from endurance than speed and aren't fast enough to push themselves as far into oxygen debt, and for them the rest is too long. The results seem to be fairly accurate for athletes running in the 1:40s and 1:50s.
more like, they don't have enough type 2 muscle to generate a lot of lactate in just one lap.
I used this when I was a college coach and I found it spot on for my women who ran in the 2:09 to 2:15 range. The men's results where not as accurate and it tended to over-predict by a few seconds.
I used it twice a season. Once in the first week after base build up was complete and before faster training started. This gave us an idea of what pace to aim for when running very fast sessions with lots of rest. Then, the second time was about two weeks out from peaking to give goal times to aim for at the season ending meets.
Do the bleep test. Tests your VO2 Max.
How did you have them do the first interval? 1st lap goal pace, average goal pace, or just whatever they could recover from in 3 minutes?
Few years ago I ran that Kosmin test for 800m. My distances were 430 and 405. It predicted 1:58 for me and later in the same season i ran 1:56. So, i think that you can trust it.
I have ran the kosmin twice. One last year(893m) and I ran one today(897m). The 893m kosmin predicts I run a 1:51. I was not in 1:51 shape at the time of the trial but ended up running 1:50 by the end of the season.