Assume training for a half marathon (or marathon) and that you also do a tempo/threshold run during the week. For weeks interval workout, the question was this: won't you get faster running 12x400 rather than 6x800 because at the end you will have covered the same training distance at a faster pace.
A lot of different issues were raised, over-training, energy systems used, but I will leave out our discussion (also a lot of anti-yasso sentiment which is why I didn't use 8x800).
Thoughts?
I mean Amby Burfoot already declared the Yasso 800s as king. Why would you question what Runner's World has told you?
which is better wrote:
Assume training for a half marathon (or marathon) and that you also do a tempo/threshold run during the week. For weeks interval workout, the question was this: won't you get faster running 12x400 rather than 6x800 because at the end you will have covered the same training distance at a faster pace.
A lot of different issues were raised, over-training, energy systems used, but I will leave out our discussion (also a lot of anti-yasso sentiment which is why I didn't use 8x800).
Thoughts?
What phase? What purpose for the workout? if training for HM it should be to increase threshhold. In that case the 800's are better because you are at aerobic threshhold for longer.
You gotta factor in the rest.
Let's say the rest is the same for both, and for the sake of the experiment the rest is 90 seconds. The 400s are done in 90 seconds, the 800s are 3:20
12 x 400 in 90 secs with 90 second recov is:
34.5 minute workout with 3 miles run at 6:00/mile pace in 12 segments. 16.5 minutes of rest/recovery.
6 x 800 in 3:20 with 90 second recov is:
27.5 minute workout with 3 miles run at 6:40/mile pace in 6 segments. 7.5 minutes of rest/recovery.
Once you deconstruct the workouts this way, you can see that the stimulus is much different. It is not the same 3 miles of running done faster when you do 400s.
Ideally, you would do the 400 workout earlier in your training buildup, and the 800s later. If your progression goes as planned, maybe you slow down less one you get to the 800s. Maybe you are running them in 3:05.
Phase 1: 12 x 400
Phase 2: 8 x 600
Phase 3: 6 x 800
Phase 4: 5 x 1000
That's kind of a nice progression of workouts for someone trying to improve at the 5K distance.
Yes, we talked about all of that - including the same rest interval vs allowed as much rest as you needed between each interval. One guy took the view that running 3 miles faster will make you faster, no matter how you break up that 3 miles, to a point.
In the end he was perhaps a bit petulant and his point became "running faster is what makes you faster". Basically he advocates short intervals throughout a training plan - right up to race week (although he agreed that even he to varies the length of intervals throughout, but, he was also pretty forceful that the tempo run accomplished a lot of our concerns). It's got certain attractiveness to it - but I agree with you and your progression. As did most others.
This video should help: http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/yasso-800s
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