Yasso 800 Half Marathon Predictor Is Crazy

THE BEST RACE PREDICTOR IS TO RACE.

I’ve never been a speed guy, but that’s a workout I would do usually in 2:25-2:28 and I ran 1:12:05.

I think you can run a lot faster than the 1:19 goal if you race smart.

TheBanaman wrote:

I saw this today

https://www.active.com/running/articles/3-half-marathon-predictor-workouts?page=2

. I ran 9x800 w/3 mins rest today in a hilly and twisty country road today, aiming for 2:34 per 800, and my splits were 2:29, 2:34: 2:32, 2:33, 2:33, 2:33, 2:33, 2:30, 2:31. If I were to use this formula to predict a half marathon time it would give me something like 1:12/1:13, which is insane, there is no way I could run that fast, I’m shouting for like 1:19:40.

Does anyone have any experience using this workout as a predictor? Does anyone else think it’s ridiculous?

Do you do like no mileage? This workout indicated way under 1:19

ThatAverageRunner wrote:

TheBanaman wrote:

I saw this today

https://www.active.com/running/articles/3-half-marathon-predictor-workouts?page=2

. I ran 9x800 w/3 mins rest today in a hilly and twisty country road today, aiming for 2:34 per 800, and my splits were 2:29, 2:34: 2:32, 2:33, 2:33, 2:33, 2:33, 2:30, 2:31. If I were to use this formula to predict a half marathon time it would give me something like 1:12/1:13, which is insane, there is no way I could run that fast, I’m shouting for like 1:19:40.

Does anyone have any experience using this workout as a predictor? Does anyone else think it’s ridiculous?

Do you do like no mileage? This workout indicated way under 1:19

45-50 miles a week for 4-5 months. Longest long run 16.5 miles. I run plenty easy miles.

Check out the article further and read the incredibly stupid Galloway workout prediction! Makes no sense whatsoever.

As for you, it’s true. If your road 800’s accurate, you will run much faster than 1:19.

You shouldn't take "predictor" workouts from magazines literally, but I agree that 1:19 is a soft goal for you

I think Rudisha can run 10x 800m w/ 2min recoveries in 2:00

We know he is not be able to hit 2-flat marathon

10x800 w/ 400j was a staple HM workout for me. When I’d be in good shape around 1:05-1:06 HM, I would usually average around 2:19-2:20 with 1:50-2:00 400j recovery. The 2:20/800 corresponds roughly with my 5k pace. If I were to follow the formula and do (HM goal + 8 seconds) x 2 and run 2:26-2:28 with 2:26-2:28 rest I wouldn’t assume I was in 1:05-1:06 shape.

yasso is wacko wrote:

I think Rudisha can run 10x 800m w/ 2min recoveries in 2:00

How do you know? That is not easy.

TheBanaman wrote:

I saw this today

https://www.active.com/running/articles/3-half-marathon-predictor-workouts?page=2

. I ran 9x800 w/3 mins rest today in a hilly and twisty country road today, aiming for 2:34 per 800, and my splits were 2:29, 2:34: 2:32, 2:33, 2:33, 2:33, 2:33, 2:30, 2:31. If I were to use this formula to predict a half marathon time it would give me something like 1:12/1:13, which is insane, there is no way I could run that fast, I’m shouting for like 1:19:40.

Does anyone have any experience using this workout as a predictor? Does anyone else think it’s ridiculous?

Although the article calls it a predictor workout, Yasso 800s aren’t really. Yasso just noticed that - for him - if he was in shape to run 2:40 for a marathon (for example) then he would be able to run 10x800 in 2’40.

Being able to run the times for the 800s doesn’t necessarily mean you can run that time for the marathon - the point about Rudisha is valid - but the anecdotal evidence suggests that if you can’t run those 800 times you probably won’t run that time for the marathon. Of course, there are exceptions, but that’s the actual idea behind it; not a “predictor workout” as the article describes it.

Fair enough. Maybe I'm just more suited to speed than endurance, maybe I should start running the 1500, 3K and 5K more lol

Actually, what Yasso did was put his name on the workout 10 X 800 at 5K pace. (I will give him credit for figuring out the coincidental correlation between 5K pace 800 interval and Marathon finish time.)

Fair point, but the same charge could be levelled at anyone who's ever named a workout. Anyway, we agree it's a coincidental correlation rather than a predictor.