Mzungu in Iten wrote:
AM Track: 3km warm-up(15min) + 12x(1km fast,1km float) - fast km's averaging 2'50, float km's averaging 3'20, 3km cool down(15min). Total : 30km in 1h34min
PM : 12km easy(50min)
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Day's total 42km, altitude AM 2100m, PM 2400m. Weather : AM +12C, cloudy , PM +19C, cloudy
1k alternations, is great to see Eliud Kipchoge doing this type of workout. I think fast KM speed is about at their Lactic Threshold
while slow KM speed 30" slower and is about 90 % of their marathon pace.
Let's compare Eliud workout to 2011 Moses Mosop workout 2 weeks before 2:03:06 Boston marathon.
Mosop did 24km alternating speed in 1:14'13" avg 3'05/km Moiben road one way, start 2215m/finish 2077m
average km fast 2'51
average km slow 3'20"
Now their time is almost identical but the location of the workout I think is not the same, so dont make to much sense to compare. Moiben road I think is red sand road , then elevation etc. , that 2'50/km is like 2'45"-2'47" at see level on tarmac. Same for Eliud around Kaptagat
Anyway is a great workout , Renato Canova use it a lot for his athlets.
7 weeks to 2:19:44 Berlin 2011 Florence Kiplagat did
24km alternating speed in 1:23:01 avg 3'27/km
average km fast 3'11/km
average km slow3'43/km
And before Barcelona Half world record Florence Kiplagat did
15 km alternating speed
average km fast 3'08/km
average km slow 3'28"/km
Terrific! Here the recovery is very very near to a Marathon pace!