URGENT NEED OF HELP - 8 weeks to improve my cooper test results.

I did the test today and ran 2805 meters with morningweight 88kg.

I need to run 2900+ the 23may.

So i guess if i drop the 4-5kg and keep on running it should be doable?

so like 150m improvement so far? Was this a race or just a self time-trial?

Things are looking really good I'd say. Keep up the strong workouts. Weight loss, if not too draining, will help a lot.

Looks like you are making solid progress. Keep running every day. Lose the weight. Looks like you will hit your target of 2900m.

it was a self test to see what my current level was. I read that each kg gives about 3-4sek/km so if i drop 4kg and we round down, i would get like 12 secs/km per kg, so maybe 10sec realistically and x4 so 40 sec extra on the test just by weightloss, not sure how real that info is though. :) i keep training

Atm im doing

Monday 1600m warmup - 10x400 @ 1.35 with 1.30 break. 400m walk cooldown

Tuesday 6km slow

Wed. 1km warmup 4km 4:45 tempo - 500m walk

Thur: off or 6km slow

Friday:off

Sat: 3-4x 1km fast tempo with warmup and warmdown

Sunday:off or slow 6

Cooper? Bradley Cooper?

Cooper test - max distance in 12min on a 400m track

How used to racing are you?

Sometimes there can be psychological problems if you aren't used to how racing all-out feels. If you feel like you are struggling to push yourself, doing some slightly-faster-than-race-pace intervals (~800m) two weeks before the test can be good mental prep. You can get a sense of what the pace (or a little faster) "feels like," but thanks to shorter intervals and rest you will feel strong and smooth the whole time. Can be a good confidence booster.

i would say i am semi used to racing, have doon the cooper a lot of times, done a lot of 5ks 10ks, ocr runs, half marathons, marathon ocr runs and stuff when i was in a better running form.

Todays training was

11x400m intervals around 1.30 - 1.36 speed per round with 1.30 break inbetween. Still feels super tough.. Next week will be 12 rounds.

Morning weight around 85-86

I would caution about losing weight over the last couple of weeks before the test. Whatever weight you reach two weeks before, just maintain it. Losing weight rapidly can initially make you weak.

Micker wrote:

Todays training was

11x400m intervals around 1.30 - 1.36 speed per round with 1.30 break inbetween. Still feels super tough.. Next week will be 12 rounds.

Morning weight around 85-86

Looks like everything is on track to hit your goal.

I would not add more reps once you get to 12.

12x400m @ 1:30-1:35 with 1:30 rest is a good workout for what you want to accomplish.

If it starts feeling too easy, you can decrease the rest time by 5 sec.

Ultimately, you want the first 8 reps to feel comfortable. The day of the trial you are going

to try and run 7.5 laps @ 1:36/lap, just like practice.

I would increase your easy runs to 8km and keep it at the slow pace.

Keep losing the weight until you are under 84kg.

The reason i am a bit worried though is that the reps feel so fucking hard even with breaks haha.. :/

but i guess its just psycological since i can run 2800+ atm.

Also is my goal not to run at 1.41 per round (minimum) and not 1.37? if i am to reach 2900m in 12 min.

Also, im not sure how my last week before raceday should look like, for optimal raceday, like how many days before do i stop running and such

Micker wrote:

Also, im not sure how my last week before raceday should look like, for optimal raceday, like how many days before do i stop running and such

Runners will generally taper a week before a big meet. So what does that mean?

The last week before raceday, you would not run any hard workouts but instead replace them with easy runs.

Two days before raceday, cut your easy run in half. One day before, rest up, and get a good night sleep so you are fresh for raceday.

So my workouts is atm like:

Monday 1600m warmup - 11x400 @ 1.35 with 1.30 break. 400m walk cooldown

Tuesday 6km slow

Wed. 1km warmup 4.5km 4:45 tempo - 500m walk

Thur: off or 6km slow

Friday:off or 6km slow

Sat: 5x800 at 3.18 with 2min rest between.

Sunday: 15km rucksack march..

I read that

"The best way to reduce your mileage is to reduce the distance of your workouts substantially, but to cut back only moderately on the number of runs per week. How much you reduce your mileage depends on your current training volume and the distance you will race. Guidelines, based on both research and anecdotal evidence, appear in the tables above and below."

So my tapering should be like

May 15 normal interval session

16 - 4km slow

17 - 1km warmup - 2km tempo run - 1km warmdown

18 - 3km jog

19 - off

20 - 3km jog

21 - 3km jog

22 - off

23 - raceday

? or should i cut back even more ?

Also my normal strength and swimming i guess i will cut like 4-5 days before aswell and do very light workouts?

The scientific evidence clearly indicates that the key to effective tapering is to substantially cut back your mileage, but to maintain training intensity. Reducing overall mileage has the greatest impact on lessening accumulated fatigue. - quote end

Micker wrote:

The scientific evidence clearly indicates that the key to effective tapering is to substantially cut back your mileage, but to maintain training intensity. Reducing overall mileage has the greatest impact on lessening accumulated fatigue. - quote end

+1

This is the prevailing thinking. Happy you did your own research and not take everything said here as gospel.

Cut back on the mileage, not the intensity. Even do 2-4 400s 2 days before. You want to stay sharp and a couple of 400s will not fatigue your legs. Keep them at 1:35-1:38.

Ok mate I think you can hit this goal but you need to be dedicated and losing weight will help you more than anything atm. Forget the whole calories in, calories out rule and JUST eat healthy for the next month. It will be hard but honestly, NOTHING but healthy food with no additives (which make you retain weight even if you are eating low cal foods)

Try eggs with beans for breakfast

Chickpeas with avocado mayo and brocolli for lunch

Grass-Fee Steak, potatoes lightly cooking in coconut oil with veg for dinner

Fruit and nuts as little snacks

Something like that.

Also get in some steady 40 min long runs at 8:45-9:15 pace 3-4 x a week

Do strides at 6-7 min mile pace after some runs (6x150 in 35 sec each or something)

Add a weekly tempo run in (7:30 ish pace)

Do things like 8 x 600m @ 6:35 pace with 2 minutes jogging (10 min mile) rest

Some 800s at sub 7 pace wouldn’t go amiss

I was thinking more like,

May 15 - normal interval session

16 - 6km slow

17 - 1km warmup - 4.5km tempo run - 1km warmdown

18 - 6km slow

19 - 6km slow

20 - 6km slow

21 - 3km slow

22 - off

23 - raceday

There are many philosophies on how best to taper. The idea is to feel fresh and fast for raceday.

So my tempo run yday was

1 km warmup

4x1km tempo with times:

- 4:38

- 4:42

- 4:32

- 4:38

I was kind of about to die after the last km.