Intervals - Longer reps or shorter rest?

Cut down work out

1600-1200-800-400

5k pace in down to mile pace each rep faster per 400 than the previous one.

Good luck!

12 x 400 at 5k pace..........jog 2 mins after each one........

The physiological effects will be different from the two form of workouts. You have 2,5 weeks out. If you calculated your recovery well, together with your last targeted interval session, they will indeed have a positive or negative effect on your race ! (Not necessarily speed or race time, but on your race slash fitness)

Check back on your training and check back on your benchmark workouts. What do the tests show ?

The speed and the recovery time count way more than the actual length and number of repeats. That 200m makes a difference for sure, but not that much as your pace and recovery time. It is going to be 6K work , over-distance !

If you feel like lacking a strength edge go slightly faster than race pace with longer recoveries.

If you felt like lacking endurance, focus on the even race specific pacing, do the 1200 and shorten the recoveries.

If you were running for the podium, you must be able to adapt, whatever comes to you. To avoid injuries and too much confusion, you still have to be somewhat regular, but you can include some surges into some of the repeats.

In this case, you can for instance control recoveries by HR, but you must know yourself. I would say, going out when you dip below 115bpm is a good average, but some athletes would use 100 or 120, depends on experience. (Talking about sub35year old athletes)

For instance you run the 6 x 1000:

In the first 3 reps, you run the 2nd 200 and final 400 slightly faster.

In the second 3 reps, you run the third and 6th 200 slightly faster.

Recoveries should be chosen wisely.

MustacheYouAQuestion wrote:

Juice Springsteen wrote:

Those two possible workouts you described aren’t very different.

That's the point - is there any difference? My plan calls for either one and I'm not picky - I'm not really sure if there's any benefit to one vs. the other.

Ol' cotton shirt missed the point of my question above. The "buzz off because it doesn't matter" component wasn't about the hay being in the barn already. It was about whether I should just pick one because they're pretty much the same - i.e. "it doesn't matter."

I took it the way cotton shirt did. While trying to sharpen your leggies, sharpen your writing skills.

Levi.Run wrote:

The physiological effects will be different from the two form of workouts.

Not really.

10xmile at tempo

You should think about, if there is the possibility that your previous Training is able to trigger something in the next days And act accordingly. For a test rate Brad Hudson recommends 5x1000m @RP , 60 sec rest

dude they said their 5K was in 2.5 weeks.... that was 3years ago.