8 x 250m with 0:45 rest as an 800m race pace indicators?

Wanting to get better, faster, stronger wrote:

I could hold in a time trial or a race (if I could find one)?.

Well it's XC season, if I was you I would be building a base towards indoor season if you want to run the 800.

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Wanting to get better, faster, stronger wrote:

I could hold in a time trial or a race (if I could find one)?.

Well it's XC season, if I was you I would be building a base towards indoor season if you want to run the 800.

I am not a high schooler as I pointed out in the second half of my post. Indoor/outdoor/peaking/seasons don’t really mean anything to me. I am just a fitness enthusiast chasing my potential. However, I do have a base because I’ve Ben upping my mileage this year so I’ve been cashing in on that and doing some hard workouts (to also shred fat).

OP xoxo wrote:

I am not a high schooler as I pointed out in the second half of my post. Indoor/outdoor/peaking/seasons don’t really mean anything to me.

They should mean something for you, because you want to be in peak shape when races happen. What good is it to be in peak 800 shape if there are no races around?

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OP xoxo wrote:

I am not a high schooler as I pointed out in the second half of my post. Indoor/outdoor/peaking/seasons don’t really mean anything to me.

They should mean something for you, because you want to be in peak shape when races happen. What good is it to be in peak 800 shape if there are no races around?

Why should they? Maybe I just want to run under a certain time to fine-tune my fitness for my own satisfaction. For example, there are lots of people out there who set out with a goal to one day run a sub 5 mile and achieve that without ever entering a race in their life.

I don’t want to “peak”, I want to get in fantastic shape and keep on improving, for personal and recreation reasons!

I would just LIKE to be in sub 2:30 shape because:

1. If there are any races that appear I know I can be competitive in them

2. Having the satisfaction that I can take on any sport I want and my conditioning won’t be a set-back

3. Being fit and fast feels great.

Sounds like you don't understand training nor do you care to learn. Oh well, good luck on your goals.

You’re obviously just trying to troll me, I guess I took the bite lol.

What he/she is TRYING to say is you cannot just "train continuously" when it comes to running if you really want to run your best possible race. You must do this in cycles. Otherwise everyone would just run super fast every day (obviously this doesn't work)

listen not trolling wrote:

What he/she is TRYING to say is you cannot just "train continuously" when it comes to running if you really want to run your best possible race. You must do this in cycles. Otherwise everyone would just run super fast every day (obviously this doesn't work)

I know this. I have built up gradually over a few years through base building for 12 weeks, focusing on getting faster for 6 weeks and then repeating the cycle. Managed to knock 6+ minutes from my original mile time without ever being injured or overtrained!

About your original question:

No, I don't think this is a good 800 workout. 2:30 is fast for an amateur adult woman. It's around what some of the faster HS girls are running in this area. Running 250 at 800 pace is a hard effort, and 8 x 250 is really high volume with really short rest. That's 2000m of volume at 800 pace! I'm not much of a mid-distance runner, but hopefully someone who is will give their opinion. To me, 8 x 250 with :45 rests at 800 pace sounds like an impossible workout.

OP, I'm sorry you haven't gotten more answers to your actual question.

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If you really did 8 x 250 @ :49 w/ 45sec rest, I would be amazed if you couldn't run that pace for 800m continuously. That's a *very* tough pace workout for 800m.

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I would actually expect you to be somewhat *below* 2:30 for 800m, based on that workout--assuming good pacing, etc.

Okay thank you! The only “races” I participate in are local CrossFit track challenges, like I say, there aren’t really any local races under 5k so it is very rare I get to race 400m, 800m and mile distances which is a shame because I prefer them to local 5ks and half marathons! The only thing that makes me unsure that I’d be able to hold that pace is that I’m not sure I could run under 70 for a single lap!

OP xoxo wrote:

there aren’t really any local races understand 5k

Look up small college meets like on direct athletics. Many are open. Meaning you can enter into them if you want.

%%%%%%% wrote:

OP xoxo wrote:

there aren’t really any local races understand 5k

Look up small college meets like on direct athletics. Many are open. Meaning you can enter into them if you want.

That’s helpful! I had no idea that college races were open to the public, does it also work this way in the UK? I mean, sure, it would feel weird at first racing people 10 years younger (and possibly getting smoked lol) but it’s absolutely what I’m looking for, I’m hitting a point with my fitness where I need more competition to improve! Also, do you usually have to be affiliated with a running group to enter them though? Because as stated, I train alone (or sometimes I hit the track with some guys from the gym), this is mainly due to local running groups going at 12:00/mile plus and the ones who train at 7-9 minute miles meet up during my work hours! :( Yeah, not really a great running scene where I am from unfortunately! Thank you for your help, I will look into this. :)

OP xoxo wrote:

That’s helpful! I had no idea that college races were open to the public, does it also work this way in the UK?

Not sure about the UK. I'm sure they have some college track meets that are open. And you will probably have to find the UK equivalent of direct athletics.

Wanting to get better, faster, stronger wrote:

Would doing 8 reps covering 250m at a certain pace with 0:45 rest be a reasonable prediction of the sort of pace I could hold in a time trial or a race (if I could find one)?

Do a few 800m time trials and find out!

My aim is sub 2:30 so bear in mind that this workout was probably more aerobic for me than anaerobic (I averaged 0:49 per rep).

49 is a 2:37 pace for 800m, so yes, that workout appears to be a good indicator for you.

Go ahead and do some time trials to find out, at 400, 800 especially, and mile, as those are your favored events.