Can I replace tempos with fartleks?

I think everyone is generally saying the same thing but let me try to simplify it a little. You can set it up any way you want as long as you are getting some work in around that tempo pace and lactate threshold pace. We try to get creative with it. A workout that my team has grown to love is 4xmile with 1 minute inbetween at about 30 seconds per mile slower than what a 5k race pace would be. Part of the appeal that they like is this is very comfortable for them. The lactate threshold work is not meant to be very taxing. And as far as what workout to do at what pace, I don't think it makes that much different. Find a workout that you find enjoyable and make sure you aren't doing it too hard because then you will be working a different energy system.

And for some perspective I have some kids that love the workout I just describe and some that would prefer to do the traditional tempo. I personally don't believe it makes a difference so on those days I make two groups and let them choose which workout to do. Keep point being both groups finish feeling like they got a controlled workout in.

Scandi. wrote:

Fartlek, not fartleks.

Wrong.

webby wrote:

webby wrote:

With 30-second rest, I suspect that the 400s are meant to be run at AT . . .

But 2x6x400 at 3000 pace with slightly more rest is a pretty common workout, in my experience. I think Joachim Cruz used to start offseason training with 400s on 45 seconds rest at what might have been his 10K pace and worked down to fewer, faster, with more rest as the season wore on (800 pace, ultimately).

I love this approach.

high school xc coach wrote:

webby wrote:

But 2x6x400 at 3000 pace with slightly more rest is a pretty common workout, in my experience. I think Joachim Cruz used to start offseason training with 400s on 45 seconds rest at what might have been his 10K pace and worked down to fewer, faster, with more rest as the season wore on (800 pace, ultimately).

I love this approach.

it just seems logical, where some coaches seem to like to make their workouts appear complicated, to make it seem as if they have some sort of magic that can't be replicated.

Similar boat wrote:

fisky wrote:

Typo..... 2 sets of 6x400m

Fisky, I'd be very curious to know more about your age and what your weekly milage was during the bootcamp and what your mile time was before and after the 400s. Where those 400s at mile pace?

Age 69 at that time (72 now)

Weekly mileage then 20

Before 400s, mile time = 6:53

After 400s, mile time = 6:35

First set of 6x400s @ 7:00/mile pace

2nd set of 6x400s @ 6:40/mile dropping down to 6:32 pace

I think it's important to point out that I'm a 400/800m runner. My mile time is way slower than what my 400m time would project. My best 400m time that year was 1:05.7x.

[quote]do what you want wrote:

Tempo workouts are not some holy grail. Depending on the type of runner you are, you could get away with literally never doing them.[/quo

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Oh, they are critical to good distance running.....they teach you to go hard the whole distance rather than looking for breaks as you do with intervals.

As you know there are no breaks in a race so that is the problem with heavy interval training.

45gtg wrote:

[quote]do what you want wrote:

Tempo workouts are not some holy grail. Depending on the type of runner you are, you could get away with literally never doing them.[/quo

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Oh, they are critical to good distance running.....they teach you to go hard the whole distance rather than looking for breaks as you do with intervals.

As you know there are no breaks in a race so that is the problem with heavy interval training.

This is how Clarke beat Schul in the Tokyo 5000m.

Bumping a old thread, but I've noticed this in my training when I do a session of x minutes on with a float for a minute or two in between the workout goes way more successful than if I say I'm going tempo x amount of miles at x pace/effort. Probably more psychological as in our brains we are breaking the workout down to smaller parts. So let's us say we do a 4 mile tempo. Often you'll be feeling by that first mile and chicken out and ease it till the last mile. Than you don't hit the splits you want. But if you break it down just a few minute segments and give yourself a minute break to float(you're still moving pretty good but you're psychologically taking a break). I've noticed when I approach a workout like this it ends up a lot better. Any coaches or athletes noticed something similar? Scientifically, what's the differences between the two? Also, from what I've read/heard about how a lot of Kenyans train is more emphasis on timed intervals AKA fartlek runs and not much if any emphasis on tempo runs. Although a lot of their long runs are at a good effort and often start their easy runs start off super slow shuffle and end up progressing to a good effort for the last few miles on the easy runs. Which brings me to another thought about a subtle difference between how a lot of westerners train vs how a lot of the East Africans /a lot of the Japanese train. And that is a lot of westerners are super rigid about pace. They're always trying to hit between x pace this and that for a easy run, warm up, and cool downs. And the workouts aren't attacked the same way with aggression the way a lot of the East Africans and a lot of the Japanese train. I think it would be good if the west became less rigid about the easy, warm up and cool down stuff. Like I've heard accounts about how some Kenyan runners just shuffle a easy run super slow, because of how hard they attacked their last workout, but when their legs are feeling good that easy run shuffle will turn into and be approaching sub 5:30 mile by the end of the run for a few miles. Also have heard a lot of the Kenyans, their cool down from a workout is walking back to their house or wherever. Also, a lot of the Japanese runners place a emphasis on walking. When was the last time you saw or heard of a elite US runner walking as his cool down from their workout? Just food for thought.

Fartlek/Speed Play: I'd just go run, hard, not hard, sort of hard, very hard, as long as I wanted at stretches, rest when I felt like it, bury myself after a while, but not too much. Time it? Why? Maybe out 45 minutes, maybe an hour.

Tempo: I always did better literally bolting out the door, and going 5-8K gangbusters. I'd finish a half mile or so away, and jog home. Races felt easy, all that warming up, and psyching up, rather than literally shutting the door and going.

Same purpose. Tempos are a little better. You'll do fine as a non-pro.