Antonio Cabral
You see. When one runner on the portuguese method or on my own does intrevals with parcimony but week after week after week, does repeat the same intreval standards, after a few attempts i´m able to know what the runner can perform one one certain workout, or every workout.
That is not the kind of training that it take a long period out of intervals.
That is the kind of training that you start with some race pace specifics as soon as you are able.
Besides we don´t want to reach the runners hexaustion, or intrevals at all-flat out all the time. Of course it can be happen some progress in the intreval average, but it´s not necessary to run full-pace always.
Rui Silva coach did advice Rui to run slowly intervals that Rui was able on that day. After the first interval and sees that Rui run it faster than it should he said to Rui during the interval recovery of the firt interval "Rui you got to run it slowly". Rui Silva coach said to me that if in one workout of 20X400m rec=50secs, Rui did start with sub 60:00secs (56-57 eventuallY) he would break down after 8 to 10 interval sets. However if he starts in about 60:00secs average, he was able to continue and speed up the pace teh way he was able to run from the 10th to the 20th interval in about 55s-56secs.
What´s really important on intreval training is the total average pace and that teh total number of intrevals is done with with a closed amplitude.
If you run 60s but also 55s that is 57.5 average, but it´s open amplitude
If you run 58.5s and 56.5s that is also 57.5 average but it´s closed amplitude and it´s better.