Speed interval question for the experts

[watchman]

Last year I was in the 9 minutes per mile range. I am down to 7:30 - 8 range. I want to get under 7 minutes per mile for a sprint.

I have tried to do some speed intervals.

Can anyone give me an example workout for this?

How many times per week do I do intervals?

repeats of what distance?

How may times do I repeat per workout?

I have done 1 mile warm-up, then 1/2 mile repeats at 6 minute pace with 2 minute rest. I do this about 4 times.

Right? wrong? More? less? longer? more rest? less rest?

Just wanted some inputs

Also how should I feel after each one? Like dying? could do more?

By the way. I am dead after these.

mike

[MarkD]

Although I'm no expert, I know enough to be dangerous.

First - you should be dead after that. You are working 1.5 - 2 minutes above your race pace.

Second - I'm sure that there are some good web-links that some of our run-focused triathletes can turn you on to to help in this area.

Third - although your gains have been impressive, they will naturally slow down. This is becasue your cardio system is now more efficient and your limiting factor will be more about your muscles and less about your heart/lungs (although, they will continue to improve).

Forth - before rendering interval advice, I just want to be sure you are following some general principles. You should be doing three weekly run workouts (minimum) for a spint it should be 1) long comfortable run (at least 6 - 7 miles); 2) tempo run (close to race pace sustained for a couple of miles; and 3) interval or hill work.

Fifth: Your interval work for the sprint distance should work you above your race pace with rest intervals, but should offer a distance comparable to the race. So, if you are doing 4 x 800 and are wiped out at the end, you are probably going too short and too hard and with too much rest in between - you are not a sprinter - you are an endurance guy. I would recommend something that gets you 5K worth of effort sustained above your race pace with shorter rest intervals. For example:

10 - 20 minute warm up
1 x 800 at 5K race pace (60 second rest)
6 x 400 at 5K race pace minus 10 seconds (30 second rest between 400's)
4 x 200 at 5K race pace minus 10 seconds (15 second rest between 200's)
5 - 10 minute cool down

Assuming your pace is 7:30, it would look like this:

800 in 3:45
60 sec rest
6 times 400 in 1:42 (30 second rest between 400s)
4 times 200 in 46 seconds (15 sec rest between 200s)

Runners, weigh in....

[Chris]

Finally something I can comment on and be an expert about.

I am a track coach, so I can weigh in on this.

The best training for running and building up speed is to start with a base.
You want to make sure you have a strong base under you. If you are consistantly running 8 min miles, they a good place to start.
The key to speed is to change up the distances and train to be fast.

When I am working out my runners here is some of the things I have them do.

before every run practice I have them do a 800-mile warm up to make sure your muscles are nice and warm, it will help prevent injury. Next, get a good stretch in and follow it up with form drills. (high knees, butt kicks, skips, kareoke, form running with increasing speed)

Here are some of the work outs.
simple one -- mile repeats, now the key to this work out is the rest recovery.
depending on the pace at which you are running at you need to change the
recovery.
Try and find yourself a running pace chart, it should have distances, times, rest period, and a percentage chart.

ex: at full go, my mile pace fresh is about 4:40 for 1 mile. So, for a mile repeat work, with a 4 mile set I would try to hit each mile in about 7:30, and would allow for about a 3 min rest in between. Now, if you are only doing 2 mile set, I would shoot for a 5:25 mile, and have full rest in between. And same deal for longer sets, the more reps you do, the slower the pace and the shorter the recovery, and vice versa.

Now for some of the real workouts:
speed inerval work out (you must alter paces and rests for yourself)
Ladder work out, 400m - rest - 800m - rest - mile - rest - 1.25 mile - rest, and come back down. the more you practice, you will start coming down in times.

More of a distance work out.
mile - rest - mile - rest - 2 mile - rest - mile - rest - mile


These are just basic workouts, you can change them around for different distances, different combinations. The stronger you become, the lest rest you will need and the faster you will go. I teach this at every practice.

If you have any more questions drop me an email and I can probably fine tune the workouts more to help you out.

hope this helps

[MarkD]

I love ladder workouts !!!

[watchman]

I just love this forum.

I can read book after book and find so many opinions and have my head spin. When I ask here it always seems to make sense and be very practical and helpful.

Mark
To answer you. I am doing on;

Monday a brick of bike and run at tempo pace and race distance
Tuesday interval swim and easy bike
Wednesday the run intervals mentioned
thursday long swim ( getting longer) ( at columbia at 7 am) and bike in evening
Friday long bike and easy run
Saturday long run 8 - 10 miles and swim

So I get in 4 run days

Chris

what part of town are you in?

I am curious about the form drills. I have no idea what they are. I would like to meet somewhere sometime to see.

Thanks guys I am printing these workouts and will start this week.

I need something in writing to focus on.

Mike

[Chris]

Mike, I am on the south east side of cleveland towards the mayfield heights/pepper pike area, Orange high school to be specific.

Let me know, I will show you all the form drills I have all the athletes do. If you can master them you can run much smoother, and faster with less energy. For some reason my kids have yet to pick this up.

[Aussie Rob]

This may sound odd, but can we come down and watch one of the practices? To see the drills etc in person?

I need to sort out my form for next year.

[watchman]

Chris
How many times per week should I do interval workouts?

mike

[Chris]

I Would be happy to put on a clinic of sorts or something of that nature for anyone who would be interested in learning correct running for and drills. Unfortunately I do not have any more practices till next indoor track season, but we can set something up for sure if mike and rob are interested and get a bunch of other involved too.

Here is how i set up my practices on a weekly basis. they usually run 5 days a week consecutively so in this case I have them do 3 days of interval type of work, monday, wednesday, friday. Tuesday and thursday would be "event specific", a workout which (in our case of distance running) would be on like (if we were running a 5k next week or somethign) run 2 5k's, around race pace, to get those muscles firing and ready for the upcoming race. event specific days are to work on the event/race its self instead of just training the muscles.

Drop in a thread, and or post something, we can try and set something up either at orange high school, or mayfiel high, or I see weekly track workouts at independence.
Just make it after 3pm, i work from 6am-2:30pm. give me a time and place and I will help who i can.

[watchman]

Chric

How about Brooklyn High School? It is 1/2 mile north from Ridge ave exit off I-480. It is central to east and west siders. It is an awesome track and always open. I can do it Mon. Tues. Thurs. Fri. from 3 pm - ?

I know most would have it be later

or a Saturday morning. I am interested as soon as you can. Let me know which of these days is best for you and what time. You make the final decision.

Mike

[Chris]

Brooklyn works, i have a couple of friends that live right there. We can go to the roadhouse after for steaks and beers. Tuesdya

So I am thinking tuesday afternoon. next week, july 22nd. something around 6pm. That would work out best for me. So mike, I guess make a post on the training section, and if we can get a bunch of people we can do a whole form training program and speed workout. If people want. The only other good day for me is friday. Some how I am very busy next week.

So make the post and lets get a bunch of people.

Good luck

[watchman]

I will do it

for Tuesday 6pm Brooklyn High School Track. You Take the Ridge ave exit off I-480 about a mile north. There will be a light and the Brooklyn library is on the left corner. Turn left and the track is about 3/4 mile on right.

The track is not at the same location as the High School.

I look forward to it and the steak and root beer after

Mike