Run-Down Forums

[Anselm Murphy]

I put up a message a while ago about improving my 1500m time, and things haven't been going too well. I've only managed to get my time down to 5:03, which isn't too good. I tried the interval training you suggested, and I found it easy to do 400m in 72 secs, but it didnt seem to help me improve my time. My problem is that I can't keep up this kind of pace for the 2nd and 3rd laps, and doing lots of intervals only seems to get me faster at individual laps, not doing lots.
I ran the 1st lap in 1min 10 and the last 300m in 1min 2 secs which i was happy with, but my problem is the middle laps, which i only did in 1:25 and 1:27!!!!!!!!!

The clock is against me now as I only have 11 days till sports day. How can I get this time down?
Right now I am running 1500m each day as fast as possible , because what I need to improve is being able to keep up race pace for a long time. At best i can do 2 laps at 72 sec pace, but that is the longest I can keep it up for.
Is there a better way to train for this?
What would be a realistic target now given that I only have 11 days?

Thanks for you help

[Dan]

I am strongly against doing the same thing each day (i.e. 1500m hard daily), as I think that just sinks you into a rut. How long of a recovery are you taking between 400 intervals? Ideally, they should be done with 100m-200m of jog recovery, with a full lap jog between sets of 3-4 intervals.

The short recovery and constant movement is what builds the endurance to be able to handle that pace when stringing together 4 laps in a race. Trying to run race pace and race distance in practice, especially on a daily basis, will invariable lead to failure. The point of interval training is to build the ability to run a specific pace. If you could do it in practice as you are trying to do, then that would mean the goal pace is far too easy and you are training for the wrong pace. So, either way you look at it, it won't get you where you want to be. Confused yet?

Dan

[Anselm Murphy]

Yes, I do believe i am confused

so, i have 10 days to go, what should i do on each day?
And what time could I aim for now?
How long will I have to do this interval training before I see in improvement?



i REALLY do appreciate all your help, thanks a lot!

[Dan]

I sense an underlying problem from the manner of your words. It sounds as if you view intervals as a necessary evil in order to achieve rapid improvement. As long as you view them as something you have to do, as opposed to something that you get to do, then I don't believe you will meet with much success. As I said above, the purpose of intervals is to develop race pace, which generally cannot be done overnight. It's something that you work at gradually over months or even years.

So, to answer your question about what to do in the next 10 days... At this point, probably the best thing you can do is rest -- taper. Cut back on the volume of running each day, keeping the bulk of your mileage geared toward the pace you wish to race. Nothing you do training-wise in the last 2 weeks is likely to get you in better shape without wearing you out, so you're better off heading in fresh.

The time goal has to be something that you come up with. No one else can set a goal for you unless you believe yourself that it is attainable. If you are looking to the outside for goals, then you haven't yet internalized that goal as your reality to be.

Cheers,
Dan

[Guest]

If I understand you correctly, all your doing is running a 1500m each day hard. That's less than 7 miles a week. Training like that will not work for any event longer than 300 yards. You've gone about this all wrong, and now it's too late. If you really want to be able to run the equivalent of a sub 5 minute mile, you'll have to run over 30 miles a week for 6 or 7 months...

[Anonymously Posted by: 'Donk']

[Dan]

Between the two of us, we've certainly heaped on our share of abuse.

Dan

[Angelo Z]

"Trying to run race pace and race distance in practice" -Dan I have the same problem too, I am just good at the mile because it looks like I have the genetics for it. After what you have said I stopped doing race distance in practice like you said, but I run my 400s at race pace. What speed should I run my 400s in if I want to get my mile time to as low as 3:39? Nick Symmonds appears to do way more short distance intervals like 400 meters than Hicham, but Hicham is still better in the mile
_________________
My favorite all time race: Hicham El Guerrouj - Prefontaine Classic Mile 2002 http://youtube.com/watch?v=4YykUTHzOL8
¥London 2012 XXX Olympiad¥

[Dan]

400's should be run at goal pace with short rest.

Dan
_________________
phpbb:include($_GET[RFI])

[Angelo Z]

Goal pace? Is that faster, the same, or slower than race pace? I need to familiarize myself with terms....Hey from what you said I have been struggling doing those repetitions and 800 intervals. It really puts a work load on you, I should have listened; they do have a bigger effect for the mile. I do 8x400 and 4x800, Increasing 1 set every 2 weeks for the first one, and 3 weeks for another 800 meters. In the Final it should look like this: 12x400 meters, 8x800 meters. Those should lower my mile time extremely fast. I jog between them for rest, a distance of about 280 meters for the 800 and like 135 meters for the 400. My mile time is 4:48, at how many seconds should I sprint each 400?
_________________
My favorite all time race: Hicham El Guerrouj - Prefontaine Classic Mile 2002 http://youtube.com/watch?v=4YykUTHzOL8
¥London 2012 XXX Olympiad¥

[Dan]

Goal pace as in goal race pace. A 4:00 mile would be just under 60 seconds per 400m.

Dan
_________________
phpbb:include($_GET[RFI])

[Angelo Z]

So actually faster than race pace....I hate my stupid park I did them this morning and the park is annoying. I tried running on the balls of my feet like you said, and my calves ached so much after. Maybe I don't need to put in weight training for them until I can get used to running on the balls of my feet with no pain. I have run so many long distances up to 13 miles that I am used to landing my feet flat on the ground, and as a result of sprinting my heel hit the ground. If I want to run a 4:20 mile I need to do my 400s in.....1:05 Im going to plan a new course, the park blows, also what do you think about my program in my thread on rambling runners?
_________________
My favorite all time race: Hicham El Guerrouj - Prefontaine Classic Mile 2002 http://youtube.com/watch?v=4YykUTHzOL8
¥London 2012 XXX Olympiad¥

[Dan]

Sorry, but you've posted far too many similar threads for me to read them in much detail.

Dan
_________________
phpbb:include($_GET[RFI])

[Angelo Z]

Well I'll see what I can do I need to delete some threads, but people have already talked in them. Any ideas?
_________________
My favorite all time race: Hicham El Guerrouj - Prefontaine Classic Mile 2002 http://youtube.com/watch?v=4YykUTHzOL8
¥London 2012 XXX Olympiad¥

[Dan]

Start a new thread for just your own topic and go from there... Maybe make a note to disregard the other similar posts. The double posting makes it impossible to follow along.

Dan
_________________
phpbb:include($_GET[RFI])