400's or 1K Intervals

[Deleted User] · January 2005

Doing a Interval session tonight and undecided on what to do.

Training for the Mk Half on March 20th.

Options

1) 12 Mins warm up, 12* 400 with 2 Mins recovery, 8 Mins Cool down

2 12 Mins warm up, 5* 1K with 3 mins recovery, 8 mins cool down.

Given that Race is 9 Weeks away dont know if the 400's would be better for sharpening training and go with the 1K for endurance.

Likewise love the 400's and got to run first for 400 before you can run for 1K.

Just looking to open up for sugestion

Dave

[Deleted User] · January 2005

Id go for the 400's. If your training well for the half you'l have laid a good level of endurance anyway. 400's will give you the extra speed to start quickly, give a mid race surge to lose anyone your fed up of breathing down your neck or kick at the finish to avoid the disapointment of having ran 13.1 miles in front of a group of people only to see them snap away at your lead.

If you do 8, 10 or 12 400's all at a good pace (if your hoping to go under 1hr30mins then about 72 would be very decent). Do this with a laps jog recovery.

Nessie · January 2005

Hmm, I'd be going for the endurance now, and keeping the sharpening 400s for nearer the race.

But then I'm a slowbie.

drew · January 2005

You could do 3 x 1k AND 6 x 400. Add a bit of variety and finish off with something you like doing.

M.ister W · January 2005

On a training weekend earlier this month, Keith Anderson said that short intervals aren't much use when training for long distances. Intervals don't really help your endurance, even 1k intervals, and 400m is simply too short a distance to get any benefit in terms of your speed for a half marathon.

I'd go for the 1k intervals to improve your speed and keep on with the long runs to improve your endurance.

[Deleted User] · January 2005

Thanks,

Training around 40 mile a week at moment with a long run of 12+ miles.

Feel fairly confident in my endurance, but want to work on my Aerobic capacity.

With this in mind unsure on whats going to benifit me most?

[Deleted User] · January 2005

I'd certainly do a longer warm down than 8 mins. That's no where near enough to flush out all the lactic acid you will accumulate - 15-20 mins if you can manage it.

Seeing as the key indicator of how fast you can run a HM is you lactate threshold, why not try a tempo run at 85%-90% MHR for 30 mins?

[Deleted User] · January 2005

Barnsleyrunner, thanks for the reply.

My understanding (limited) is that there are three main factors affecting running speed

1) VO2 Max
2) Lactate turnpoint
3) Runing economey

im looking in particular at increasing my VO2 Max by working at 90-98% MHR.

Already include a threshold run once a week.

Think your right on the warm down, just had enough when session completed.

JFB · January 2005

For a half-marathon, you'd be better off with the Huw Jenkin session: 5 x 2K at just quicker than target 10K pace. That's targetted at improving LT, which I would have thought is more relevant than VO2 max.

[Deleted User] · January 2005

Went for the 400's in the end. As i dont have access to a track have to run over a local sports field and use my Polar 625 (which i love).

Tough session as grass was fairly long, ground a bit soft and in part into the wind. Still sure will put hairs on my chest.

Still intrested to get a concensus of opinion. If you where only able to do one interval session for long distance (1/2 Marathon plus) what would it be?

mellifera · January 2005

If you really have to do only one session then something like 30mins at half marathon pace rather 400m intervals. As BR and JFB said your LT is more important in determining your HM time than your VO2 max.

The 400s would improve you V02 max - but you don't really need to start doing that for several (say, 3) weeks (for a 20 March race)

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