10k training - 1200m intervals

My session tomorrow says 5 x 1200m. In relation to 10k pace, what pace should the 1200m be, and what pace would folks recommend for the recoveries (400m)?

(NB: My 10k PB is 40:50)

Comments

  • I'd run your intervals at about 5k pace to be honest.

    From your 10k time I guessed you run around 19m for 5k, maybe a bit quicker. I'd run your 1200m reps at about 90 sec laps (4:30 mins for the rep) give or take a few seconds. I'd cut your recoveries down to about 200m instead of the 400m and just jog it in about 1:30 mins - 2:00 mins.

    I've always found in the past that doing the same session once a week over a month works well. First 2 sessions I do everything the same, 3rd I reduce the rest & 4th I run each rep quicker. It all depends on what I'm training for.
  • Thanks a lot Andrew.

    Sounds like it's going to be a pretty tough session this evening!

    Thanks again.

    KJ
  • Hello.
    I'm currently running 10k on a mainly flat road curcuit in around 45-46 minutes. Which I'm quite happy with bearing in mind I'm arround 2.5 stone overweight.
    Now I'm going to give the 8 week, 6-7 times aweek 10k training program ago. Would this dramaticly improve my times and by how much. And how much faster could I be if I lost that 2.5 stone.
    Some might look at this as a unanswerable question, but hey if you don't ask...

    Thanks for any help.
    Paul.
  • I'v recently started training for my first 10k race (4 months training) but have no idea of what my 5k,10k or how any pace of mine is measured. My race is on the 25th of this month but how would i work out my different paces for future knowledge
  • This article has me training on the day before the race. In 2006, I trained on the day before the Peebles 10km, and found that I had no pace in my legs for the race and was really disappointed with my time.

    What are peoples thoughts? To train or not to train on the day before a race?
  • It's a personal preference thing. I'd never consider not running the day before a race.. My typical session before a 10km would be 2M easy, 1M in about 5:20 (or target race pace), 1 - 2M easy.

    There are physiological reasons for doing the 5 or so minutes at race pace which I have heard about from several sources. Provided it's a short run, I couldn't see it causing any detriment. The 'rest' would come in the form of a serious of easier runs on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday prior to the race.

    Probably worth mentioning that I'm a 12 - 14 times a week runner, so cutting to one run per day is quite leisurely for me anyway.

    PS - 5 x 1200m @ target 10km pace is one of my favourite sessions at the moment. It's certainly contributed from getting my 10km down from the low 34's to the low 33's in a short space of time.
  • My PB for 10K's is 40:08. I want to break the 40min's this year - using 39min as a target trainign goal. I like the sound of this interval training session.

    Recently I have been doing 6x400 @ approx 85 secs per lap with 2min recovery.

    Would the above be a better interval/speed session for 10k training?
  • Virgil_Virgil_ ✭✭✭
    I never really think about what the pace should be - something just tells me what speed to run at and the main thing I worry about is that I go as fast as I can, but try to keep the times for each rep as close to each other as possible. Not very scientific but there you go.
  • I'm the opposite of Virgil in that respect. I aim to pace my reps consistantly at target race pace. Thinking is that:
    i) I 'learn' what the pace feels like
    ii) My body gains efficiency at target pace

    Scratch - not saying it's necessarily optimal, but the way I'm going about 10km training is to run the following key sessions - I'm aiming to run 5:15 per mile for 10km:

    40+ min tempo run about 5:35 per mile
    30 min tempo run at 5:45 per mile
    Long reps session like 5 or 6 x 1200 @ 78s per lap pace
    3 x (4x400) or 3 x (3x600) - 71 to 72s per lap
    Plenty of easy miles - 6:45 to 8:00 pace

    As we move into spring, I'd like to take a second per lap off the long intervals, and alternate the 3km pace session with mile / 1500 pace work. I'm of firm belief that in order to run a fast 10km, you need to be capable of a fast 1500m, so whilst aerobic endurance is 95+% of the training, the faster stuff is not neglected completely.

    If you're interested, I log my weekly training on the 1500m thread which is floating about this forum.
  • What do thy mean when they say a tempo run? Is this meant to be my target race pace or faster?
  • Just to let you know....

    I used this schedule, culminating this weekend with a sub 40min race and new PB at 38:22.  4 mins off my previous PB!

     Thanks a lot.

  • Wow this is old... but JEJ knows his stuff.
  • Nice schedule. 

    Any chance these could be re-published with consistent units instead of mixing up miles and kilometeres...? 

    Cheers!  

Sign In or Register to comment.