Felix On The Run

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Tag: 10k

Workout Of The Day: 400m Repeats “of Death” — February 28, 2020
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Workout Of The Day: 400m Repeats “of Death”

/Felix on the Run/3 Comments

**The “of death” is what my fiancé refers to them by. She does not enjoy them**

If you are a serious runner and have trained for any event from 800m all the way up to half marathons or even marathons, there is a chance you have done some form of 400m repeats. There is no way around the fact that 400m or quarter mile repeats are effective at making you a better and faster runner. But damn do they hurt like a mo fo! A typical 400m workout consists of running at a pace near 5k race pace, with minimal rest between reps and can range in volume of 2 miles, up to 5 miles. This is not a workout for the faint of heart. But it is quite possibly, at lest in my own opinion, one the most effective workouts you can do to improve fitness at any given goal race distance.

Who Should Run 400m Repeats?

Short answer: everyone! Anyone can benefit from doing this workout. But some need it more than others and some will need to perform this workout more frequently than others. Those who will benefit the most form these workouts are those whose goal race is anywhere between 3k-10k. Due to the fact that when performing 400m Repeats, you want to run them at a pace that is between 3k to 5k race pace. This is an intensity commonly called VO2max. Training at this given pace shows great benefits at improving overall race performance at those distances. And those racing between 3k-10k will benefit from these paces because it allows them to practice race pace without having to go out and race a 5k or 10k every week. Plus, by doing it with rest in-between each repeat, it allows for the athlete to achieve more volume. But any athlete who wishes to improve their overall fitness will benefit from this workout.

How To Run 400m Repeats

First you need to determine what your goal race time is and what your current fitness level is. To determine your current fitness you can run a time trial, 1 mile to 5k will do and you can plug that into any online calculator such as VDOT. This will give you estimated training paces. Using those numbers you can determine what paces to hit during these workouts.

Another factor to keep in mind is your training age (how many years have you been training for). If you are a newer runner you will want to keep with a lower volume workout and maybe slightly more rest until you understand how to pace yourself and deal with the inevitable fatigues and discomfort that comes from this workout. If you have been training for some time an feel that you can handle some tougher workouts, try to get the volume up and rest down.

The goal of this workout is to spend time at VO2max. But because this is such a challenging pace you will need some rest to be able to complete the workout. You also do not want to have too much recovery because you want to keep the heart rate up, keeping you in that VO2max range.

Someone who is new to these types of workout should stick to about 6-12 x 400m with slightly less recovery (ex: 1:30 for the 400m rep with about 1:15 – 1:30 rest). A well trained athlete can get up to 16 – 20 x 400m with less recovery (1:10 for the 400m rep with :45 – 1:00 rest).

Let’s say you are a 16:00 5k runner. Your goal pace for the race will be about 5:09/mile (1:16-1:17/400m).

Example Workout:

16 x 400m at 1:16 with 1:00 jog recovery

Summary

If you want to be a stronger and faster runner, 400m might be something you add to your weekly routine. This should only be performed once every week at most. If you have a 5k race over the weekend, that race will take the place of the workout. Start slow, don’t do too many reps your first time trying this workout. This is a challenging workout and even seasoned veterans end up on the ground gasping for air afterwards, so don’t try to prove anything. This will build up your physical strength as well as your mental strength!

Hope you enjoy this workout and continue to make progress on your running journey.

If you have any questions about this workout and how to implement it into your training program, feel free to message me. I am accepting athletes currently so if you would like to have a customized plan where the guess work is taken out of it I will be happy to work with you!

Enjoy

 

 

Workout of the Day: Threshold/Tempo Runs — October 16, 2019
workout of the day blue track background

Workout of the Day: Threshold/Tempo Runs

/Felix on the Run/5 Comments

Workout of the Day: Tempo/Threshold Runs

Want to increase your running performance and overall endurance? Want to run faster and longer? Try adding some threshold/tempo runs into your weekly mileage!

What is a Tempo/threshold Run?

Tempo in terms of running can be defined as the rate, speed/pace; in this case, running speed/pace.

Threshold, or more specific, Lactate Threshold, refers to the intensity of exercise (running) where there is an increase in blood lactate levels.

At the point of Lactate Threshold, that’s when you begin to feel what runners call “The Burn”. The burning sensation and extreme fatigue after a really intense run is a result of an accumulation of Hydrogen Protons. Increased levels of Hydrogen Protons causes muscle contractions and extreme fatigue.

What are the benefits of doing a tempo/threshold run?

Studies have shown that Lactate Threshold is a consistent predictor of performance in endurance based activities such as running. Studies have also shown connections between endurance performance and training at the Lactate Threshold.

Training programs that work on increasing weekly mileage, threshold training and faster paced interval training have huge effects on Lactate Threshold improvement.

So training your Lactate Threshold can improve your endurance and increase the duration of time you can maintain a specific running pace.

What pace or effort level should tempo/threshold runs be done at?

Studies have shown the Lactate Threshold occurs around 80-90% of Max Heart Rate in highly training individuals and at around 50-60% in untrained individuals. If you have raced a 5k recently, a good estimate is to take your average pace during your best 5k race, and add 20-30 seconds per mile. Example: 5k time: 20:00 (6:26/mile). That would translate to 6:46-6:56/mile on your Tempo Runs.

An easy way to think of the effort level to perform Lactate/Tempo workouts is it should feel “comfortably hard,” meaning you definitely are working hard, but the pace is manageable for a long period of time (roughly 20-30 mins). You look forward to the workout ending, but you can maintain that effort level for a while.

When and how often should you do a tempo/threshold run?

Threshold/Tempo workouts can be done once a week or up to twice a week with a couple days of easy recovery runs between. You should also firstly work on increasing your daily mileage and weekly long runs gradually before taking on more intense paces and workouts.

If you are training for a big race or are a High School or College athlete, I recommend adding or working up to Threshold/Tempos runs around your 3rd to 4th phase of training.

Phase 1 is typically base building.(Increasing daily mileage and long runs)

Phase 2 is where you might start adding some short speed paced activities such as strides after easy runs and low volume speed sessions and strength work such as hills and long intervals.

Phase 3 is where you will typically begin your racing season

Phase 4 is right around late season/Championship season

Different types/way to do a tempo/threshold run

Examples of different way you can approach Threshold training;

  1. Steady Tempo: a continuous run at threshold pace/effort
  2. Cruise Intervals: repetitions of shorter durations at threshold lace with little rest between reps

Example workout for beginners, intermediate and advanced runners

    1. Beginner:
      • 15-20 minutes @ Threshold Pace
      • 2 minutes @ Threshold Pace with 1 minute jog rest; Repeat 5-10 times
    2. Intermediate: 
      • 20-25 minutes @ Threshold Pace
      • 5 minutes @ Threshold Pace with 1 minute rest; Repeat 5-8 times
      • 3-4 x 1 mile repeats with 1-2 minute rest
    3. Advanced: 
      • 20-30 minutes @ Threshold Pace
      • 4-6 x 1 mile repeats with 1-2 minute rest

**Always start and end with an easy 10-20 easy jog and some dynamic stretches and strides**

You can mix and match how you see fit or what you feel you most benefit from. If you have a mid week race or want to make sure you have ample rest before a race and wish to maintain some speed work, I tend to incorporate some short speed reps after Tempo runs such as 4-6x 150m or 200m.

My Favorite Workouts:

  1. 4 Mile Tempo run + 4x200m Repeats with 5 minute recovery after the Tempo run and 2-3 minutes between each 200m rep
  2. 4-6x 1 Mile @ Threshold Pace 1 minute easy jog between

Final Thoughts

If you feel the need to increase your endurance performance, look no further than the trusted Threshold/Tempo runs. Make it your own and see what works for you! 

Comment or message me for more info on the topic or for any future topics!