Interval work--rest time?
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My race plan calls for interval work for a half marathon coming up in June, and I imagine I'll be
doing more interval work during the summer for a full marathon.
The intervals are 800's and mile repeats, and I am not sure of the rest jog interval between
repeats. I did my first 800's session yesterday and I only took 100 seconds of rest break,
something that was probably too short in retrospect. But what sort of rest interval should I
use for the mile repeats? 3-5 minutes?
-jeremy
--
--
+================================================================+ Jeremy Hallum, System Manager ,
Astronomy, University of Michigan jhallum@astro.lsa.umich.edu::jhallum@dreamt.org "Audentis
Fortuna Iuvat"
Hi Jeremy, I usually use 90 sec rest between 800s. Up to 2 min is fine. This is considered short by
a lot of people, but trust me it is best. If you are new to intervals start with 2-2.5 minutes, and
bring the recovery down to 90 sec as you get in better shape. THEN start running them faster. You
will get much more benefit out of the workout in this fashion. Another strategy is to make it 2 sets
of 4 instead of 8 straight intervals, and take 90 sec between intervals and 3 min between sets.
Miles are another story. I used to take 5 min in between, but now I have worked that down to 3 min.
However I run 5:0x per interval. If you are high-5 I would take 4 min, and 5 min if you are 6+ per
interval. Same story, try to cut the rest as you get in better shape. That will do you more good
than running faster right away. Also, make sure you start at a speed you can handle and make each
interval faster than the last. Your last should be your fastest but you should have to work to make
it that way. The Ann Arbor Track club does track workouts Tuesdays at the UofM track I think, though
they might move to Huron High in the summer, if you want a group to run with. I don't know how fast
you are, but some of us also do Tuesday nights at 6 at the UofM track. We run 2:2x for 800s and
such, but anybody is welcome to join us. Andy Hass
jhallum@umich.edu wrote:
> My race plan calls for interval work for a half marathon coming up in June, and I imagine
> I'll be doing more interval work during the summer for a full marathon.
> The intervals are 800's and mile repeats, and I am not sure of the rest jog interval between
> repeats. I did my first 800's session yesterday and I only took 100 seconds of rest break,
> something that was probably too short in retrospect. But what sort of rest interval should I
> use for the mile repeats? 3-5 minutes?
> -jeremy
> --
> --
> +================================================================+ Jeremy Hallum, System Manager ,
> Astronomy, University of Michigan jhallum@astro.lsa.umich.edu::jhallum@dreamt.org "Audentis
> Fortuna Iuvat"
<jhallum@umich.edu> asked:
> But what sort of rest interval should I use for the mile repeats? 3-5 minutes?
I do mile repeats about once every ten days, and my rest periods are never more than three minutes
long. Most of the time, I go for 2.5 minute rest periods. I use the rest periods to take in liquid
(e.g. sip an isotonic drink, or apple juice, or whatever).
I do a short and very slow warm up run before I start. (A maximum of 400 metres). The first run is
always the fastest, the next two runs are about 10-15 seconds slower, and I don't worry too much
about the stopwatch for the final run.
Mile repeats are an excellent way of training for 1/2 marathons. They have certainly worked for me.
jhallum@umich.edu wrote in message news:<L_ela.2996$XR3.89919@news.itd.umich.edu>...
> My race plan calls for interval work for a half marathon coming up in June, and I imagine I'll be
> doing more interval work during the summer for a full marathon.
>
> The intervals are 800's and mile repeats, and I am not sure of the rest jog interval between
> repeats. I did my first 800's session yesterday and I only took 100 seconds of rest break,
> something that was probably too short in retrospect. But what sort of rest interval should I
> use for the mile repeats? 3-5 minutes?
The rule of thumb I use is that you recover half the distance of the interval at a slow trot. I
advise people not to walk the recoveries and to keep moving.
How did the workout go for you? If you met your goal time for the intervals and didn't slow down
over the course of the workout then I'd say your 100 second recovery is fine. I like to go with a
quick recovery from time to time. I think it helps push me over a plateau in my speed.
The goal of every speed workout should be to finish it without slowing down. If you are slowing down
over the course of the workout then you are either running too fast or not recovering enough.
my $0.02 Andy
I agree with the other responses in that it depends on what your intervals are targeted on. If you
use a HRM then a recovery period resulting in a 70% Max HR works OK for me.
<jhallum@umich.edu> wrote in message news:L_ela.2996$XR3.89919@news.itd.umich.edu...
> My race plan calls for interval work for a half marathon coming up in June, and I imagine I'll be
> doing more interval work during the summer for a full marathon.
>
> The intervals are 800's and mile repeats, and I am not sure of the rest jog interval between
> repeats. I did my first 800's session yesterday and I only took 100 seconds of rest break,
> something that was probably too short in retrospect. But what sort of rest interval should I use
> for the mile repeats? 3-5 minutes?
>
> -jeremy
>
> --
> --
> +================================================================+ Jeremy Hallum, System Manager ,
> Astronomy, University of Michigan jhallum@astro.lsa.umich.edu::jhallum@dreamt.org "Audentis
> Fortuna Iuvat"
Depends on what the goal of the workout is. If you are doing a VO2 max type workout, equal time for
work and recovery. If you are doing a tempo/threshold type workout, one minute rest for every mile
of work. This is according to Daniels' training plans. He refers to the above paces as I pace and T
pace, respectively.
-Keith
jhallum@umich.edu wrote:
> My race plan calls for interval work for a half marathon coming up in June, and I imagine
> I'll be doing more interval work during the summer for a full marathon.
>
> The intervals are 800's and mile repeats, and I am not sure of the rest jog interval between
> repeats. I did my first 800's session yesterday and I only took 100 seconds of rest break,
> something that was probably too short in retrospect. But what sort of rest interval should I
> use for the mile repeats? 3-5 minutes?
>
> -jeremy
>
--
Keith Gemeinhart Technology Service Corp. Sebring, FL
--
jhallum@umich.edu wrote:
> My race plan calls for interval work for a half marathon coming up in June, and I imagine
> I'll be doing more interval work during the summer for a full marathon.
>
> The intervals are 800's and mile repeats, and I am not sure of the rest jog interval
> between repeats. I did my first 800's session yesterday and I only took 100 seconds of rest
> break, something that was probably too short in retrospect. But what sort of rest interval
> should I use for the mile repeats? 3-5 minutes?
>
Thanks everyone for the advice. The 800's I did on Tuesday were of the Threshhold variety,
and I clocked in at 3:30 for the first two,and dropped to 3:20 for the last four. They
were pretty comfortable, with heart rates (no HRM) around 170 or so (my Max rate
determined via stress test is about 200). It actually sounds like it was a pretty decent
workout. Thanks all!
Happy running! -jeremy
--
+================================================================+ Jeremy Hallum, System Manager ,
Astronomy, University of Michigan jhallum@astro.lsa.umich.edu::jhallum@dreamt.org "Audentis
Fortuna Iuvat"
Use your heart rate. Rest until it is 20 beats about your rest rate.
(e.g. 70 and 50) Depending on your fitness, this may be one to ten minutes.
The idea with intervals is to run each one at more or less the same speed and with some sort of
target race pace (for current fitness) in mind.
An example might be 6 x 800 metres with 90 secs rest (often light jog is better than stationary rest
as moving helps to dissipiate lactic) at about your 5K speed.
For miles we have done things like 3-4x1600 (easier to stick to 4 laps on metric tracks) with maybe
a lap jog or 3 mins rest. Mile repeats on the track are tough and it takes some experience to run
these evenly.
As a rule of thumb the longer the rep distance the shorter the (relative) time you rest for.
If you are starting out with intervals I would recommend having slightly longer recoveries so maybe
do 800s with 2 min rest and take 5 mins between your miles.
Off the track I often do sessions like 6 x 10 minutes, 3 mins walk/jog at I guess about marathon
pace. I find this quite a useful session as you get used to working at a good tempo and also get in
a long run for free.
Come the summer and if I'm training for 800, 1500 you get things like the 6x300, 3 mins; 4x400, 3
mins, 400, 1 min, 400, 15-20 min full recovery and repeat. These sound easy but boy done properly
there is nothing worse! Your arms and legs will feel like lead weights and after one session years
ago I was so dizzy I had to sit down for 45 mins!
Cheers Tim
<jhallum@umich.edu> wrote in message news:L_ela.2996$XR3.89919@news.itd.umich.edu...
> My race plan calls for interval work for a half marathon coming up in June, and I imagine I'll be
> doing more interval work during the summer for a full marathon.
>
> The intervals are 800's and mile repeats, and I am not sure of the rest jog interval between
> repeats. I did my first 800's session yesterday and I only took 100 seconds of rest break,
> something that was probably too short in retrospect. But what sort of rest interval should I use
> for the mile repeats? 3-5 minutes?
>
> -jeremy
>
> --
> --
> +================================================================+ Jeremy Hallum, System Manager ,
> Astronomy, University of Michigan jhallum@astro.lsa.umich.edu::jhallum@dreamt.org "Audentis
> Fortuna Iuvat"
"coolguy" <marios@p999.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in message news:b743ik$ima$1@news8.svr.pol.co.uk...
>
> <jhallum@umich.edu> asked:
>
> > But what sort of rest interval should I use for the mile repeats? 3-5 minutes?
>
> I do mile repeats about once every ten days, and my rest periods are never more than three minutes
> long. Most of the time, I go for 2.5 minute rest periods. I use the rest periods to take in liquid
> (e.g. sip an isotonic drink, or apple juice, or whatever).
>
> I do a short and very slow warm up run before I start. (A maximum of 400 metres). The first run is
> always the fastest, the next two runs are about 10-15 seconds slower, and I don't worry too much
> about the stopwatch for the final run.
You'll find sessions much less mentally demanding if you do it the other way and make your first one
your slowest. The idea of "repeats" is just that - same each time not a gradual slowing through the
session. We've all done it though....
>
> Mile repeats are an excellent way of training for 1/2 marathons. They have certainly
> worked for me.
Most people would be at the track a very long time indeed if you waited to start each rep with a
pulse of 70! (or did I misunderstand you?) If your resting rate is 50, you'll probably get above 70
walking up to the start line.
When the pulse dips below 120 is a useful benchmark figure for me. If I am running at heart rate
under 120 (actually would have to be going very slowly) then I am not really getting any training
effect anyway.
Cheers Tim
"rick++" <rick303@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:f7422d8e.0304110700.61a828f6@posting.google.com...
> Use your heart rate. Rest until it is 20 beats about your rest rate.
> (e.g. 70 and 50) Depending on your fitness, this may be one to ten minutes.
10 minutes is a ridiculously long amount of time to wait in between intervals.
I have a section from Better Distance Running that I will post (gotta head to dinner right now). The
longest recovery period is 3 times the work interval (so if you run for 20sec, you recover for 60
sec). Typically as the interval increases, the recovery (as a % of the work interval) decreases.
"rick++" <rick303@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:f7422d8e.0304110700.61a828f6@posting.google.com...
> Use your heart rate. Rest until it is 20 beats about your rest rate.
> (e.g. 70 and 50) Depending on your fitness, this may be one to ten minutes.
The "table" below if from "Better Training for Distance Runners" by Martin and Coe (a must read for
those interested in exercise physiology and running and setting up training programs). The RT is run
time, ReT is recovery time and ReActivity is what you are supposed to do during recovery time.
I would say that once you get to doing 10 min intervals, the recovery period can be 5min regardless
of the duration of the interval. For instance, my bread and butter LT workout is 2x20min @10K pace
with 5 min recovery which David Martin turned me onto. Veronique Billat (another physiologist
working with runners) recommends 4x10, 3x15 and 2x20 at 80% of vVO2max (velocity that elicits
VO2max) with 5 min recoveries so this seems to be in agreement.
RT ReT ReActivity 10s 3xRT walk/stretch 20s 3xRT jog 30s 3xRT jog 60s 2xRT jog 80s 2xRT jog 2m40s
1xRT rest 3m00 1xRT rest 4m00 1xRT rest
"Mike Conway" <mpc82@aol.com> wrote in message news:20030411215849.00505.00000805@mb-ch.aol.com...
> >From: "Sam"
>
> >10 minutes is a ridiculously long amount of time to wait in between intervals.
>
> >"rick++" <rick303@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>
> >> Use your heart rate. Rest until it is 20 beats about your rest rate.
> >> (e.g. 70 and 50) Depending on your fitness, this may be one to ten minutes.
>
> Have to agree with this one...Rick, what kind of workout are you talking
about
> that would require 10 minutes of rest between intervals? That sounds like
a
> separate workout! And what is the science behind waiting until your heart
rate
> is 20 beats above RHR? Sounds like an ineffective workout and a
monumental
> waste of time...
>
> Mike C
rick++ wrote in message ...
>Use your heart rate. Rest until it is 20 beats about your rest rate.
>(e.g. 70 and 50) Depending on your fitness, this may be one to ten minutes.
The only problem with using a heartrate instead of time is, I wouldn't be able to move very much or
even stretch if I were worried about getting my Heart Rate down as fast as possible.
Roger
Sam,
Isn't 10k pace well above lactate threshold? I though it was closer to 10-mile race pace. Also, if
this were a true threshold workout, shouldn't the rest interval be a lot shorter?
I'm not arguing the value of the workout; it just seems closer to a V02 max type workout rather than
threshold.
Sam wrote:
> For instance, my bread and butter LT workout is 2x20min @10K pace with 5 min recovery which David
> Martin turned me onto.
--
Keith Gemeinhart Technology Service Corp. Sebring, FL
--
One needs to define LT. For me (having had this tested several times), my 10K pace is very close to
my LT pace (having had it measured in a lab with blood and the whole nine yards). The better the
runner, the closer it is to one hour. The scientific definition and practical advice are often
different.
The workout does not come close to being a VO2max workout--way too long in terms of time.
"Keith Gemeinhart" <keithg@nospam.sebring.fl.us> wrote in message
news:3E984B03.7000109@nospam.sebring.fl.us...
> Sam,
>
> Isn't 10k pace well above lactate threshold? I though it was closer to 10-mile race pace. Also, if
> this were a true threshold workout, shouldn't the rest interval be a lot shorter?
>
> I'm not arguing the value of the workout; it just seems closer to a V02 max type workout rather
> than threshold.
>
> Sam wrote:
> > For instance, my bread and butter LT workout is 2x20min @10K pace with 5 min recovery
which
> > David Martin turned me onto.
>
> --
> Keith Gemeinhart Technology Service Corp. Sebring, FL
> --
In article <3E984B03.7000109@nospam.sebring.fl.us>, Keith Gemeinhart wrote:
> Sam,
>
> Isn't 10k pace well above lactate threshold? I though it was closer to 10-mile race pace.
The general rule of thumb for LT is 1 hour. But there's some variation. For example, what percentage
of VO2 max is LT ? from what I've read, it's 88-92%, and that range corresponds with a wide range of
race times.
> Also, if this were a true threshold workout, shouldn't the rest interval be a lot shorter?
It probably doesn't matter a whole lot, because the repeats are so long. Let's put this another way
-- one way to do a "tempo run" is to run for about 20 minutes or so at LT. So he's basically doing
two tempo runs with a short break in between.
> I'm not arguing the value of the workout; it just seems closer to a V02 max type workout rather
> than threshold.
A VO2 Max workout would be a lot faster.
Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/
Sam wrote:
> One needs to define LT. For me (having had this tested several times), my 10K pace is very close
> to my LT pace (having had it measured in a lab with blood and the whole nine yards). The better
> the runner, the closer it is to one hour. The scientific definition and practical advice are
> often different.
I think I'm confused. Is your 10k time close to one hour or is your LT much better than average?
> The workout does not come close to being a VO2max workout--way too long in terms of time.
Agreed. I was referring to intensity.
> "Keith Gemeinhart" <keithg@nospam.sebring.fl.us> wrote in message
> news:3E984B03.7000109@nospam.sebring.fl.us...
>
>> Sam,
>>
>> Isn't 10k pace well above lactate threshold? I though it was closer to 10-mile race pace. Also,
>> if this were a true threshold workout, shouldn't the rest interval be a lot shorter?
>>
>> I'm not arguing the value of the workout; it just seems closer to a V02 max type workout rather
>> than threshold.
>>
>> Sam wrote:
>>
>>> For instance, my bread and butter LT workout is 2x20min @10K pace with 5 min recovery
--
Keith Gemeinhart Technology Service Corp. Sebring, FL
--
In article <b7br4g$qjd$1@slb9.atl.mindspring.net>, Sam wrote:
> One needs to define LT. For me (having had this tested several times), my 10K pace is very close
> to my LT pace (having had it measured in a lab with blood and the whole nine yards). The better
> the runner, the closer it is to one hour. The scientific definition and practical advice are often
> different.
Question: is it possible that the lab conditions have an impact either way on this ? The reason I
ask is thatI've noticed that my treadmill performance are comparable to track performances (and much
faster than performances in road race conditions where hills become a factor)
Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/
In article <3E997FB9.8050108@nospam.sebring.fl.us>, Keith Gemeinhart wrote:
> Sam wrote:
> > One needs to define LT. For me (having had this tested several times), my 10K pace is very close
> > to my LT pace (having had it measured in a lab with blood and the whole nine yards). The better
> > the runner, the closer it is to one hour. The scientific definition and practical advice are
> > often different.
>
> I think I'm confused. Is your 10k time close to one hour or is your LT much better than average?
I think he's saying the latter, though I think he'd dispute the assertion that this really
is "better".
> > The workout does not come close to being a VO2max workout--way too long in terms of time.
>
> Agreed. I was referring to intensity.
It's not a VO2-Max workout in terms of intensity either (if it was, he wouldn't be able to survive
two 20 minute repeats).
Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/
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