The Workouts

6 Examples of Interval Workouts (For a 2:00 HS 800m runner) (For masters, double the recovery..and reduce the reps by a third in workouts 1 and 2!)

1) Increasing speed/decreasing recovery reps
5x (4x200m) @ 33-32-31-30-29 w/50-45-40-35-30 sec interval by set (no additional
recovery between sets!!)

2) Russian intervals
5x (3x300m @ 48 w/jog 100m at 30-sec) Jog 800m between sets

3) Tempo intervals--IMPOSSIBLE  
2x 1000m @ 2:55 (70-pace) w/60-sec Int --4:00-- 4x500m @ 1:21+ (65-pace) w/60-sec Int -- 4:00-- 2x 1000m @ 2:55 w/60-sec Int. 

4) Pick-up reps
8x 400m @ 70 w/90-sec Int and #s 2,5,8 @ 63

5) Neg-split reps
2x (300m-500-400 w/neg-split last 100m) @ :32+14 (=:46 300m) . . . 66+14 (=1:20 500m) . . . 48+14 (=62 400m) 2-min btw reps/jog 1200 btw sets

6) Sit 'n Kick Reps
5x (400m @ 64 . . . rest 30-sec . . . 200m @ 28) jog 1200m btw sets

The Breaking the Barrier 800m workout

Workout/goal for sub-2:00 800m: 12×300 at 43-45 seconds with a 1:00 recovery.

If the pace slows to a 47 or slower after a minimum of 4 repeats of 300 meters, then drop to running 200s at 28-30 seconds with a 1:00 recovery.

If you slow to anything slower than 31 or 32 seconds, then drop to running 100 repeats in 14-15 seconds with 30 seconds recovery.

Workout/goal for 2:02-2:07 800m: 12x300 in 45-47 seconds with 1:00 recovery.

If the pace slows to a 50 or slower after a minimum of 4 repeats of 300 meters, then drop to running 200s at 31-32 seconds with a 1:00 recovery.

If you slow to anything slower than 33 or 34 seconds, then drop to running 100 repeats in 15-16 seconds with 30 seconds recovery.

Workout/goal for 2:08-2:13 800m: 12×300 at 48-50 seconds with a 1:00 recovery.

If the pace slows to a 53 or slower after a minimum of 4 repeats of 300 meters, then drop to running 200s at 33-34 seconds with a 1:00 recovery.

If you slow to anything slower than 35 or 36 seconds, then drop to running 100 repeats in 16-17 seconds with 30 seconds recovery.

Uneventful

Fri-took off.  Uneventful...all workouts at 5:30ish AM as usual.

Thurs-9x150
22-low, 22-low, 22-low
21-mid, 21-low, 21-mid
20-mid, 20-mid, 19-high

Wed-2.2M in 16:50

Tues-6x600 with 200m jog.
600-2:02
600-2:04
400-1:26
400-1:24
600-2:04
600-1:54

Mon-lifting

Sun, 5/18-3.5M in 30 min

Still chasing

May 17, 2014

Like this Saturday in 2013, I decided to do Sit 'n Kick Reps to test my strength. This workout, which is designed for a 2:00 800m high school runner, consists of 5x (400m @ 64 . . . rest 30-sec . . . 200m in 28), with a 1200m jog between sets. Since I am not able to run 800 meters in 2:00, I always modify the workout accordingly. I really wanted to hit the times I've hit in my best days past. In that spirit, I modified the workout slightly: 5 x (400m @ 64 . . . rest 60-seconds, 150m in 21), with a 1000m (not 1200m) jog between sets, a rest of 8:00.


The first 400 was a hard-fought 64 (31/33). 60 second rest, then a 22-mid150. I felt winded. 1000 meter jog in 8:00.

The second 400 felt better and was also in 64 (31/33).  The 150 was 22-mid.  1000 meter jog in 8:00.

I ran the third 400 in 64.  The 150 was a 22-flat.  I was feeling a little pride because I was back in business.

My fourth 400 was a 64. I rested 90 and then popped a 21-mid 150. I then jog-recovered 1000.

And then there was my final 400. I wondered whether I had it in me to hit 63 and 21. I did, hitting 63 for the 400 and 21 for the 150.  I took 90 seconds between the last 400 and 150.

Overall, this workout was pretty good.  Doing it alone is tough.  I would like to get two more of these 800 m workouts over the next 10 days.

So this workout went fairly well. I am still chasing the perfect Sit 'n Kick workout, though,

What a fiasco!

Friday, 5/16/14-took off

Thursday, 5/15/14--did 6x150 at 6 AM...2:40 rest between each (100m walk, 100m jog, and the 50m walk)

Felt stiff and a little sluggish.
I knew I wasn't going to be able to hammer these, so I accepted that I'd be a second off on average.
Instead of 2x21, 2x20, and 2x19, I figured I'd be 2x22, 2x21, and 2x20.

My runs: 22.3, 23.1; 21.5, 21.4; 20.5, 19.8

Wednesday, 5/14/14-went to the gym to lift.

Tuesday, 5/13/14--recovery run of 4.3M (2 Rustin loops) in 33:15.  17:15, 16:00.

Monday, 5/12/14--Arrived at Swarthmore at 5:40...just in time enough to register for the 100.  Whew!  I had what I thought was a nice warm-up.  I felt pretty good on this 80+ degree day with little wind.  I came into the meet KNOWING that I should be able to break 12sec in the 100m and 24sec in the 200m.  

Overall, this was a crazy meet, beginning with a terrible 100. I was in heat 4, lane 5.  I jumped the gun.  Thought they were going to call a false start.  They didn't and the gun went off unexpectedly.  Left blocks late and had to play catchup.  Thus, the poor time of...12.41.  I was miffed.  

The terrible-awful 100
The Awful 200
Then there was the 200.  I was heat 4, lane 6, the same heat as Rob.  Just as heat three was coming onto the track, I walked over to my bag on other side of track to stow my watch.  One of the officials called my name for lane 6 and insisted that I was to run in heat 3.  I told him that it was the correct lane but the wrong heat. He insisted that I run.  I finished the race, knowing it was the wrong heat.  For good measure, the names of the competitors appeared on the results screen and none were mine. I jogged back to the start if the 200, and I heard them call me again, this time for the right heat--heat 4, lane 6.  I told them that, yes, heat 4 was the correct heat but that they had just made me run in heat 3. They were like...oops.  As of Monday night, I was listed as a DNS.  They must've retroactively given me a time and correctly "placed" me in lane 6, heat 4 even though I incorrectly ran in heat 3.  The official time listed on the books is 24.37.  (With the mix-up, the real time may have been 24.73.)   

What a fiasco!  I was hoping to get the 100 and 200 out of my system so that I can make my way back up to 400 and 800.  Argh.

Had a great 100m series

Saturday-workout was 3x100, plus starts.
Had a great 100m series, albeit short, the best in years: 12.5, 12.0, and 11.7.  These times were rounded up, and the runs were on the fly (running start).
Friday-went to Y to lift.
Thursday-did 4x100: 13.5, 12.8, 12.5, 12.3.
Wednesday-took off
Tuesday-did 6x100: 13.5, 12.8, 12.6, 12.5, 12.5, 12.4.
Monday-went to Y
Sunday-4.4M

I had a good series of sub-28 200s.

May 4-

Met up with Rob at Conestoga at 10:00 for a workout.  Rob wanted to do a workout that was moderate in speed and short in distance.  Rather than a 200/400 workout, I initially wanted to do a 400/800 workout.  We would up settling on 150s for him and 200s for me; I'd do the 200s at his 150 pace.  His goal pace was 21, which put me at 28 for my 200s.  As it turned out, most of his 150s were faster than this.  Thus, my 200s were faster.

Run 1: 200 in 27.5
Run 2: 200 in 27.3
Run 3: 200 in 27.7
Run 4: 200 in 27.5
Run 5: 150 in 20.7 (150 on purpose)
Run 6: 150 in 20.4 (150 on purpose)
Run 7: 200 in 27.1
Run 8: 150 in 19.9 (wanted to do 200, but I felt a little dead).

Even though I was not happy that I was more exhausted than I should have been, I feel pretty good that I had a good series of sub-28 200s.

Getting fat and lazy!

Saturday, May 3rd

Friday, May 2nd-took off

Getting fat and lazy!

Thursday, May 1-Went to the track to do 8 x 150 with 2:40 rest (100m walk in 1:15; 100m jog in :45; 50m walk in 40).  The plan was to do 2@22, 2@21, 2@20, and 2@19.

21-high, 22-low; 22-low, 21-high; 20-mid, 20-mid; 19-mid, 19-low.

Wednesday, April 30th--Wen to the gym.  Lifted upper and lower body.