Interval Training

RandyMann

I wonder what is the best approach to interval training. Should you be doing them at max effort, that you are ready to collapse at the end, near to throwing up or should you feel strong/elated at the end that you still have something left?
I normally give it max effort but I dont think its helping me in the long run, as in there is burn out risk.

BeepBeep67

Really depends on the session, you do your 400's at one pace, 1k's at another pace, etc, all releveant to a recent race time and the type of session.

RoyMcC

Randy, I think most of us believe that your (b) approach is correct. Start the session cautiously then, with each rep, adjust your pace so that you're working hard but not so hard that you're in danger of not completing the session. It's great to be able to do the last one a bit quicker but always in control.

I've recently found that doing sessions without the pressure of a watch leaves you with that satisfied feeling and looking forward to the next one rather than dreading it. If you're going to do this though you need to be honest with yourself and keep working hard.

RandyMann

Yes, I think you are right, the watch puts a lot of pressure on me, think I will leave it at home for the next couple of months.

ecoli

RandyMann wrote: »

I wonder what is the best approach to interval training. Should you be doing them at max effort, that you are ready to collapse at the end, near to throwing up or should you feel strong/elated at the end that you still have something left?
I normally give it max effort but I dont think its helping me in the long run, as in there is burn out risk.

What distance are you training for? (is it just the five min mile or do you wanna do 800/1500 or 1500/5000m?)

When are you looking to be your busy race period? (tackling summer track races or is it about running now?)

Personally you should be feeling tired after a session but I dont think max effort every session is the way to go. Normally i would run my 400m s at 5k pace with a short recovery. There are other sessions which call for 600m/800m pace but i think it is still quite early in the season for these kinda sessions.

From your logs it seems you are just recently back after a long lay out. my advice would be to focus on building back up the strength to cope with the high intensity work that will come closer to the race season. That doesn't mean you cant do sessions now but the focus should be more on developing strength, form and rhythm as opposed to your top end anaerobic top end endurance. Perhaps sessions such as tempos, short hills (focus on form rather than blasting them) and intervals at slower pace with focus on short recoveries

Think of max effort sessions as the icing on the cake, there is no point in doing them until the base has been made.

I have been a victim of doing my reps too fast in previous years. Was doing my 400ms in 68-72. Recently i have seen better results in all my races (2 PBs out of 2 races) yet my coach has had me running no faster than 79s.
I think people worry too much about the speed and try to blast them. But training is about developing the efficiency to running at higher intensities rather than actually developing pure speed. Anything over 60m despite what people often refer to as "speedwork" is actually speed endurance for the most part.

Once the strength is there you will be surprised with how well you can run. Last year i was training for a half marathon in the winter. All my interval work was long stuff such as tempo's, and my track work was nothing less than 1ks (and sometimes was 3m reps). As a result i did nothing which most people would regard as "speed work". 3 weeks before me and my training partner did a 1500m time trial just to get a bit of sharpness into the legs. I felt strong which was to be expected given my training but the biggest shock was the pace it was at. I clocked a 4.26 off no specific training. Given the fact that i was only 4 seconds off my PB (4.22) from when i ran 1500m specifically during the track season. Later in the season when I added the speed work and focused on the shorter distances this strength carried through and helped me equal my mile PB (only ran it once that summer) and break my 3k PB and ran a few very competitive shorter distances

RandyMann

Hi Ecoli, thanks for your post and yes my busy period will be the summer, with the intention of doing 400m/800m/1500m/ and having a go at the mile in July end.
I will certainly take on board your advice as I seem to be making the mistake of forcing it too soon in my sessions and therefore nothing left in me for the rest of the week as my fitness/strength is simply not there.
When you have built up your fitness over the months, do you try 2 intervals sessions per week or is 1 interval session along with hill work and tempo runs sufficient?

ecoli

RandyMann wrote: »

Hi Ecoli, thanks for your post and yes my busy period will be the summer, with the intention of doing 400m/800m/1500m/ and having a go at the mile in July end.
I will certainly take on board your advice as I seem to be making the mistake of forcing it too soon in my sessions and therefore nothing left in me for the rest of the week as my fitness/strength is simply not there.
When you have built up your fitness over the months, do you try 2 intervals sessions per week or is 1 interval session along with hill work and tempo runs sufficient?

My strength building phase at the moment consists of two sessions a week and a long run

The sessions progress in this manner Week1 Tempo, Hills Week 2: intervals, tempo

I rotate this over two week periods at the moments though i switch the intervals with fartlek on the grass ( in the few weeks build up to XC races)

Sometimes you can combine strength work and tempos with intervals by doing things like cruise intervals (effectively tempo paced reps with very short recovery) or sessions such as 3 x (1000m,800m) 1k @ tempo pace short recovery, 800m @ 3k pace etc,

As you come closer to your race season (Apr-May) you can start do more competition specific work with 2 sessions a week

Hope this helps a bit

RandyMann

Thanks again, much obliged. Held back on my my 8*400m intervals tonight, felt good to go home with a spring in my step rather than on my knees !