Running Around 3•11•12

Week 15 • Spring Training 2012

More 1200m repeats again this week. We'll keep the restriction that if you can't do 1200m in 5 minutes or less, drop down to 1000m instead. If you're just a few seconds over but really close to 5 minutes, it's OK to do the 1200s if you want to. I'm adjusting the rest, though. The absolute maximum rest is now 4 minutes, which should still be plenty of time for everyone.

Again, recovery time is very important. It has to be less than your work time. You can definitely do a 200m jog. You may be able to squeeze in a 300m or 400m jog if you want to add a little extra mileage or don't like standing around waiting for the clock. Remember that the rest duration must be less than or equal to the time you've spent running hard. The absolute maximum rest should be 4 minutes.

If you are running the marathon or half, you might consider doing the alternate (T-pace) workout instead. Choose whichever workout you think will suit you the best. Don't choose whichever is easier. If you're feeling sluggish, though, stick with the I-pace. Ask me if you're not sure.

The next marathon training run on 3/17 will be at Thackston School. It's at the corner of Lake Ave and 21st Street just south of Cumberland on the edge of campus. They will also have a water stop near Mellow Mushroom on race day.

Founded in 1920, Thackston School is the oldest private school in Knoxville. My older son is in 1st grade there, and he loves it. If you know someone looking for a great school, you can get more information at http://thackstonschool.com/. They also have preschool, pre-K, and Summer camp programs.

WORKOUT SUMMARY

1. 3-8x 1200m @I pace
w/200-400m jog recovery

2. 3-5x 1600m @T pace
w/60 seconds rest

3. Striders

DETAILS

Rest should be 3-5 minutes not to exceed your interval time. Volume should be 7-8% of weekly mileage for the hard running. Run 1000m repeats if you cannot complete 1200m in less than 5 minutes.

If you are running 1200s a good rule of thumb is one repeat for every 10 miles of weekly mileage (e.g. 4x 1200m for 40 miles per week). You can probably jog a full 400m for rest, but it's OK to do 300m or 200m if that's all the ground you can cover in your allotted time. Keep the rest time under 4 minutes this week no matter how long the repeats take.

Recommendations for 1000s based on weekly mileage ...
50 mpw: 6-7 x 1000m @I pace w/200m jog
45 mpw: 5-6 x 1000m @I pace w/200m jog
40 mpw: 5 x 1000m @I pace w/200m jog
35 mpw: 4-5 x 1000m @I pace w/200m jog
30 mpw: 4 x 1000m @I pace w/200m jog
25 mpw or less: 3 x 1000m @I pace w/200m jog

• This is an optional 2nd workout for Thurs/Fri •
Run 1 for each 10 miles of weekly mileage (e.g. 4x 1600m for 40 miles per week).

At least once this week 4-6x 100m