skyjuice wrote:
Thanks for the input. How long should those hill repeats be to be effective? Also, if I were to perform those Vo2Max sessions on an indoor bike training, will it 'translate' well to running performance? I usually do sets of 5-6mins at FTP, which jack my HR close to 90%, but without the impact from running.
Fitness is specific after a certain point. More aerobic fitness is certainly helpful, so by all means keep riding, but don't expect it to improve performance at VO2 max in running.
I've spent long periods of time running 40-60mpw and still doing VO2 work on the bike. My only quality on the run was some tempo work (as progression runs), and the occasional striders when I felt up to it (3-4x30-60sec @ somewhere between 5k-10k effort just to turn my legs over). I still had very poor ability at 5k vs. my performance at 10mi to half marathon distances. My VO2 max work on the bike did not translate to better performance at VO2 max effort in running. I get injured easily by high intensity running (the classic 300-800m intervals on the track prescribed during the sharpening phase for races under 10k). Weigh your options and decide what's best for you. I raced reasonably well on a diet of lots of easy miles, and maybe one or two progression runs per week (when running 6-7 days per week). Would I have been faster with some more structure in the last few weeks before a race? Probably, but I may have gotten hurt and never seen the starting line.
If you're building your mileage, consider running slower than you presently do. 9min/mi is quick for someone who is racing at 7:58/mi for HM. My HM race pace is probably right around 6-6:15/mi in my current fitness, and I spend the majority of my time running 8-8:30/mi (running between 40-55mpw presently). Your tempo pace could be a little quicker, maybe 7:30-7:40/mi (roughly the pace you could hold for an hour, like FTP on the bike).
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