well, I would say do 800's and 1600's. it's way to early for 400's.

and for the 800s, just keep it at a faster pace, but not breakspeed. as you know, this is where you'll ge hurt if you push too hard...

so (800's):

1 mile warmup

3x800--after each 800 one lap jont, nice and slow

1 to 2 mile jont warmdown, nice and slow

or (1600's):

1 mile warm up

2x1600, two lap jont in between take your time to recover

1 mile jont warmdown, nice and slow

Right now doing more than this will be a deal breaker. not worth it.

What's your 5k/10k time? 73-76 400s on 60s rest are OK if you're a ~16:00 or faster 5k runner. Any slower and those repeats are too quick, especially early in the season.

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Marty Gaal, CSCS
One Step Beyond Coaching
Triangle Open Water Swim Series | Old School Aquathon Series
Powerstroke® Freestyle Technique DVD

i was thinking that was a little quick for me, as my 10k time by may should be around 36. just did what felt comfortable at effort. what is your opinions on ladders? 4-8-12-16-etc. this early? seems like a good mix of speed and endurance stuff. try to keep the same 400M pace for all reps.

hey whiney -

current research (that i find very compelling) suggests that you're wasting time running intervals longer than about 1500m; i'd keep it below that.

-mike

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https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/

Take a look at Jack Daniels' Running Formula book. It's a great book for distance running and gives you an idea of what pace you should run intervals/recovery and why, as well as giving different training paces.

While it doesn't answer the specific question of when to start, if you read the book, and look at the training plans in the back, it may help you to answer the question for your own needs.

Richard

I like ladders but for your first few weeks back into trackwork I'd keep it fairly simple and keep the pace closer to your 10k pace no matter what the distance. As you get closer to the season start running some at 5k pace. If you did 8 x 400 last week try 6 x 600 or 5 x800 this week (gradually increase the total amount of work done)....but slow down! ;)

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Marty Gaal, CSCS
One Step Beyond Coaching
Triangle Open Water Swim Series | Old School Aquathon Series
Powerstroke® Freestyle Technique DVD

Sounds like we are in the same boat with early season training: (similar mileage and running pace) This is my theoretical goal:

The final goal is to work up to a day of 'speed' and a day of intervals every week (or at least each 3X a month). That goal would be (eventually, during my build to peak time) 12X200s very fast one day (not sprinting, but maybe faster than mile PR pace)

AND, another day (3X a month anyway): 6X800 or 5X1200 at 5K PR pace another day. That way I get a genuine speed workout (30 second bursts close to 100 perecent) and an interval workout (around 3-4 hard minutes X 5or so)

How do I plan to work up to that?

From what I gather, longer and not super-fast repeats (cruise intervals, somewhere between tempo pace and repeat pace) and strides might be best to start with.

Right now, I am trying to do 6X100 strides (almost sprints, faster than mile PR pace) with a warmup that includes high knees, butt-kickers, etc. I am also doing 3 X 1mile repeats at about 6 min miles, which is close to my 10K pace. A bit faster than tempo pace, but not as fast as my 800s.

In a couple months, I will start with the 800s; maybe 4X800 to start with, but faster than 10K pace. Build those up, then build up from 6X200s to 12x200s.

An abortive version of this has worked well for me for 10Ks. Marathons are a different animal, of course ... If I can accomplish 90 percent of the running workouts planned for March to June, that would be a triumph!

If anyone thinks this idea is crap, please set me straight. What do you think, whiney?

Good luck!

Couple of thoughts (I am a USATF certified coach)

6x100s is a good early season workout. I would work it up to to 6x150. I like doing 1.5 laps easy jog between 150s. Not an all out sprint, but as fast as you can go without loosing form. 2 mile warmup and warm down, plus drills and this is a great workout to stay sharp.

high knees and butt kick drills are good. Add some skips, and other form drills. Get a book or a coach to show you other drills. Form is very important to running fast, drills help you build it..

For you interval seesion no more than 6K, 5K is plenty. I like 4x1200-1500. As mentioned above intervals should be 5:00 at the longest, so unless you are really fast (faster than 5:20/mile for your intervals) you are limited to 1500m.

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"When I first had the opportunity to compete in triathlon, it was the chicks and their skimpy race clothing that drew me in. Everyone was so welcoming and the lifestyle so obviously narcissistic. I fed off of that vain energy. To me it is what the sport is all about."

Thanks. I'm doing those 100s as per your advice from a couple months ago. As for drills I'm trying to imitate some of what the local h.s. cross country team does. I have run with them a few times. They've got more than a few state championships and lots of kids who go on to run Div. 1 so I figure coach knows what he's doing. An old training partner (total ultrarunner geek, science teacher too) was telling me about these articles that found that 30 second bursts (10X or so) and 4 minutes hard (at a time so 800s to 1200s) yield the most benefits for distance runners. Is this your understanding too?