I am using a marathon-training plan from Runner’s World and yesterday had to do 2x1 mile, 4x800, then another 2x1 mile, all at 6:00 or under pace. Shit that hurt. And it’s only going to get worse from here 
What’s the most brutal track workout you’ve seen/done?
Easy one, 5*5000m, negative split, something like 19:15, 19:00, 18:45, 18:30, 18:15.
Another “hater” is 20*400m resting 30 secs.
400m repeats, mouth closed.
(Eamon Coughlin did an indoor workout at our track prior to Millrose Games one year: 10x(400 on 1:00, 200 on 1:00); probably easy for him)
8 x mile repeats, decending time splits, 1 lap recovery jog between. 10 miles of hell.
It was just a small part of my big birthday adventure, but I did 40X400 at 5;20 mile pace, with a 100 jog inbetween each. But the 40 games of bowling afterwards was even harder…(-;
yassos
10x800, 400m jog in between each
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DUDE! That’s my favorite workout!!! trick is to go out “conservatively” the first four so you don’t feel like death during your 16th 800.
Three sets of 20x400m (200m recovery) @61s/400m.
So, what is it like to run sub 27min for a 10km? 
For a short but hard one I liked and hated the 1/2 work to rest workout.
Run 1/4 mile, jog/rest 1/2 the time it took you to do the 1/4 mile (ie 90 second run you jog and easy 45 sec to recover).
Then do the same for 1/2 mile, 3/4 mile, 1 mile, 3/4 mile, 1/2 mile and then finally one last lap or 1/4 mile. Each time recovery jogging for 1/2 the time it took you to run the distance you just did.
Oh, also you have to be constantly at a descending pace, so the first 1/4 mile may be at 6 min pace, then each distance should be a slightly faster pace so the last 1/4 mile is the hardest of all. It sucks because the faster you go, the less your rest/jogging interval is.
Couple weeks ago the day after a 100 mile bike ride, a few friends and myself did 14.5 miles on the track as:
1 mile W/U;
3x4 miles at 6:20-6:25 min/mile pace with 1/2 mile recoveries between each
It was not that physically hard, just mentally challenging. We were sure to rotate the intervals (clockwise then counter-clockwise) to take it easy on the knees.
8x1000m @ 3:25 or better with 200m recovery jog.
"So, what is it like to run sub 27min for a 10km? "
Wait…maybe I just read about that workout. It felt real though…
Maybe…or your Vo2max is 25km/h or so and we’re proud to have you here…your a MOP on ST
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Actually, I’ve never seen the type of workouts Bekele does, but can HE even run that 3 x 20x400m? at that pace??
personal fav: (use www.runbayou.com for interval pace)
X3, @ interval pace. rest time is half your interval pace.
400
400
800
800
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1200
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800
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Once a Runner
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Pyramids or the continuous 400 sets were always the ones that I considered the toughest. To the effect of:
400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 800, 400, 4x200. About a minute rest between.
or
5x4x400, 30sec-1min between 400s and a recovery jog between sets.
All I remember of that last one was finishing each set and blindly holding onto a chain link fence trying to recover my breath before obediently turning around and doing the next one.
It was just a small part of my big birthday adventure, but I did 40X400 at 5;20 mile pace, with a 100 jog inbetween each. But the 40 games of bowling afterwards was even harder…(-;
How much did 40 games of bowling cost you?!
How much did 40 games of bowling cost you?!
They let me rent two lanes by the hour for $10 per hour, and it took a little over 7 hours…A guy named Jeffrey Justice who was a triathlon writer in those days, sat with me through almost all of it too. Guy really needed a life…(-;