Workout of the Day: 3 x (1 Mile, 2 Mile) + 1 Mile
3 x (1 Mile, 2 Mile) + 1 Mile
Intensity — 5K effort on 1 Mile segments, 15K effort on 2 Mile segments, “Fast” Final 1 Mile
Recovery — none, continuous 10 Mile effort
Exertion — 8/10
Context & Details
This workout is the precursor to famed The Michigan session.
Bill Dellinger designed this workout for the distance runners at the University of Oregon in the 1970s and 1980s. It was a staple in the fall cross country season. Prefontaine, Salazar, Chapa, and all that era’s Duck runners would do this, or a variation of it, regularly in the autumn months.
The 1 Mile segments are on the track, and the 2 Miles steady are done on a hilly road loop. Most Oregon runners ran the 1 Mile at around 4:30 and the 2 Mile segment at about 5:30-5:45/mile pace. Then you finish up with a final mile on the track as fast as you can go — or A.U.G. (All You Got).
This workout is very similar to the alternations sessions by Canova, which promotes lactate clearance/buffering ability. It also significantly upgrades running economy and resistance to fatigue quite well.
The secret to becoming a highly competitive distance runner is simple: run often and run fast.
What does often mean? Run with high frequency. For example, you’ll get a higher training stimulus by running 5 miles 2-3 times per day at 6:00 mile/pace or faster than one 12 mile run at 7:30 mile/pace.
What does fast mean? Fast means as close to or faster than your desired race pace.
When we look back at the history of training, the best runners of a generation are always the ones who did the most training at higher absolute and average speeds.
And that’s the goal of any quality running training program: to patiently, systematically raise your condition by elevating the fastest speeds you can run, the average speeds you run along with the amount you run to sustainable and optimal thresholds.