Workout of the Day: 4 x 800m Supersets
4 x 800m
Intensity — 1st 400m at 800m pace | 2nd 400m at 1500m pace
Recovery — 3-5 minutes walk/jog after each rep
Exertion — 9/10
Context & Details
Superset workouts are hard — but they’re incredibly effective. They’re best done once every 10-14 days during the racing season. The level of intensity is on par with a race, which is the point. This type of session is in perfect alignment with the SAID Principle, mimicking closely the demands the runner will meet in the later stages of a 1500m race.
Supersets are 2 or more work intervals bound together without an intervening recovery where running speed is gradually decreased (on purpose) over the work period. Supersets enhance a runner’s ability to sustain a desired race pace in the face of heightening fatigue. Supersets will upgrade vVO2 Max, lactate threshold velocity, and running economy.
The 1st 400m at 800m pace skyrockets lactate production and overall fatigue. The real purpose of the session is conditioning the runner to fully embrace (and adapt to) the difficulties met on the 2nd 400m at 1500m speed.
From a physiological and psychological standpoint the 1st 400m at 800m speed is equivalent to running 1,000m at 1500m pace, without having to go 1,000m. It’s a sneaky way to get the miler to the state of heightened fatigue they’ll face on the dreaded third lap. It’s important to practice the sensations felt on that 3rd lap of the 1500m because this is the critical moment of that event. Many races are lost on the third lap due to lack of preparation for it. By practicing superset sessions all season long, the miler calloused by these sessions won’t miss a beat at this point in the race.
As an added bonus, the miler enjoys enhanced neuromuscular power from running the 1st 400m at 800m speed.
You may think 800m is too ambitious to introduce superset training to the runners you coach. The prudent coach may shorten the supersets makeup to 300m/500m, 200m/600m, or have the rep distance shorten to 600m to meet the current ability level of the athletes under their guidance. Once the desired speeds are stabilized for the 1st half and 2nd half on every superset in a session, then a runner is ready to extend the distances.
The miler needs to develop the following key performance variables to be highly competitive: running specific strength, running economy, resistance to fatigue, lactate-threshold velocity, and a high vV02 Max. 4 x 800m supersets does this to great effect and is a worthy staple in every miler’s training diet.