2 x (1200m / 400m) + 3 x (400m, 300m, 200m, 100m)

Designed for 5K runners

Intensity

1200m at 5K pace, 400m at race day closing speed
1st set of 400m, 200m, 200m, 100m at Personal Best speeds
Last 2 sets 400m, 300m, 200m, 100m at Speed-Endurance paces
- 1500m pace for 400s, 800m pace for 300s, 400m pace for 200s, 100 at “good and fast”

Recovery

5’ recovery after 1M reps
Full Recovery after each rep in 1st breakdown set
2 ‘ after each rep in the final 2 breakdown sets

Exertion

7/10

Periodization

Performance Period

Context & Details

Far too many people are obsessed with volume.

The first question most runners ask each other is “how many miles a week are you running?”

When you tell the average person you’re a runner, their first question is usually, “have you run a marathon?”

Effort, not volume, is the most potent variable which improves running ability. This is why highly challenging aerobic running, associated with 15K to 5K paces, elicits a stronger stimulus and better adaptive response than moderately challenging, or easy running.

Too many runners do not push themselves sufficiently during their training because they use volume instead of effort as their main measure.

Volume shouldn’t be the main driver, but an afterthought. What matters is understanding the body’s reactions and response horizons to different types of training stress. When this is understood training can be structured in a much more progressive and productive fashion.

It’s important to acknowledge what’s programmed first in a workout gets the best results. The athlete is in their freshest state at the beginning of a workout, so you want to make sure the first physical lesson is the primary focus of the day’s session. All exercise done afterward is supportive to the primary quality trained or a form of metabolic stress (aka conditioning).

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Take today’s workout: 2 x 1M + 3 x 1K Breakdowns.

Since this workout happens in the Performance Period, the primary training task is hyper-specific: practicing a fast close for 400m off of 1200m at 5K pace.

The rest interval is kept long after each rep so peripheral fatigue is minimized. Tolerance is the theme of the session. Tolerance to 5K pace is retained and tolerance to the discomfort associated with running fast off of 5K pace is conditioned and reinforced.

The supportive tasks in the 1K breakdowns are both speed and speed-endurance.

The first breakdown set is performed with an exploratory, competitive mindset: see how fast you can go.

I coach my runners to “run with power” and really get after it the first 50% of each rep. Sure, they might slow down somewhat in the final 50%, but that’s how you run fastest. When it comes to speed work, an even pace approach doesn’t recruit as many high threshold motor units. In this situation, it’s a far more fruitful strategy to run 60” for 400m as 28”/32”, rather than 30”/30”.

The athlete gets full rest after each rep, so encourage them to run fast and have fun on each rep.

The final 2 breakdown sets are for metabolic conditioning maintenance purposes. The situation on these sets is different than the 1st set, as the focus shifts to speed-endurance now that acute peripheral and CNS fatigue is starting to accumulate.

Rest between reps is strict at 2 minutes, which is significant but not complete.

Here an even-paced approach is better and more sustainable. Ideally, the pace is run steadily throughout each rep, so the metabolic stress stays elevated, producing the desired training reaction.

It’s should be noted: on this portion of the workout, effort is more important than pace. If the runner’s fatigue is accelerating by this point in the session, it’s OK to back off their target paces by 1-2 seconds, as the training stress on the metabolism will be the same with such a shallow accommodation to the plan.

For younger or novice 5K runners, you can cut the overall workout volume by 1/3 or in half. Use your best judgment about how much “time under strain” is best for your runner based on their feedback, fitness, and racing calendar. It’s OK if they experience some acute fatigue from this session, but you want them to bounce back feeling fresh within 48 hours after finishing it.

Any questions? Direct Message me on twitter.
Thx. | jm

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3 Good Books on 5,000m and Road Race training

The Science of Running by Steve Magness
The Five and Ten Men by Richard Amery
Faster Road Racing by Pete Pfitzinger