6 x 400m intervals - 5.7km run - It was a killer

[Aftabs]

Hi all!

I ran W3R1 with my wife immediately before my run, I had to push her a bit on the second 3 min interval but she got through it!

My workout for today was

1 mile warm up run.

400m fast

200m recovery

Repeat 6 times

1 mile warm down run.

I cut short the 1 mile warm up run because I had already ran 2.5km with my wife. I ran the first interval close to flat out and was flagging a bit by the end. After the second interval, I was exhausted. If my limbs could talk they would have been giving me some vile abuse. At that stage I momentarily thought of quitting but dismissed that idea very quickly. I kept going and knew that each interval was slower than the last but went as fast as the body would allow. When I got to the final interval the only thought I had was not to collapse and faint because I didn't have any ID on me! I got to the end and was gasping for some air but felt very good that I survived. I had my gentle warm down and stretched before calling it a day.

I really didn't know if I improved from last weeks identical workout, but when I compared the two workouts I saw that 4 of the 6 intervals were better than last week and the other two were not far out! So a good improvement from last week. I have attached a printscreen of the comparison. Look at the 0.40 distance splits and compare the time/average pace. My average pace during the 6 intervals was 4:14 per km.

I have to say that interval training is the least enjoyable exercise when I am actually doing it, however I felt a sense of achievement to survive it!

Anyway if I was to include the distance I covered with my wife I probably covered 8km today, so not a bad distance. Recovery day tomorrow and 5km at a steady pace on Thursday.

Here is a link to the run:

connect.garmin.com/activity...

[runningnotwalking Graduate]

Looks impressive Aftabs. How do you measure the distance each run and do you just run as fast as possible or are you running to a set bpm ?

[Aftabs Graduate in reply to runningnotwalking]

I am using a Garmin GPS watch and running within heart rate zones. So during sprints I needed to get up to 95% of max HR and the only way to do that was to sprint as hard as I could. Even then I didn't always get my HR high enough on each interval, so I may have to adjust the HR zone down a bit.

[Honorsmum]

I am in awe, not just of your running ability but also your ability to organise and discipline yourself with the whole science bit!

I've only done intervals once, last week, and only at a basic level using the speed podcast - no set distances, no heart beat monitor - and that nearly killed me!

[Aftabs Graduate in reply to Honorsmum]

Thanks! I found this plan on Runners World and have been tailoring it a bit. I also read up a bit on heart rate training but still have a lot to learn.

I like my statistics (I am an accountant, so am not breaking any stereotypes!) so I have made my running an extension of my geekiness.

[Aftabs Graduate in reply to Honorsmum]

Also I agree about interval training, it is not very enjoyable when you are doing it, but it is a very effective way of increasing your overall speed.

[ju-ju- Graduate]

wow...excellent...and a very big well done to Mrs Aftabs, you need to get her on the blog

[Aftabs Graduate in reply to ju-ju-]

Thanks and my wife thinks I write enough for the both of us!