I love running 800m intervals. And 400m intervals are even better. Intervals also known as repeats are simply running very fast for a short distance, then resting, then do it again. A set of intervals may include 4 to 12 or more repeats. I run them on my treadmill. Yeah, the treadmill doesn’t have meters. Actually I could switch it of the metric, but then the speed and everthing would be in metric too. But 800 meters is about 1/2 a mile. And 400m is about 1/4 of a mile. So it is pretty easy to run on a treadmill.
800 meters is a decent distance to run fast. These days I am running these shorter intervals at slight faster than 6:00 minute/mile pace. This means that I really only have to hold that pace for about 3 minutes. Of for 1/4 mile (400m) intervals about a minute and a half. When I start the 800m repeat, I am generally feeling pretty good. The feeling of the speed really doesn’t kick in until around .15 or .20 miles. So when I hit .20 miles, I only have .30 miles left. As I hit .25 I think about how I am half done. Usually around here, by brain is asking for a walk break. My breathing is going much faster, and my heart pounding. But I force myself to keep going. When I hit .30 miles, I note to myself only .20 to go. Now it is either here or at .35 that I start counting down the distance. .15, .14, .13, .12, … .03, .02, .01, done. As soon as the treadmill shows that I have hit the .50 mark, I jump my feet off to the sides of the belt, and slap the stop button. I don’t particullar want to hang around running of the belt as the treadmill gradually slows to a stop.
Last night I did my intervals which were 800m repeats. I did 2 easy miles @ 10:00 pace. Then I did 6 x 1/2 mile intervals @ 5:56 pace. That was followed by another easy mile @ 10:00 pace. Today my legs feel like they got a good workout!
1/4 mile (400m) are even better since around the time the interval is starting to get hard, I can stop.
Now as the intervals get longer, the speed is slower. Even so, as I am running a 1 mile interval at 6:12, I am running, and it starts to get really hard, but I still have a LONG way to go. Then there are the two mile intervals. *gasp*

Posted by Rob in Whatever on January 8th, 2008 |