Session

Sessions are an interesting topic. Off the bat I really don't think people put enough time into thinking about what the session is aiming to achieve.

For me, sessions fall into 2 camps.

1 - aiming to improve running AT a pace

2 - aiming to achieve faster pace

Running at pace is basically lactate buffering - being able to handle running at effort for longer periods of time.  The difference is that the pace may not be there however the most important thing is the recovery between efforts is critical.

An example is 12 x 400 off 30 seconds recovery.  It's 3 miles of effort, this reps for this session should be at around 3k pace however the important thing is being on the line to go on 30 seconds.  You may have an off day and only be running 5k pace, that doesn't matter. The recovery is key to this session.

Running to achieve a faster pace is a different matter.  The focus is about hitting the pace therefore recovery can be adjusted up (if needed) to be able to hit the pace.  These sessions can be anything specific but unless you are top level its most likely to be running to increase maximum speed.

So for me an example of this would be 2 x (4 x 200m) where I am looking to hit 30.xx secs.  I am looking to be capable of running faster maximal speed.  These are off really long recoveries but the recovery doesn't matter as much as hitting pace.

Both sessions above, unless I have a serious niggle that stops me hitting pace I 'can' do them however the adjustments may be needed on either pace or recovery.

In my opinion, changing the wrong thing on a given session makes it pretty useless.  If you can't run 12 x 400m off 30 secs at 5k pace you clearly need a rest or recovery day.  If you can't run flat out for 200m - guess what, you've fucked something !  Do it when you are ready !!

I find a lot of people don't think logically with run sessions because they become obsessed with volume.  Think what the session is achieving.

Speed work - if I am running 35 secs flat out for 200m and improve that to 30 seconds then I'm giving myself a huge gap between what pace per lap I would like to run 5k at and what I can run flat out.

At 35 secs that's 70 secs per lap so if I want to run 75 avge I have 5 second leeway.  If I can run 60 then I have 15 second leeway.  That starting to be closer to what is needed.  The session is a small part of a big picture.

Yes 10 x km at 10 k pace (3:30) is a great session but 3 x km at 2.59 will give much more benefit in a shorter session and actually means you should be running COMFORTABLE 5 mile tempos in 3.30 per km.  Considerably better session than 10 x km.

Start low, build high.  It's a long game.  Give yourself plenty of time when planning sessions - it may take 10-12 weeks to start hitting the times you need to BUT you have to start somewhere.  All goes back to honesty.  Work out where you are and build from there.

I like to use Daniels VDOT to work out training paces from races - they're fairly close.  I know that at a given VDOT fitness I should roughly be running a given interval time for 400m or 200m etc. 

As paces come down so do race times.  I want to run 5.08 min miles for 5k :: I need to run comfortably at 5/mm pace :: I need top end speed to be sub 60 secs for 400m.  It's trackable all the way down.

Is it working for me?  I'm seeing paces drop on easy and steady runs so yep - so far so good.  I'm 5 weeks in and finally adjusting the sessions up.  It's a long term game.  I could probably go and run 4 months at 80 miles per week at 7:30 pace and get the same results but that seems an awful lot of effort !!

So that's my take on sessions.  What are you looking to achieve?  Why does the session help you achieve that?  Think it through and make the sessions work for you.  Don't just copy sessions other people do, it's your plan!