PreBlast – Brixham Green 800s

PreBlast – Brixham Green 800s

How many can you do?  How consistently can you do them?  Will you improve over time?

“If the purpose is to hurt, then go out real fast and be as miserable as you possibly can.”

It’s that time of the season where we set baselines for the months of training ahead.  In this case, it’s the BlueRidgeRelay (BRR), where most PAX will be putting forth multiple 10K type efforts over the course of a day.  That’s where the Interval pace (aka 2 mile race pace, aka VO2Max pace, aka what you were supposed to do last week) comes in. It’s a pace run at 97-100 percent of Maximum Heart Rate, and for more explanation see the linked video.

To do this workout, we’ll try be measured and consistent this week so we can compare to the same effort approximately every 4 weeks.  Like in year’s past when we’ve had SIB come to town or went to visit there, we’ll be doing this in 800 meter segments @ Interval Pace with about a 2 minute (or 200m) active but very slow jog recovery.  No need to program your watch because there will be cones, but if you do, program 800m Distance Interval and 2 minute rest.  Just be prepared to end your recovery early when you hit the cones that will be setup around the Brixham Green.

Some more helpful info:

• Interval [Pace] Training = https://youtu.be/7dQEwJhHWXk?t=2m40s “If the purpose is to hurt, then go out real fast and be as miserable as you possibly can.”

• Interval Pace

  Intensity: Generally in the range of 95-100% of VO2max or 98-100% of HRmax. Intervals are “hard” but not all-out running by any means. Usually at a pace that you could maintain for about 10-15 minutes in a serious race. Intervals are best if they involve runs of 3 to 5 minutes each (800m and 1000m workbouts are typical), with jog recoveries of similar duration (not necessarily, equal distance); relative to the runs they follow. If a workout calls for “hard” runs, then go by feel and imagine 5k race pace, as the intensity of each run.

  Purpose: Stress your aerobic power (VO2max). It takes about two minutes for you to gear up to functioning at VO2max so the ideal duration of an “Interval” is 3-5 minutes each. The reason not to go past 5-minutes is to prevent anaerobic involvement, which can result in blood-lactate build-up.

• Pace Calculator to find your Interval Pace = http://runsmartproject.com/calculator
• Pace Calculator Instructions = http://runsmartproject.com/calculator/instructions/