For about the last 6 months, I’ve been following a training schedule that has me running intervals once a week: 400 metre intervals one week, 800s the next and 1600s (or 1 mile) the following week.
I love the 400s and can manage the 800s. But the 1600s? Hell.
I simply cannot run really fast for that long. Today, for example, I started my first 1600m interval running at a slightly-faster-than-usual pace (maybe 30 seconds/km faster than my normal pace) and felt pretty tired at the end. I ran the second one a little slower (not by choice). Then I just gave up and made an effort to finish my run at a decent pace. There seemed to be little point in running a 1600m interval when I knew I couldn’t sustain the pace for that long.
Anyone else have this problem? How did you handle it? Maybe I should moderate my “faster” pace more? Or rest longer in between? Or build up to 1600s? Or maybe I’m just being a lazy candy-ass who needs to suck it up and go faster. If so, just tell me. I can take it.
Post-script: Even though my 1600s barely qualify as interval training, this approach works! I have significantly increased my speed over the last six months Speed being a relative term.
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