Russian intervals

In article <[email hidden]>, Roger 2k

Quoted message said:

I haven't seen a post from Lyndon for a long time.

I remember one of the things he talked about. He called it "Russian Intervals." Where you run at a
certain pace for 20 seconds, run or walk slow for 20 seconds and continue with the fast/slow for
20 minutes.

Anybody else try something like that and does it seem to help with VO2?

That isn't what I recall being Russian Intervals. Lyndon's guide on High Intensity - Intermittent
Training is for 15 seconds or so flat out, then substantial recovery (I forget if it's 1 minute or
3-5, the latter may be for fly ins rather than HIIT). I've done the 15 seconds with 1 minute
recovery workout (6-10 times) and have had some very nice improvements in race times in the 1-3
weeks thereafter. It doesn't seem to do much for farther ahead than that, so I consider it being a
late stages speed polishing type workout. Alternately, it might be something you just have to do
every 2-3 weeks. It's pretty tough, however, so I can't see doing it often.

Russian intervals, as I recall the naming, are a different critter. In that case, it is
doubly-nested intervals at high speed. I think a more or less standard one is 4x(3x(200m + equal
recovery)+3 minutes)
i.e., at your 800m pace: run 200 m, recover for equal time, repeat 3 times. Then recover for 3
minutes. Repeat that whole thing 4 times. This is a workout that's good for proving that you can
indeed run hard enough to throw up. It's primarily useful for high end speed at 800m to mile
racing. You're definitely well above lactic acid accumulation level.

The 15 seconds plus 1 minute may be HIIT, and in that case seems to be good for VO2. I don't know
about the VO2, but can attest that it's helpful for my racing from 400m to at least 5k.

The Russian Intervals, as I know them, probably don't do a lot for VO2, but can be good for your
middle distance racing for other reasons. (Lactic acid tolerance, mental training that you can
indeed run that fast while feeling that trashed.)

--
Robert Grumbine radix.net~bobgOpen ↗ Science faqs and amateur activities notes and links.
Sagredo (Galileo Galilei) "You present these recondite matters with too much evidence and ease; this
great facility makes them less appreciated than they would be had they been presented in a more
abstruse manner." Two New Sciences

Roger 2k said:

I remember one of the things he talked about. He called it "Russian Intervals." Where you run at a
certain pace for 20 seconds, run or walk slow for 20 seconds and continue with the fast/slow for
20 minutes.

Anybody else try something like that and does it seem to help with VO2?

Yes, see below. And it helps runs enormously, especially on hills. The
10.5k run I ran afterwards is actually the first time I've run that distance continuously in nearly
a year, only the second run even over a mile or so in the last couple months and the best time in
about a year. (But lifetime PR is 48:30).

The only difference from your description is that I don't go on timed resting periods, but instead
rest for however long is required, and track the time, itself, as a measure of conditioning. It
varies between 0 (when 200m runs are strung up as 400m runs or longer) to 4 minutes or so.

Note also the interspersing of weight room or weight lifting workouts when the weight room
opened back up on September 2. I resorted to doing some help as a mover prior to that as a
substitute workout.

Recent logs.

Thu Aug 28: 3:40 1000m, 3:00 600m, 14 200m runs 30-35 seconds. Sat Aug 30: 3:30 800m, 1:10 400m,
1:05 400m, 18.5 more 200m runs 30-35 seconds Weights: helping another individual move out, clearing
out their apartment in an hour. Mon Sep 1: 1:10 400m, 1:05 400m, 7 more 200m runs Tue Sep 2: 3 200m
runs (30-35 seconds) + 120m run (stopped short) 600m run (35+35+32), 200m run (33-34), Weight room 3
200m runs (30-35 seconds) Wed Sep 3: 600m run (32+33+37), 200m run (34), Weight room Thu Sep 4: 800m
run 2:33 (40+36+41+36) 200m runs 0:28.5; 0:30.25 Weight room Fri Sep 5: 2 200m runs (30-35 seconds),
400m run (60-65 seconds) Sat Sep 6: 2 200m runs (30-35 seconds) 5k walk-run [training another
individual] 400m run 0:55.5 [PR] Tue Sep 9: 3:24 1000m, 2:08 600m, 0:30 200m 80m stopped short due
to double-vision 400m warmup 4 200m's (0:34, 0:33, 0:33, 0:31) Weight room 4 200m's (0:31, 0:30,
0:30, 0:29) Thu Sep 11: Trial 10.5k run
10:1 (1PR)

(Robert Grumbine) said:

but can be good for your middle distance racing for other reasons. (Lactic acid tolerance, mental
training that you can indeed run that fast while feeling that trashed.)

That's everything (the mental training part). Most people stop well short of their limits because
they don't even know where their limits are.

I've had the recent experience of completely passing out and going unconscious (after donating
blood). So, now I know where the threshold is, how far to take it, and often take it just short of
the blackout threshold.

There are Brockenbrough repeats in which you run the straight portion of the track at almost sprint
and then recover jog on the curve, you repeat this for up to 5 miles. Its one of those workouts that
catches up with you in the end. The sprint shouldn't be a sprint but a very fast controlled pace.

"Roger 2k" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I haven't seen a post from Lyndon for a long time.

I remember one of the things he talked about. He called it "Russian Intervals." Where you run at a
certain pace for 20 seconds, run or walk slow for 20 seconds and continue with the fast/slow for
20 minutes.

Anybody else try something like that and does it seem to help with VO2?

Thanks, -2k

In article said:

There are Brockenbrough repeats in which you run the straight portion of the track at almost
sprint and then recover jog on the curve, you repeat this for up to 5 miles. Its one of those
workouts that catches up with you in the end. The sprint shouldn't be a sprint but a very fast
controlled pace.

We do a variation of this I call the "aerobicoaster". You run continuously for two miles, but even
numbered 200s are run 10 seconds slower than the odd numbered ones. For example, a 45-55
aerobicoaster would alternate 6 minute mile pace 200s with 55 second "recovery" 200s. Depending on
how you select the lower number it can be as brutal as you want. You can, of course, also vary the
total distance, the time spread, and the base interval.

The idea is patented, so if you do this you must mentally thank me sometime during the workout.

--
************************************************************************
Terry R. McConnell Mathematics/215 Carnegie/Syracuse, N.Y. 13244-1150 [email hidden] 229B Physics
Bldg barnyard.syr.edu~tmcOpen ↗
************************************************************************

Sounds like a variation that Astrand used and that Billat has recently written on. Basically you
spend more time at VO2max this way (assuming the 20sec efforts are nearly all out) since the half
life of oxygen consumption is about 75 sec, you keep it elevated for a while without building up
large amounts of lactate (and H+) in the blood. Astrand and Billat have used 30 sec on/30 sec off. A
friend calls these "microintervals".

"Roger 2k" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I haven't seen a post from Lyndon for a long time.

I remember one of the things he talked about. He called it "Russian Intervals." Where you run at a
certain pace for 20 seconds, run or walk slow for 20 seconds and continue with the fast/slow for
20 minutes.

Anybody else try something like that and does it seem to help with VO2?

Thanks, -2k

Thanks Sam,

I'll try it for 30/30 one of these days, but 20/20 sure is easy and didn't seem to hurt
today's race.

-2k

Sam wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Sounds like a variation that Astrand used and that Billat has recently written on. Basically you
spend more time at VO2max this way (assuming the 20sec efforts are nearly all out) since the half
life of oxygen consumption is about 75 sec, you keep it elevated for a while without building up
large amounts of lactate (and H+) in the blood. Astrand and Billat have used 30 sec on/30 sec off.
A friend calls these "microintervals".

"Roger 2k" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I haven't seen a post from Lyndon for a long time.

I remember one of the things he talked about. He called it "Russian Intervals." Where you run at
a certain pace for 20 seconds, run or walk slow for 20 seconds and continue with the fast/slow
for 20 minutes.

Anybody else try something like that and does it seem to help with VO2?

Thanks, -2k

Roger 2k said:

I'll try it for 30/30 one of these days, but 20/20 sure is easy and didn't seem to hurt
today's race.

If you're doing them right, they shouldn't really "hurt" as such. You should finish the last rep
with the feeling that you're pushing hard, but could do another couple _at the same intensity_ if
required (eg to impress babes or whatever ;-)

Some folklore I've found works : when you can comfortably run 15 x 30"/30" at your vVO2max, it's
time to re-evaluate (upwards) that parameter.

Also, in the same line of thinking, if you can comfortably manage 12-15 x 200m/100m intervals/jog
recovery in x seconds/x seconds, then you can reasonably expect to do a 10km race in x minutes. Eg,
my previous reference was 200/100 in 36"/36" and my 10k pb is 36:20...

Inversely, if your 10k pb is x minutes, a good starting approximation for the pace to use on your
200/100s is x seconds