There are several types of pacing that I use in my arsenal in coming up with a training plan. Remember from before, that the end goal is to have pacing at race distance and faster than it. When working with the hard runs is when you bring in the idea of specificity. Arthur Lydiard pioneered this idea way back in the 60s (
some background). One key concept, specificity, is that as the desired race gets closer you get closer and closer to more of your hard pacing to be at or very near race pace. So start with pacing faster than desired race pace, and then transition to the slower race pace over the training cycle. So for a marathon race, the pacing gets closer to marathon pace and conversely for 10k racing the pacing starts faster than 10k and works closer to 10k pace.
Daniels Mile Pace (or R pace)
Per Daniels, the purpose of mile pace is anaerobic power and running economy. Daniels mile pace are short durations (roughly 40-120 seconds). The run to rest ratio is 1:2-3 (so if run for 60 seconds, rest is 120-180 seconds). It's important to calculate out your mile pace and determine the distance of this interval. For some 45 seconds is 100m, others 200m, and others 300m. The key part is that all of the runners are doing mile pace (relative to themselves) for a similar duration. If your 400m mile pace is 3:30 minutes, then don't do 400m as a distance. Max of 120 seconds. The distance is far less important than the time spent at that relative pace.
SIDEBAR - A very common concept across all types of runs is to "avoid the fade". This means that as a run progresses if the goal is 200m in 55 seconds, then you want all of the intervals roughly around 55 seconds. If you run the first few in 52 seconds, and then the final few in 60 seconds this is not a successful workout. You didn't hit many, if any at all, intervals at the desired pace. By not hitting the pace, you didn't hit the adaptation that you intended with the workout. So, with that being said, this means that if you feel the need to have more rest between bouts to ensure you hit that pacing then thats not a bad thing. A 60 sec run and 180 sec rest with consistent intervals at 60 seconds is WAY more beneficial than a 60 sec run and 120 sec rest with a scattering of hitting and fading on intervals.
The mile paced workouts represent the lesser of 5 miles or 5% of total mileage (so 50 miles in a week, means 2.5 miles of mile pace in a single workout).
One very important thing to keep in mind is that GPS devices (like a Garmin or phone) can't measure these very short distances very accurately. So my thought is that all of the speed workouts can be done on a track, but it isn't a perfect simulation of outside running which is where your race will likely be. My suggestion is to find a nice stretch of flat road in a neighborhood or similar that is not traveled frequently. I will use a satellite website (see
here for journal post) to determine the 200m and 400m using man made objects (like sewer drains, manholes, lights, etc.) to determine check points that I will run for these workouts. The GPS device will NOT be accurate enough to gauge 200m or 300m with any kind of certainty.
These are two different workouts for two different runners:
2 mi @ WU + 4 sets of (100m R + 100m WU + 100m R + 200m WU + 200m R + 100m WU) + 1 mi @CD
This runner's R at 100m is 38 seconds
2 mi @ WU + 4 sets of (200m R + 200m WU + 200m R + 400m WU + 400m R + 200m WU) + 1 mi @ CD
This runner's R at 200m is 48 seconds
If the first runner had attempted the second runner's workout (therefore did 200m instead of 100m), then that would have significantly changed the workout for them (76 seconds of R vs 38 seconds of R).
Daniels 3k Pace (or I pace)
Per Daniels, these are the hardest runs for endurance runners. They are VO2max workouts. The duration of the 3k paced run is vitally important. At this pace, to hit VO2max it takes ~2 minutes. But going beyond 5 minutes of running at VO2max pushes the system too far and doesn't allow during the recovery period to appropriately prepare for the next interval. So, ideally the duration of 3k paced workouts are 3-5 minutes. The rest period is 1:1 or 1:-1 min. That means if you do 3 min duration 3k paced runs, then the rest is either 3 min or 2 min. For a 5 min duration, then the rest is either 5 min or 4 min.
The 3k paced is the lesser of 6.2 miles or 8% of total mileage (so 50 miles in a week, means 4 miles of 3k pace in a single workout).
These are generally displayed like the following:
2 mi @ WU + 6 x 600 m @ I w/ 200m RI @ WU + 2 mi @ CD
Where 600m of I pace was 3:57 for this runner.
2 mi @ WU + 3 x 5 min @ I w/ 4 min RI @ WU + 2 mi @ CD
2 mi @ WU + 3 x 3 min @ I w/ 2 min RI @ WU + 4 x 2 min @ I w/ 2 min RI @ WU + 1 mi @ CD
Since these are almost written as time workouts, then you don't generally see big differences between individuals and how they're written. But the distance covered by one runner in 5 min does not necessarily mean the same distance for another runner. But the relative pace and duration is the same for each.
5k Pace
I tend to aim for no more than 3-4 total miles of 5k pacing. I do the rest periods at 400m between intervals. Interval lengths can be anywhere from 400m, 600m, 800m, 1200m, 1600m or a Ladder workout that mixes up the distances (like 400+800+1200+1600+1200+800+400).
Schwartz CV Pace
Schwartz CV pacing is intended to be between VO2max and Lactate Threshold. The idea behind this pace is that if you work just in the perfect spot you can elicit the benefits of VO2max pacing and LT pacing.
These are about 10k pace or 2% less than LT pacing. I do the intervals between 400m to 1600m with the rest period being 1:00 min for every 1000m run. These should be about 6-8% of total weekly mileage (so 50 miles in a week, means 3-4 miles of CV pace in a single workout).
Daniels T Pace
The "comfortably hard pace". This is your estimated Lactate Threshold pace which is roughly 60 min race pace. For some that's a 10k, and others their HM race pace (or somewhere in between). The workout to rest ratio is 5:1. So if you run for 10 min, then you rest for ~2 min. Again the key being fully prepared for the next interval such that you can accomplish it. The overall duration of T within a single sustained run should be between 5-20 minutes. But, if you do intervals of T rather than a single sustained T, then the goal is at least 30 min and no more than 60 min.
The T pace is 10% of weekly mileage (so 50 miles per week is 5 miles at T).
Example workouts:
1 mi @ WU + 5 x 1 mi @ T w/ 1 min REST + 4 x 200 @ R w/ 200 RI @ WU + 1 mi @ CD
2 mi @ WU + 3 mi @ T + 4 x 200 @ R w/ 200 RI @ WU + 2 mi @ CD
1 mi @ WU + 2 x 1 mi @ T w/ 1 min REST + 2 miles @ EA + 2 x 1 mi @ T w/ 1 min REST + 1 mi @ CD
2 mi @ WU + 4 x 100 @ R w/ 100 RI @ WU + 1.5 miles @ T + 3 min REST + 4 x 100 @ R w/ 100 RI @ WU + 2 mi @ CD
You can see that T pace and R pace can be found together when T is the dominant workout pace. On occasion, you can even do a triple paced run:
4 mi @ WU + 5 x 1 mile @ T w/ 1 min RI @ WU + 4 x 3 min @ I w/ 2 min RI + 6 x 200m @ R w/ 200m RI + 1 mi @ CD
And remember the key to the R, I and T paced runs is to ignore the mileage per se. Focus on the pace (relative to current fitness) and the duration at which you run that pace. A 6:00 marathon runner and 3:00 marathon runner can do the "same" workout, but just the mileage won't come out the same.
Half Marathon Pace
Half Marathon pace isn't really a physiological zone. So this pace is primarily only for those running a HM. This hones in the mental adjustments to memorize what the effort of this pace feels like. I cap the HM training at 60 min total. The run can be in intervals or sustained. If I schedule intervals, then I do rest periods of either 400m, 800m, or 1600m.
Marathon Pace
The aerobic threshold. The purpose of this pace is mostly mental as well. It helps you determine whether this is a sustainable pace for race day. Practice eating and drinking. But as Daniels mentions in his book, it offers the chance to do something other than easy or long run. Just a slightly more difficult run, but only slightly different physiologically.
The pace should be held for no more than 110 minutes or 18 miles (whichever comes first) and should represent less than 20% of total weekly mileage (so 50 miles is 10 miles of M Tempo).
Hybrid Long Run
This is a specialty workout that includes pacing other than long run. All of these remain capped at 150 min just as the sustained long run.
It could be either a fast finish (run LR for a period of time (like around 90-120 min) and then finish the run with 20-40 minutes of marathon tempo).
It could be a longer duration HM Tempo run if you were unable to do that during the mid-week because of schedule. Accomplished by adding an extended WU and CD to either side of the HM Tempo.
It could be a longer duration M Tempo run if you were unable to do that during the mid-week as well.
You could add in periods of Daniels T mid long run or mid M Tempo.
There are tons of possibilities.
Progression Run
It's important to remember that each run doesn't happen in a vacuum. Which means doing two consecutive days (or two very close days in relationship) of the same paced runs is likely not beneficial and may stunt the adaptation process. It's important to keep in mind that many of the different paces have different lengths of recovery time necessary before performing another workout at the same pace. The faster end of the spectrum is lesser in necessary recovery time and the longer duration needs more. So a 150 min max long run needs more time before the next 150 min max long than does a 2 total mile of R paced workout.
So when I schedule a "hybrid long run" I tend to schedule a mid-week progression run. This reduces the workload at similar pacing. I usually schedule the progression run in the following manner:
-Similar duration to other commonly scheduled mid-week run.
-Long WU and CD
-Progressively take the pacing from just slower than long run and build to as fast as either HM or 10k pacing.
Warm ups and Cool downs
The warm-ups are key for anything faster than "long run" pace. Essentially, there are two main pathways for the body to use oxygen to produce energy. The aerobic pathway is mostly used in slower running. The closer you get to the point where it becomes harder to breathe (Ventilatory Threshold) the more you use the anaerobic pathway. The aerobic pathway is more efficient and faster at creating energy, whereas the body uses anaerobic when the aerobic can't keep up (because you're going too fast).
The most interesting part between the aerobic and anaerobic pathway is that even though the aerobic is used mostly during slow running it takes about 6 minutes of running before it can be used. This means for the first 6 minutes we're stuck with the slow, inefficient anaerobic pathway. So if you don't do a warm-up, and you're running faster than "long run" pace you push the anaerobic pathway too hard. This creates a deficit in energy within the first 6 minutes that becomes harder to overcome. As this deficit starts to catch up with you in later miles, it causes our running form to suffer.
Our next one has us running 2 x 1.75 miles at that pace with a 4 minute rest interval. They all also include at least a 1 mile warm up and 1 mile cool down.
I swear I pay way more attention to other things just not this.
Didn't take long, did it?
