Forums > General Running > Speed vs Sprint Workout
Getting Faster!!!
I'm trying to find the difference between McMillian's Speed and Sprint workouts. I'm not sure which one I should be doing during my intervals. This spring, I have races that range from 2 miles to 10K and my goal race is a 5K in a few weeks. McMillian's Speed pace look close to my 5k pace. I've been running at the Sprint pace which is faster than the Speed pace and I don't know if I'm running too fast. Can someone explain the difference?
2011 Races Houston Aramco Half Marathon 1/30/11 - 1:32:45 (PR) Buffalo Wallow Cross Country 6K 2/19/11 - 26:25 Bayou City Classic 10K 3/12/111 - 51:06 (Ran in a centipede of 8) Eikenburg Law Week 8K 3/26/11 - 32:54 (PR)
Bellaire Trolley 5k 4/9/11 - 19:33 (PR) LP Run (# of laps in 33 1/3 minutes) 4/27 - 19 3/4 Laps 4x2 Bayou Bash Relay 4/30 - TBD
lace 'em up!
From the McMillan site:
Also, note that there are two categories for the Speed and Sprint Workout boxes. One for middle-distance runners and one for long-distance runners. I've found that these two types of runners need slightly different pace ranges for optimal training. If you're a speedy runner moving up to longer distances, it's likely that the middle-distance pace ranges will work best for you. The longer the run the better for you? Then stay with the long-distance ranges for maximum benefit.
Giddyup.
I've a feeling that this is a semantics thing, but I'm having trouble grasping the concept of a "sprint pace". Sprints are so short that I've never thought about them in terms of pace. And the only thing I could consider that would involve sprints and intervals are sorta kinda strides, except stride(r)s are not sprints.
Ultima tastes like failure.
I agree.
Stranger than you know
McMillan explains the various workout types in detail here. There you will find recommended recovery times between intervals and other useful stuff. Note that the sprint workout is not the maximum speed sprint.
According to the page, Speed workouts "last between 400m and 2000m and are run between 3K and 8K race pace. The goal here is to spend time at your maximum aerobic capacity (or VO2max)." while sprint workouts "help your top-end speed and consolidate your stride and form. ... They last only 100m to 400m and are run at about your mile race pace effort with very long recovery intervals".
I've a feeling that this is a semantics thing, but I'm having trouble grasping the concept of a "sprint pace". Sprints are so short that I've never thought about them in terms of pace.
Try racing the 400m.
Tomorrow never comes. Eventually never happens. Today. Now. Shut up and start.
very few are able to actually sprint at the end.
Most look like they are wearing concrete shoes.
How can the last 100 to 150 meters hurt so much?
Acid dude.
Ricky —our ability to perform up to our physiological potential in a race is determined by whether or not we truly psychologically believe that what we are attempting is realistic. Anton Krupicka
McMillan explains the various workout types in detail here. There you will find recommended recovery times between intervals and other useful stuff. Note that the sprint workout is not the maximum speed sprint. According to the page, Speed workouts "last between 400m and 2000m and are run between 3K and 8K race pace. The goal here is to spend time at your maximum aerobic capacity (or VO2max)." while sprint workouts "help your top-end speed and consolidate your stride and form. ... They last only 100m to 400m and are run at about your mile race pace effort with very long recovery intervals".
The link you provided explained the difference well. I've been doing 400m sprints with speed recovery. No wonder the workout was hard. I don't know if this will affect my performance over time. My body seems to be getting use to the effort after 4 weeks.
So sprint workouts = strides, and speed workouts = intervals (or reps, in Daniels' terms)? Why make up yet another set of new terms for well-established concepts?
Agree. Interestingly though, Lydiard actually has sprint drills which are no more than 6 to 7 seconds in duration at full speed, and you take a full recovery between each. I've been doing them once or twice/week with my son and I think it helps with coordination at higher speeds.
Hudson also likes the hill sprints (I think he may have got them from Lydiard)... and it makes total sense to call those that because they are balls-out sprints. But to call strides, which are run somewhere around mile pace, "sprints" is just... confusing. And I'm guessing that McMillan has real sprints somewhere in his various training approaches; what does he call them then?
Yes, I was (am?) confused about that too.
What does Tunis make?
Try racing the 400m. very few are able to actually sprint at the end. Most look like they are wearing concrete shoes. How can the last 100 to 150 meters hurt so much?
But almost everyone can sprint at the beginning...
It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.
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