This workout is pretty simple in structure and gets progressively more difficult. Start with an 800m interval at 10k pace effort, followed by my standard recommended recovery of 2:00. Then, you have one more 800m @ 10k, followed by a 1:30 rest. Now, you’re ready to enter the 400m challenge zone. As you see in the right column, the recovery time after each 400m goes down by :15secs. Try to combat the any fade or decrease to your target pace as you work your way through.

Congrats, you just completed a solid 2 miles of speedwork. Ready for more? Make sure to take at least a 3:00 break to ensure you are ready to roll with a quality effort. You can certainly start back with the 800m intervals @ 10k effort pace, but personally I prefer to stay in the ‘400 fade zone’ once I’m warmed up. Start with your first 400m and then take off :15secs from your recovery time each interval.

While this workout should be challenging at the end, make sure to be realistic with your pacing during the workout. If you find yourself drifting too far from your target pace, evaluate whether you are simply selecting too aggressive of a 5k effort pace. Definitely push yourself with your effort during this workout, but remember that a 5k pace effort should be a pace you can envision running a 5k at. 5k pace effort in the context of speedwork is often faster than a true 5k pace, so just keep this in mind if you are fading too hard in this workout. Finally, don’t worry too much about your pace and focus on your effort during this workout! Your pace may get away from you a bit, but your effort level should not.