Why not just take your time for 5 miles and figure out the average 800 pace? Wouldn't this approximate 12 800's with 90 seconds, two minutes rest?
Why not just take your time for 5 miles and figure out the average 800 pace? Wouldn't this approximate 12 800's with 90 seconds, two minutes rest?
in-ter-vals
If you are using the workout to derive some fitness benefit, I see the "obvious" point... I guess I didn't ask my question clearly enough. I've heard the workout touted for its predictive capability. From this standpoint, couldn't you just as easily predict marathon time from a five miler, as it strikes me that the effort would be somewhat equivalent to 12 half intervals?
you can use 101 different things to "predict" your marathon time or guage your fitness..800s, 5 milers, whatever.
10x800 repeats at say 3:00 if you are a 3 hour marathoner is a good LT workout and it also happens to fall into a convenient mathematical "predictor".
You get your "prediction" and your weekly LT workout all in one.
I think the inherent "attraction" of this particular workout is that the person doesn't have to do any math to convert from the interval time to the race time. Just the sort of cute thing that Runners World readers might appreciate.