This is the workout I had intended the Life Time Colfax Marathon Training group to try tonight; I am not suggesting you do this just read and absorb. If you are in this group, you will see these late-cycle 'sharpener' workouts in your schedules depending on what part of you needs 'sharpening' before race day. I have roughly 28 workouts in this category to play with and I think it's important to understand why we do them.
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As we enter the final training phase before the formal taper period begins, we kick our speedwork up a notch.
In traditional intervals, the emphasis is on the fast part of the repeat. The recoveries take a backseat and are usually static for sprinters and beginner marathoners and 'active' in the form of shuffling or walking for more seasoned trainees. Its not unusual to watch coachless, unloved amateurs throw themselves full-speed around the track and collapse in the grass until it's time to go again. In fast-recovery training the emphasis is reversed: the repeats are modestly paced but the recoveries are far quicker than the norm.
The key to successful interval training is balancing the speed of the run with the duration of the recovery.
Fun fact: My private clients are familiar with a workout called "Alternators" favored by the American Distance Project in CS. These are hella long fast-recovery workouts geared towards training your body to clear lactate efficiently. "Fluctuators" are similar but the goal is oxygen debt recovery so the progressions are different.
Previously, I would wait until the last group member caught up then add 60 seconds static recovery (read: "I let you lie on the ground and whine like homeless puppies") before making you do a strength circuit. Tonight we were going to practice 'float intervals' with a 'ladder down' workout.
Silly Toes
Bear Crawls
Rockette Kicks
Resistance bands
Bull Run, 2 laps
SSC: x30 seconds each
Supine plank
side plank left
side plank right
proper plank
plankjacks
pushups
thrusters
Float Intervals: Repetition @ Goal Race Pace minus 2 minutes per mile, float at Goal Race Pace plus 1 minute per mile
800m, 200m float
400m, 200m float
200m, 200m float
100m, 100m float
SSC: x30 seconds each
Hollow Rock hold
Russian Twist
Leg Lifts
Metronome
Superman with Metronome (hands off the ground)
Donkey Kick straight-leg Hold, outward pulse left leg
Donkey Kick straight leg Hold, outward pulse right leg
Jump Squats
Float Intervals: Repetition @ Goal Race Pace minus 1 minute per mile, float at Goal Race Pace 800m, 200m float 400m, 200m float 200m, 200m float 100m, 100m float
SSC: x30 seconds each
Burpee
Pushup
Plank
Speed Skaters
Pistols left
Pistols right
15 minutes slow, easy jogging or walking to cool down