Once you’ve been running long enough, you start to learn the idols within the sport, like Dean Karnazes, Jeff Galloway, and Bart Yasso, to name a few. Bart Yasso is the Chief Running Officer for Runner’s World. His book, My Life on the Run, chronicles his adventures in running, including many marathons, the Badwater Ultramarathon, some Ironmans (Ironmen?!?). It’s a great read if you’re a runner! In the book, he explains how he discovered the miracle marathon finish predictor now known as Yasso 800s.
The general idea is that you can predict your marathon finish time, based on the time you are able to run ten 800 meter intervals, assuming the stars align on race day! He discovered that if he could run his 800’s in 2:40 a few weeks before the marathon, then he would finish the marathon in 2 hours 40 minutes. Even if you’re not planning on training for a particular time, it is a great workout to add to your training, and a great indicator of your fitness level.
Starting about now, a couple months before the marathon, do a set of four 800 intervals. Begin with a slow one-mile warm-up, then run 800 meters at full speed, jog for one or two minutes, and then repeat. Finish with a mile cool down. Each week add one additional repetition.
If you have a goal to run with the flag group (the macho Army guys planning to tote the Stars & Stripes for 26.2 miles) try to finish each 800 repeat in 3 minutes, 45 seconds. If you are just planning to finish, then run your hardest, but leave enough in the tank so that each interval is completed at about the same time. Hopefully each week you’ll be able to shed a few seconds off of each repeat!
Next week: Form
Happy running,
Genevieve
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