Mile Repeats

Unlike those Yassos (basically, half-mile repeats) that I so thoroughly trashed in my previous post, mile repeats are a time-honored workout for marathon training.  They are slower, but they are still tough enough to be a challenge - just the right balance.

Runners World says:  "When it comes to effective workouts, mile repeats are a classic and versatile training tool. Popularized back in the late 1970s by athletes such as Alberto Salazar, who ran them before winning his first New York City Marathon, the workout is enticing, in part, because of the distance itself."  I agree.  There is something very satisfying about running a single mile, then resting for two or three minutes, then running another, and another.  Moreover, I ran them at a pace which made more sense for me:  half-marathon pace rather than 10-K pace.  Under ideal conditions, on a good day, with perfect training, and with the wind at my back, I think I might be able to run a half-marathon these days in just under 2 hours, which equates to a 9:06 pace.  My goal was a little faster - 9:00 - mostly because it was easier to do the math.  On the roads where I ran them this morning I had the advantage of 200-meter splits marked on the pavement, so each split was 1:07.5.  My average for the three was 8:57, which was very encouraging, and I rounded them out with a long warm-up and even longer cool-down for a total of 8 miles.

Most important of all, I felt strong when I had finished the third repeat, as if I could have run another.  I had not trashed my legs as I would have at a faster pace intended to improve VO2 Max.  Instead, I ran them at a good, hard aerobic pace intended to improve the two most important things that marathon training should aim for:  aerobic endurance and fuel efficiency.  Is there any point, after all, in sending that tachometer into the red zone?

That's a prescription for a blown engine.  What I want instead is good mileage, all the way to the end.  I want to be driving an economy car.  One that gets sensible fuel economy . . . for that completely insane distance I have decided to attempt one more time.