Workout of the Day: 4 x 400m, 4 x 300m, 4 x 200m, 4 x 150m, 4 x 80m
4 x 400m, 4 x 300m, 4 x 200m, 4 x 150m, 4 x 80m
Intensity — 400s @ mile speed, 300s @ 800m pace, 200s @ 400m pace, 150s & 80s @ sprint
Recovery — 200m jog after 400s, 300s & 200s, equal distance jog after 150s & 80s, 400m jog between sets
Exertion — 8/10
Context & Details
This is a workout from Jim Ryun’s training log in early July 1966, right before he set his famous 3:51 world record for 1 Mile — at age 18.
Here’s the full week training week:
Sunday, July 3rd
12 mile in 1:10
Monday, July 4th
10 miles easy, in approx. 1 hour
Tuesday, July 5th
AM | 600m, 2 x 500m, 3 x 400m 4 x 400m, 5 x 200m; 200m jog after every rep, 400m jog between sets
Splits — 600: 1:33, 500s: 73.8 & 74.9, 400s: 58”- 60”, 300s: 45, 44, 44, 43, 200s: 27”-29”
PM | 5 miles in 30 minutes
Wednesday, July 6th
AM | 5 x 300m, 5 x 200m, 5 x 150m, 5 x 120m: equal distance jog after each rep, 400m jog between sets
Splits — 300s: 41”- 43”, 200s: 26”-27”, 150s: 17”-18”, 120s: 14” - 16”
PM | 5 miles in 30 minutes
Thursday, July 7th
2 x (10 x 150m fast); 150m jog between reps, 800m jog between sets
Friday, July 8th
AM | 4 x 400m, 4 x 300m, 4 x 200m, 4 x 150m, 4 x 80m
Splits — 400s: 61, 59, 57, 56, 300s: 41” - 43”, 200s: 25”-26”, 150s: 14” - 16”, 80s: full sprint
PM | 5 miles in 30 minutes
Saturday, July 9th
PM | 8 miles easy
PM | 5 miles easy
This training snapshot is a great example of a highly specific, dense period of work.
Roughly half of Ryun’s training during this week was focused on frequent exposure to mile speeds and faster — resulting in significant upgrades in neuromuscular power. For the miler, neuromuscular power is a key performance variable considering their event requires sustaining a high competitive velocities for 3 minutes and then “switching gears” to near maximal speeds for the final lap kick.
Specifically, for Ryun, this style of training proved itself useful. Eight days after this training week Ryun recorded 3:51 for the mile.