Workout of the Day: 5 x 1 Mile
5 x 1 Mile
Intensity — 5000m pace
Recovery — 4-5 minutes walk/jog after each rep
Exertion — 9/10
Context & Details
Conventional wisdom on 5K training tends to emphasize the importance of upgrading VO2 Max/vVO2 Max and Lactate Threshold levels. This isn’t a wrong approach, but it’s incomplete. Another performance variable, running economy, which has a direct relationship to VO2 Max/vVO2 Max and Lactate Threshold levels is important to consider. Mile repeats at 5,000m pace directly enhance running economy.
Why is running economy so critical to the 5,000m & 10,000m runner?
Runners with superior running economy use less oxygen to run at a specific velocity compared with other runners with less optimal economy. Whether track, road, or cross country, 5,000m is the shortest competitive distance where an athlete’s endurance is a key defining factor influencing race perfomance.
In shorter endurance events (like the 5,000m & 10,000m) research suggests endurance runners who bias their training towards race specific work tend to enhance their economy at those speeds. This is straightforward but needs to be said. Today, it is surprisingly popular among far too many coaches and runners to think that running long (10+) miles at moderate (15K or slower) speeds will have a greater impact on running economy than performing workouts like 5 x 1 Mile at 5K velocity. Longer mileage runs at moderate speeds will make the runner more economical at those moderate speeds, but it does not transfer to faster speeds. This is the law of specificity in action.
A wonderful characteristic of 5 x 1Mile is it can be employed as a once-a-week staple for short-endurance runners (like 5K & 10K specialists) to elevate fitness before racing season begins. When the season starts, Race Day takes the place of this session on the training calendar, but it is wise to return to it during off weeks from racing. Don’t worry, with sufficient recovery after reps, the runner won’t get burnt out from regularly performing this session — they’ll become increasingly economical and more competitive because of it.