A NEW Interval Workout for Me: 5x1000

My coach posted this last week for the team workout:

5x100 sounded fun. 5x1000... a little less fun.

So I hit the track for 5x1000 with 3 mins walking rest between. I had to go through some logistical issues, which is why I decided on the longer rest: 1000 meters will have you finish "across" the track (not back at the same start/finish line like a 400, 800, or 1200 will have you do), and I wanted to get a sip of water and start from the same start line each time. So the plan was to run 1000, then walk across the track to my water bottle (set around the middle of the homestretch), grab a sip, and then keep walking to the start line of the next 1000.

I was aware that a 2:40 800 would be same pace as a 3:20 1000. And being when I do 800 repeats, I usually start around 2:40 and drop to the lower 2:30s, I figured 3:20 was a good place to start my 1000s... if I could. My opening 1000 was a bit slower at 3:22, but then #2 was faster at 3:18. I figured I wouldn't be able to negative split them ALL, but I wondered if I could keep the rest under 3:20. But after making #3 a bit faster yet, then I DID start to think that maybe I could keep the negative split going. I suffered hard, and I got a perfect negative split (only because I hit the final 200 of the final interval HARD):

1000 = 400, 400, 200 meter splits

3:22.0 = 1:22, 1:20, 0:38
3:18.4 = 1:19, 1:19, 0:38
3:16.2 = 1:19, 1:18, 0:38
3:15.0 = 1:18, 1:18, 0:37
3:14.7 = 1:18, 1:19, 0:36

Whew! By the hair of my chinny chin chin!!

In this Garmin map, I started at the lower left, ran 2.5 laps until the upper right, then cut across the track. My water bottle was parked along all the blue squiggles where I got my sips, and then I walked to the start line again to repeat:

I like I how I cut across the track sooner and sooner as I went on. I was POOPED.


You can see the easier dip in the first interval.

This is a good workout that I'll work into my rotation!