Favorite Workout: 400 Meter Repeats
by GRP runner Rachel Schilkowky
As anyone who has read the cult classic Once A Runner by John L Parker Jr. knows, one of the pivotal moments in the book is when the main character, Quenton Cassidy, completes a grueling 60 x 400m workout. While I’m certainly not advocating that anyone attempt to replicate this feat (even most elite runners think this workout is absolutely nuts), there is value in understanding and ideally channeling Quenton’s mindset as he tackles this seemingly insurmountable task. The quote below from this scene of the book perfectly encapsulates the composure, perseverance, and true acceptance one must have to achieve success not just in this type of long workout, but in distance running as a whole.
“…just as each repetition made the next seem more and more impossible, he knew that without question he would do it. There was no refuge in injury, his body could not be injured in this way. There was no refuge in mercy, there was nothing to forgive and no one to issue dispensation. And at last he saw: there was no refuge in cowardice, because he was not afraid. There was no alternative, it just had to be done.”
The Workout
Interval distance: 400m (ideally done on a track, but a flat stretch of road works too)
Number of repetitions: 20*
Pace: 10k race pace (with the option of cutting it down closer to 5k over the second half if you feel good)
Rest: 45 seconds* (standing, walking, lightly jogging; whatever you need to do to feel recovered and ready for the next rep)
*For beginners, two modifications you can make to this workout are to reduce the number of reps to 14-16 and increase the rest to 60 seconds. You can then slowly build towards 20 reps on 45 seconds rest over time.
How to Execute It
Above all else, this workout requires patience. If you’re doing it right the pace should feel relatively easy early on, almost too easy. You’ll likely be tempted to go faster, especially if you’ve recently done interval workouts that are more speed-oriented, but it is imperative that you resist this temptation and stay controlled. For the first half of the workout your focus should be on staying relaxed and making that early pace feel as smooth and effortless as possible. If you are feeling good at the halfway point you can loosen the reins a bit and let the pace gradually come down, but it’s also OK if you aren’t able to pick it up. At some point – likely around rep 15 or 16 – the pace which once felt quite comfortable is going to start feeling really hard. To get through those last few reps, you need to stay mentally strong. You need to maintain your composure, focus on the rep you’re in, and remind yourself that you can and will keep going no matter what.
When To Do It
With physiological benefits of boosting lactate threshold and improving running economy, this workout can be utilized while training for virtually any race that is at least a mile long. However, the patience and mental toughness that it teaches you make it particularly useful for those training for longer distances in the 10k to marathon range. The daunting number of reps mimics the daunting number of laps in a 10k or miles in a marathon, which provides you with a great opportunity to practice breaking things down into small, manageable chunks. In terms of when to tackle this workout within a giving training cycle, it tends to fit best in the early-mid portion once you’ve gotten a few solid workouts under your belt but are still feeling relatively fresh.