Hints and Tips
Here's how to train for the 1500 metres today
Research carried out in the US at George Washington University and the University of Rhode Island concluded that the key factors in boosting times for the 1500 metres were anaerobic power, V02max, and running economy (the amount of energy needed to run at a quality pace).
How can you boost all three? It's simple if you use the following workouts. Sessions that build anaerobic power are marked with an (A), those that boost the economy are marked with an (E), and those that upgrade V02max have a (V) (note that some workouts help both anaerobic power and economy):
- Sizzle through 400-metre intervals at close to top speed, with a recovery period (slow jogging) that lasts about 2½ times as long as the actual interval (A)
- Run 400-metre intervals at a pace three seconds faster per 400 than the current one-mile race tempo (or 800-metre intervals that are six seconds faster per 800), with eight-minute, slow walk recoveries in either case (E)
- Hill assaults: rocket up a steep, short hill (less than 75m high) at close to top speed and recover by walking back down. If you live in a flat section of the country, substitute stadium steps or a staircase in a tall building for the hill. Another possibility is to do 20-second repeats on a stair-stepping machine at a very high intensity, with two-minute recoveries (A & E)
- Hill climbs: find a more gradual hill with a long upslope (200m or so) and repeatedly run up it. Half the time, run at close to mile pace, and the rest of the time "bound" up the incline with high knee lifts and a springing action at the ankles. Recover by jogging back to the bottom of the hill (A & E)
- Aerobic intervals: run 1200 metre intervals at a pace of 25 seconds per 1200, slower than one-mile pace, with recoveries equal to or shorter than the intervals (V)
All the above workouts are high-intensity, so slower running is reserved for warm-ups, recovery days, and the offseason when it's OK to boost your mileage to develop your V02max.
Astrand Treadmill Test - how to determine your VO2 max
Objective
To monitor the development of the athlete's general endurance (VO2 max).
Required Resources
To conduct this test, you will require:
- A treadmill where the speed can be set at five mph (8.05 km/hr) and the grade of the slope can be adjusted.
- Stopwatch.
- An assistant.
How to conduct the test
The athlete runs on a treadmill set at a constant speed of 8.05 km/hr (5 mph) to exhaustion. At timed stages during the test, the grade of slope (%) of the treadmill is increased as detailed in the table below:
| Time (min) | Slope |
| 0 | 0% |
| 3 | 2.5% |
| 5 | 5% |
| 7 | 7.5% |
| 9 | 10% |
| 11 | 12.5% |
| 13 | 15% |
| 15 | 17.5% |
| 17 | 20% |
| 19 | 22.5% |
| 21 | 25% |
| 23 | 27.5% |
| 25 | 30% |
| 27 | 32.5% |
| 29 | 35% |
The treadmill is set up at the start with a speed of 8.05km/hr (5 mph) and a slope of 0%. The athlete commences the test. After 3 minutes, the grade is set at 2.5%, and then every 2 minutes the grade is increased by 2.5%.
The assistant starts the stopwatch at the start of the test and stops it when the athlete is unable to continue.
Analysis of the test result
From the total running time, an estimate of the athlete's VO2 max can be calculated as follows:
- VO2 max = (Time x 1.444) + 14.99
"Time" is the total time of the test expressed in minutes and fractions of a minute.
Example
The athlete stopped the test after 13 minutes 15 seconds of running (13.25 mins).
- VO2 max = (13.25 x 1.444) + 14.99
- VO2 max = 34.123 mls/kg/min
Article Reference
This article first appeared in:
- MACKENZIE, B. (2003). Hints and Tips. Brian Mackenzie's Successful Coaching, (ISSN 1745-7513/ 3 / July), p. 12
Page Reference
If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:
- MACKENZIE, B. (2003). Hints and Tips [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/scni3a9.htm [Accessed
About the Author
Brian Mackenzie was a highly respected British Athletics Level 4 performance coach, as well as an accredited Coach Tutor and Coach Assessor. With over 30 years of coaching experience, he specialised in the development of sprint, middle-distance, and combined events athletes. His expertise extended across all levels of competition, fostering performance and progression in both emerging and elite athletes. Complementing his coaching credentials, Brian was also a dedicated ultra-distance endurance athlete, competing for more than 45 years and bringing a deep personal understanding of athletic performance to his coaching practice.