20 x 500m - club track session

This session is the one that is feared by all of our club runners preparing the marathon. This is by far the longest interval session that is in the marathon training plan. The original training plan that I was given for my 3 hour marathon stated 20 x 500m in 2m16 with 300m recovery. I never understood the point in running intervals slower than marathon pace, so I had modified the plan to 20 x 500m in 2m00 off 200m recovery. This seemed more than ample for the marathon pace that I want to achieve in Florence.

The first challenge was to get out of work on time and to make it to the club without getting stuck in a serious traffic jam. This hurdle over and with all of 30 seconds to spare before the club departed on their run, I made it to the changing room and into my kit. Thanks god that the coaches were chatty tonight as that meant that I was able to get ready before anybody set off.

As soon as I was out of the changing room, Nico and Fred came over to see if I was doing the 20 x 500m tonight and as this was the case then we should cut short the warm-up and to start as soon as possible. I managed to hold out on this suggestion and since we all warmed up in the forest for 4.5k, this seemed perfect and we began the hard work.

So much for 2m00 for each 500m. Nico's 2h45 marathon plan stated 1m48 for each interval and we set off with this in mind. Fred was worried that he wouldn't be able to keep up but he too decided to try his best and to keep in touch for each interval.

20 x 500m around the track is mind-boggingly boring. The others had all finished their sessions long before we did and spent minutes watching us as we circled interminably around the track. Fred, despite his initial doubts, was with us all of the while and we weren't taking it easy. Nico kept the float reasonable off 200m and we spent about 1m15 for each recovery. Intervals went as follows:

1:53, 1:50, 1:48, 1:47, 1:46, 1:44, 1:46, 1:44, 1:44, 1:43,
1:44, 1:43, 1:44, 1:43, 1:44, 1:43, 1:41, 1:40, 1:41, 1:40

19.5 km all up in 1:32 or an average pace of 4:44. Fantastic session and blew my previous intervals at stockholm by myself out of the water. There, I was only able to manage an average pace of 1:47 per 500m whereas here the average was more like 1:43. Chuffed to bits and the great thing was that we all stuck together for the whole session making it a darn site easier than running by yourself.