Tag: intervals

  • Bondarenko, Bondarenka

    Bondarenko, Bondarenka

    Tuesday 4 February

    Week 5, Day 2: 3 / 2 / 1 Bondarenkos

    Let’s get the most important things out of the way first.

    Every time you read the word ‘Bondarenko’, please sing it to the tune of the chorus ‘Bamboléo’. It will cheer you right up.

    This is a hard session. It’s definitely a session where you really feel like it’s doing you good and ‘adding to the bank of mental toughness’, which can be withdrawn during future difficult sessions, long runs or most importantly, on race day.

    What is a Bondarenko?

    The basic set goes like this:

    400m @ 5k pace
    400m @ 5k pace + 20-25s / lap

    300m @ 5k pace
    300m @ 5k pace + 20-25s / lap

    200m @ 5k pace
    200m @ 5k pace + 20-25s / lap

    100m @ 5k pace
    100m @ 5k pace + 20-25s / lap

    So, for example, if you run an 80 second lap, your times would looks something like this:

    400m in 1m 20s
    400m in 1m 40-45s

    300m in 60s
    300m in 75s

    200m in 40s
    200m in 50s

    100m in 20s
    100m in 25s

    Then you repeat the whole thing 3 times, 2 times, 1 time with [3-4 minutes] rest between sets.

    In ‘real money’, it means you run continuously for long periods of time with no real break between them. The rests are ‘floats’, so they are slower but are not a recovery jog.

    The objective of a Bondarenko session is to break you practise changes of pace, develop your lactate shuttle and build speed endurance. The theory goes that by running just above and below your lactate threshold, you become more efficient at processing the lactate and maintaining steady state.

    A secondary benefit of the Bondarenko is mental toughness. Going from the 100m fast, straight into 100m float then back up to a 400m effort is really hard. It’s a tough session and is not for the feint hearted*.

    *If you want to make the session easier, as no one should start with the full set, other shorter options of 2/2/1, 3/2 or 2/1 sets are available.

    Track Tuesdays

    But what a great session!

    The last time Bondarenkos were on the menu, I named my Strava, and I quote, “Bondarenkos aka hardest session I think I’ve ever done”.

    Well today, they were not the hardest session I’ve ever done. The 3 x (3 x1 km) session a couple of weeks ago takes top spot.

    Don’t get me wrong, it was not easy. I was very grateful to be running with Stew, Rob and especially Gio who helped with the changes of pace. But the paces were strong, the floats were strong – possibly a fraction quick – and we finished the final set not much slower than we started.

    Another great session – in the bank.

    Fuelling Tips

    Pre Training

    This is a big session. Up to 12 km of hard running. Add in a warm up and cool down and I clocked nearly 18 km.

    Eat a carb-heavy breakfast, lunch and mid afternoon snack.

    Breakfast: I am obsessed with chia and flaxseed porridge at the moment, topped with partly-defrosted frozen raspberries or blackberries and peanut butter. It is insane.

    Lunch: Cheesy beans on toast – also a recent obsession.

    Mid Afternoon Snack (about 2 hours before training): I made a batch of these oaty-banana bars which I keep in the freezer. Defrost in the microwave, drizzle with peanut butter and you are good to go.

    Post Training

    It was late when I got back, but re-fuelling is critical.

    Dinner: Quorn spaghetti bolognaise and a chocolate protein hot chocolate with oat milk.

  • Track Tuesdays are Back

    Track Tuesdays are Back

    Tuesday 7 January 2025

    Week 1, Day 2: Cheltenham Harriers’ Session

    Right, to work. None of this rest-business.

    It’s the first Tuesday of the New Year which means, drum roll please, Cheltenham Harriers’ Track Tuesday is back!

    It was freezing!*

    *Though not quite cold enough to freeze my car shut with my bike in it, which happened last week as we headed out to training, and which was the reason for yesterday’s bike-shed-measuring-exercise.

    So it was pretty tough to leave the relative warmth of the house and cycle off into the dark.

    But it was lovely to see everyone again. Jo was there, in her four coats and Michelin-man puffy trousers, telling us shivering runners how she was ‘too hot’. Lucky her.

    The session was a good one, a sort of k-reps / 200m-reps sandwich.

    3 x 1 km [90 seconds] @ 5-10k pace
    2 x (5 x 200 m [60 seconds] @ 3-5k pace
    3 x 1 km [90 seconds] @ 5-10k pace
    With [3 minutes] between sets

    The track, especially on the 200m bend, was icy-as-hell, though.

    I got myself in a great group for the first kilometre reps, working with Harrison, Stew and a new guy, Dom, who had just moved to Cheltenham a few weeks ago.

    We knocked them out, clocking 3:33, 3:30, 3:30. The 200s were faster (37-38s) and then we finished with another consistent set of kms in 3:29, 3:30, 3:31.

    Unfortunately, Stew and Harrison mis-read the session, and only did one set of 200s, but Dom kindly stuck with me and did the second set. We worked well together, me leading, him pushing me on, with him giving me a stop-start background to his move to Cheltenham during the recoveries.

    I really, really enjoyed this session, despite the cold. So Day 2 of marathon training was a good one too, it turns out.