Physiology & Anatomy Training & Interval Training

5k Training Intervals: Push The VO2 Envelope (LTHR)

7 August 2011
the5krunner
Usain Bolt winning the 100 m final 2008 Olympics
That’s me at the back

You still can’t beat the 5x1k 2RI (Rest Interval) session as the all round most effective 5k training session for us mere mortals – I think.

Here’s a good one tho. Not quite the same goal in mind necessarily. Let’s say your PB is 20 minutes ie 4:00 minutes per km. A nice round number. Today’s session is

5x100m strides (approximately race pace) then

a 100m sprint almost flat out 2 mins rest and sprint again and rest again.

Onto the meat of 4 sets of the following 3 component intervals:

  • 5 minutes at  4:30 (PB + 30 secs) – NO REST YET
  • 3 mins at 4:05 (PB+5 secs) – NO REST YET
  • 2 or 3 mins RI (rest).

You’ll have to work back the pace figures for yourself based on your own PB. You are really trying to make those 3 minutes at near race pB pace work well for you. This is not to improve your speed per se it is to help you maintain speed. In the past I have spent too much time doing longer sessions too slowly. This sort of session is much more useful for similar benefits.

Of course you can always do more sets if you want! But you might find that doing the above more than twice is difficult. Add your warm up and warm down, add any technique work on the slower bits and substitute the sprints for some plyometrics if you want, especially if your speed is not a problem.

And I think the title is a bit misleading as this session is probably more of a push the LTHR envelope (OBLA+turnpoint)…probably a more useful goal as V02 max is determined a lot by genetics and not as easily changed as some websites will have you believe…

Related articles

Related reading: How Much Do I Sweat During Strenuous 5k & Duathlon Exercise – & So What?.

Last Updated on 8 April 2026 by the5krunner

My favourite kit and nutrition

  • Maurten — the race nutrition trusted by elite athletes. Gels and drink mix engineered to be easy on the stomach.
  • Garmin 90-degree charging adapter — the small adapter that keeps your charging cable tidy at the stem. Essential for race day.
  • Garmin charging puck — the fastest and most reliable way to top up your Garmin before a session.
  • Ravemen FR300 — front light that mounts directly under your Garmin or Wahoo head unit. Keeps your bars clean and your beam pointed where it matters.
  • Garmin Varia RTL515 — radar rear light that alerts you to vehicles approaching from behind. Pairs with your Edge or Garmin watch.
  • Stryd — the footpod that brings running power to your Garmin. The single most useful running upgrade I have made.
  • Favero Assioma Pro RS2 — the power meter pedals most serious cyclists end up choosing. Accurate, easy to move between bikes.

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