Coach Joe Vigil is arguably the best running coach the US has ever had. He’s a blend of tough, no nonsense “get the work done” kind of coaching paired with a knowledge that while he’s pushing you to your limits, he cares deeply about your success. He demands your best and you want to give it to him.
This workout is one he prescribes often and like him, it asks a lot of you but gives much in return. Here’s how the workout goes:
Start with your usual warm-up then
6 repeats of 1 mile at your 10K race pace
Take 2-3 minutes rest between each. The last 2-3 repeats will ask a lot of you so bring your “A” game to this session.
End with your usual cool-down
Coach Vigil uses this workout to prepare runners for all race distances and I find it’s a great “gut check” workout that you can insert any time across your training plan. Running this effort across the entire workout really challenges your VO2max – the maximum amount of oxygen you can utilize. Therefore, this workout is a great assessment of this important physiological parameter. I even used this workout every 4-6 weeks during the base phase for my Olympic-level runners. It provided a field test for their aerobic capacity development and a break from the base training workouts. This workout is also part of my lead up workouts to the World’s Best 10K Workout.
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“I have achieved my goals for 5K, 10K, and now a Half Marathon – thanks McMillan Running!”
-James W, RunClub member
Written By Greg McMillan
Called “one of the best and smartest distance running coaches in America” by Runner’s World’s Amby Burfoot, Greg McMillan is renowned for his ability to combine the science of endurance performance with the art of real-world coaching. While getting his graduate degree in Exercise Science he created the ever-popular McMillan Running Calculator – called “The Best Running Calculator” by Outside Magazine. A National Champion runner himself, Greg coaches runners from beginners to Boston Qualifiers (15,000+ and counting!) to Olympians.
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