lkh:
Well, if you take the numbers literally for Tabata, maybe only a guy like Juantorena could even do the workout. This was actually done on an exercise cycle, and the intensity is based on aerobic capacity. If you directly translate the numbers to the track, and you take a typical sprinter with a very strong anaerobic capacity but, say, a mile capability of 5:30, and thus a VO2max of roughly 6:00/mile, this person is going to cover 89 meters in 20 seconds. The intensity level of 170% VO2max pace means that the sprinter needs to cover 152 meters in 20 seconds, with 10 second rest. This is equivalent to doing 200’s in 26 with a 13 second rest, which I think might make Wariner cringe a bit.
Some 800 runners have done workouts like 8X200 at goal race with 30 second rest. But 4-6 150’s at 1:44 800 meter pace with 10 second rest? I rather doubt that even Sebastian Coe could do that.
These types of things work if you’re slow enough, I guess, but lets have the top sprinter go all-out for the first 150 (say 14.6), then do another 10 sec later, and so on for 6!
They would probably pull something.
No, they’d die before they could!
Mennea also did workouts like 4x800m@2’10"…