Turning them into sprints
R pace is fast, not maximal. If you finish your 400s tense, arms clenched, you're training something other than relaxed speed. Ease off a touch and keep your stride fluid.
RunningSpeed and sprintsIntermediate 58 min
Daniels R pace: 8 × 400 m
Daniels R pace: eight repetitions of about 400 m at 105–109% of vVO₂max, with 3 minutes' walking between each. A 58-minute session. Fast, controlled and not draining: work on speed and running economy, not VO₂max.
Session profile18 blocks
At a glance
- Duration
- 58 min
- Main target
- 105–109%vVO₂max6 Z6 · Anaerobic
- Time at target
- 12 min
- Estimated load
- 53
- Structure
- 8 × 1′30 at 105–109% vVO₂max, 3′ recovery
- Level
- Intermediate
- Equipment
- GPS watch · Track (optional)
The session in detail
vVO₂max
Time in zone
- Z141 min
- Z25 min
- Z612 min
What the targets mean
| Target | Zone | Time | vVO₂max 14 km/h | vVO₂max 16 km/h | vVO₂max 18 km/h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 105–109% | 6Anaerobic | 12 min | 4:05/km–3:56/km 368–382 m per rep | 3:34/km–3:26/km 420–436 m per rep | 3:10/km–3:03/km 473–491 m per rep |
| 25–35% | 1Recovery | 21 min | 17:09/km–12:15/km 175–245 m per rep | 15:00/km–10:43/km 200–280 m per rep | 13:20/km–9:31/km 225–315 m per rep |
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What this session is for
Jack Daniels groups his paces into five families: E, M, T, I and R. R pace, for 'repetition', is the fastest: close to your mile pace, run in short repetitions of up to 400 m with long recoveries. The aim isn't to raise your VO₂max but your speed and running economy, the energy cost of a given pace.
Running fast and relaxed, without wearing yourself out, teaches your stride to be efficient at speed. Slower paces then feel easier. It's quality work, and quality doesn't survive fatigue: hence the 3 minutes' walking.
Who it's for
Intermediate to advanced runners who want to improve their speed or economy, from 1500 m to the half marathon. You need a recently measured vVO₂max: every pace depends on it.
When to do it
One session of this kind a week at most, often alternating with an interval or threshold session. Put it after an easy day or a rest day, never the day before a long run, another hard session or a race.
How to do it
Warm-up
15 min10′ at 60–65% vVO₂max + 5′ at 66–72% vVO₂max
10 minutes of easy running at 60–65% of vVO₂max, then 5 minutes at 66–72%, with a few strides to get your stride ready for speed.
Main set
33 min8 × 1′30 at 105–109% vVO₂max, 3′ recovery
Eight repetitions of 1 min 30 at 105–109% of vVO₂max, each followed by 3 minutes' walking. At 16 km/h you'll cover 420 to 436 metres, between 3:34 and 3:26/km: roughly one lap of a track. The pace is fast but controlled, the stride relaxed: shoulders down, hands loose. The last rep should look like the first. If you have to tense up to hold the pace, you're running too fast.
Cool-down
10 min10′ at 55–65% vVO₂max
10 minutes of very easy running at 55–65% of vVO₂max. If your eight reps were even and smooth, add two next time rather than speeding up.
How it should feel
Fast and controlled. Your breathing climbs during each rep, but the walk almost wipes it clean. Your legs stay lively to the end. Guide: 7 out of 10, no more.
Common mistakes
Shortening the recovery
With one minute instead of three, the session becomes an interval session, slower and more tiring. The long recovery is what lets you run fast and smoothly, from the first lap to the last.
Progressing by speeding up
Running your 400s faster every session goes against Daniels' logic: R pace comes from your fitness, not your mood on the day. Add reps, or retest your vVO₂max to update your pace.
Mistaking it for VO₂max intervals
A 400 at vVO₂max with a short recovery works your VO₂max. Here the recovery is long and the pace slightly faster: it's your stride doing the work, not your heart.
When to skip it
Before you start
- A recently measured vVO₂max: every pace depends on it.
- A few interval sessions already done.
Skip it if
- You have pain or a recent injury.
- A long run, another hard session or a race is planned for the next day.
Origin and evidence
Level of evidence
Established practice, no dedicated studyLevel 1 of 5
Jack Daniels (Daniels' Running Formula, Human Kinetics, several editions, consulted through excerpts and secondary reproductions of the tables) defines E, M, T, I and R paces. In his tables, for a VDOT of 50, R pace is about 107% of I pace, treated here as vVO₂max. He describes short repetitions of up to 400 m close to mile pace; practitioners recommend a recovery of at least twice the effort. 1 min 30 is about 400 m for a vVO₂max of 15 km/h. No study dedicated to this format was found. The conversion to time, the 105–109% range, the warm-up and the cool-down are Wattson choices. Bottom line: the practice of a respected coach, with no dedicated study.
Sources
- Daniels J., Daniels' Running Formula, Human Kinetics (plusieurs éditions)
Frequently asked questions
What is Daniels R pace?
It's the fastest of Jack Daniels' five paces, close to your mile pace. It's run in short repetitions of up to 400 m with long recoveries. It's for working on your speed and running economy, not your VO₂max.
What pace should the 400s be run at?
At 105–109% of your vVO₂max: between 4:05 and 3:56/km at 14 km/h, between 3:34 and 3:26/km at 16 km/h, between 3:10 and 3:03/km at 18 km/h. The reps are programmed as 1 min 30, roughly one lap of a track.
Why programme it in time rather than distance?
So the session works anywhere, track or road, without depending on GPS accuracy over a lap. 1 min 30 is about 400 m for an average runner; at 14 km/h you cover a little less, at 18 km/h a little more. On a track, you can run the exact 400 at the same pace.
R pace or VO₂max intervals?
VO₂max intervals, such as 30/30s, work your VO₂max with short recoveries. R pace is slightly faster, with long recoveries: it works your speed and stride. The two work well together, often alternating from week to week.
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