Billat 30-30 Intervals
Sixteen repeats of 30 seconds at vVO2max and 30 seconds of slow jogging, the short interval format studied by Véronique Billat.
- Duration
- 46 min
- Distance
- 8.7 kmestimated
- Effort
- 57
- Level
- Intermediate
- Focus zone
- VO2max
Your values
Targets relative to your threshold values. Enter your values to see absolute numbers.
100% is your threshold pace. Higher values are faster, lower values are slower.
| # | Step | Length | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warm-upEndurance Easy jog | 15 min | 78-88% threshold pace68-78% HRmax72-82% FTP |
| 4 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 2.1 | Warm-upAnaerobic Stride, build to fast, stay relaxed | 20 s | 113-125% threshold pace92-100% HRmax113-130% FTP |
| 2.2 | RecoveryRecovery Walk or jog back | 1 min | 70-78% threshold pace55-68% HRmax60-72% FTP |
| 16 ×Repeat these steps | |||
| 3.1 | IntervalVO2max vVO2max, about 3k pace | 30 s | 109-114% threshold pace92-98% HRmax108-114% FTP |
| 3.2 | RecoveryRecovery Slow jog | 30 s | 70-78% threshold pace55-68% HRmax60-72% FTP |
| 4 | Cool-downRecovery Easy jog | 10 min | 70-78% threshold pace55-68% HRmax60-72% FTP |
About this workout
The 30-30 session alternates 30 seconds fast with 30 seconds of slow jogging. The fast part is run at vVO2max, the lowest speed at which you reach your maximal oxygen uptake. For many runners this is close to 3k race pace, or the pace you could hold for about six minutes.
French physiologist Véronique Billat showed that this format lets runners spend more time near VO2max than a continuous run at the same pace, with less lactate. The jog is really slow, about half the speed of the fast part, which lets you repeat the efforts many times. In the original format you continue until you can no longer hold the pace, and 16 to 24 repeats is common.
This version uses 16 repeats. Newer runners can stop at 10 or 12. Use it once a week for four to six weeks in the build phase, then move to longer intervals such as 60-60 or 5 x 3 minutes.
Tips
- Keep the fast part at the same pace from the first repeat to the last.
- Jog the recoveries slowly rather than standing.
- A track or a flat path makes the 30 second sections easy to repeat.
Origin
Developed and studied by French physiologist Véronique Billat in the late 1990s.
Good for5k10kTrack
Season phaseBuild