The question we must ask is why we do it. If on another day he runs four separate 440 yard laps in 60 seconds with 60 seconds rest after each, he has run at the same speed and distance as was done in the maximum effort mile. The only difference is that there will not be the same build up of lactic acid in the body, so the athlete might manage ten 440 yards at the same speed and improve. Each repetition done vaccinates the athlete at what can be called Target Pace Serum . If the aim is 1.42 for 800m, the vaccination process can start with 8 x 200m in 25.5 seconds and eventually lead to 4 x 400m in 51 seconds.
Repetition running gives the athlete a feel for pace judgement.
The stroke volume of the heart during recovery periods increases and strengthens the heart. The traditional method used for repetition training is to start slow and get faster. For example, Roger Bannister started with 10 x 440 yards in October at 66 seconds per lap and attempted to increase speed by one second a month, and by May the following year recorded many of his laps at 56 seconds. A more recent trend is to start with world class speed with good recovery and to extend the distance run while maintaining the same recovery period. For instance, world record pace for 5,000m is around 61 seconds per 400m.