good post jackal,
my VO2 levels are a deff big worry to me, and I have been working hard to improve them and I have started all this fartlek/interval training, very similar to yours but have not yet built up to that level, but it is def hard but you can feel the differences it makes in days.
I found I was no where near serious enough with my training, missing days here and there to go and piss it up with mates, Ive decided this is clearly not on, I wanna be a Cdo FFS! so ive freed up my evenings and mornings to train, at the moment I am working at:
Mon:
0530 start, 30 min fartlek-style run
Work/College throughout day
~1900
Full upper body workout at gym, 20-30 min "endurance" run (this run is me putting treadmill on 3' gradient and doing it at a speed i find hard but not impossible to complete them, at the mo, its 12kph, i do this whenever at the gym (see why im worried!)
Tues:
0530 start, 30 min fartlek-style run
Work/College throughout day
~1900
Full lower-body workout
Wed:
0530 start, 30 min fartlek-style run
Work/College throughout day
R'n'R in the eve
Thu:
0530 start, 30 min fartlek-style run
Work/College throughout day
~1900
Full upper body workout
Fri:
0530 start, 30 min fartlek-style run
Work/College throughout day
~1900
Full lower body workout
I havent incorparated sat into my routine yet, but it will basically be more running and swimming, sun is my active rest day, where I just do a light jog, (im norm real hung over and this is real hard)
word of advice i found so far, dont run too much on the treadmill, the AFCO said to me, as many others have said on the forum, F*** the treadmill! hit the roads and fields! And How! it makes a BIG difference, the impact on the knees and ankles is a lot more than on a treadmill, and I find I can run a lot more on a treadmill than what I can on roads.
Just make sure you have techninque, do not run flatfooted, or u may find yourself with some nasty shin splints or bashed up joints, heel-toe, heel-toe, heel-toe!
I also find it helps to whack "survivor - eye of the tiger" onto the mp3 player
the best,
Rock