The Next Step

Jim - some thoughts on your training. In the last month you've been training like a 5 K - 10 K specialist sharpening during race season. After looking at your races, though, I realized that you still lack aerobic base. Here is what I suggest for the next month:

6 days a week, no days less than 8 miles. Long run of 13, keep it the same. Add 4 tempo miles in the middle or towards the end of your long run at 6:50 pace. Additionally, do tempo work two other times during the week. One being cruise intervals, 2x2 miles at 6:35 pace. The other a 3 mile tempo at 6:40 pace. Otherwise, run easy, around 8:00 - 8:30 pace.

Sasha,

Thanks for your feedback and sounds like a good plan. If you don't mind I wanted to give you some background and see if you would change anything based on my background. So here goes...

I started running around age 13 and ran throughout high school. I ran a 2:00 1/2 mile, 4:40 mile and 16:20 5k in XC. I stopped running soon after high school and didn't run again for around 15 years. I started running again in 2000 just to stay in shape (only 15 to 20 mpw). I would usually run 1 half marathon per year so I would pick up my training for around 3 months to get ready for the half (around 30 mpw). In 2004 I went up to around 50 mpw and ran a 1:32 half but then dropped back to the normal routine. In 2006 I trained for a marathon but only did a 4 month buildup and crashed in the last 6 miles of the marathon (no real base). This year I decided to get more serious about my running so in June I started building my mileage up and now run around 50 mpw. I want to stay at this level or increase my mileage. So with that background, here is my goals. I want to be able to improve my 5k/10k times and run a fast half marathon in May 2008 (goal 1:27). After this I want to take another try at the marathon in fall 2008 but the marathon is a lesser goal. Based on this would you recommend the same program or make any adjustments? Will my 5k/10k times improve on the aerobic base training?

Sorry for the long response and I really appreciate your feedback.

Thanks,

Jim

I will take a stab at this if you don't mind. In my case, I was able to increase my speed by running more mileage. I ran 17:30 for a 5K in High School. After a few year hiatus, I started running again at about 20-30 mpw. The best 5K I could muster was 19:10. Along came the blog and training buddies and my mileage increased and I did very little speed work until I hit 60-80 mpw. I was able to run a 17:08 5K this year and actually PR'd at every distance I ran this year(including over an hour off my marathon time). I attribute it to mileage and "Big Workouts". Not to speed work. I would recommend that you "pretend" that you are training for a 1/2 marathon or a marathon and do as Sasha recommends and you will be suprised at your 5k and beyond times.

Cody has very good points. Even a race as short as a 5 K is mostly aerobic. The lack of aerobic fitness will kill your 5 K. I race high schoolers without aerobic base in 5 Ks all the time. They would put a good 10-20 seconds on me in the mile race, but unless they've done their home work, I leave them in the dust after the first mile of a 5 K. It is not uncommon for a world-class 5 K specialist to train almost like a marathoner - 120 miles a week, except the long runs are shorter, and he would do VO2 Max workouts on some days instead of tempos.

Cody, Sasha,

Thanks for the feedback and it is good to see the results of others on this program. I will up the miles this winter and look forward to better times in the future.