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Minutes per mile change
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Cop-out - don't panic, I should be detained for my own safety. But also, you have improved and race times are the surest way to assess this.
All I'm telling you is that HR data is NOT the most reliable way of measuring your improvements. If you really want to geek out, try studying up on TRIMP data. An easy way into this is to check out the Training Load plug-in for the Sporttracks application, which objectively takes HR data from training sessions and builds them up over time. It allows you to graph improving fitness and fatigue as you fine tune your training program. Good luck.
Wow you all seemed to have improved loads! I started nearly 2 years ago at a 10-11 minute mile pace and now can manage a 5k at about 9.15 minute miles and a 10k at 9.30 minute miles. so hardly any improvement at all!
Have tried speed work etc and that did help bring me under the 10 minute mile mark but am struggling to get any quicker!
Have entered the Silverstone half in March and am now in a panic as what with cold/flu/snow/ice I havent been able to get out properly for ages. I really wanted to get round in 2 hours 15 but that is looking unlikely now
Emma, what is your weekly mileage, just out of interest?
You said you started out at 10-11 m/m and now manage a 5k at 9.15 which suggests you still run your easy pace at 10-11 m/m, therefore infering no improvement. Considering you've been training two years this must be a hard pill to swallow
You see I think that sounds like a fairly respectable mileage Emma.
What do people think of the theory that you get to your natural threshold/ability fairly quickly and then after that its blood, sweat, tears and divine intervention before you see further improvement?
For example, you will see my times dropped very quickly from 10:30 m/m following a bit of a break in running to 8:47 m/m but I'm scratching around for the odd second of improvement now dispite knocking out 45 miles a week. This would tend to suggest that my natural threshold is around the thick end of the 8 m/m mark. Still, only time will tell. If this thread is still current it would be interesting to follow everyone's improvement.
As a plodder and newbie I don't think I'm sufficiently experienced to give a definitive answer but after reading around this abit, I guess it relates to fitness levels. I think we all have a natural genetic comfort zone that is reached after a reasonable bout of sustained training. I think of this as your base fitness level. I agree this comes relatively quickly and I think the only way to get to the next level is to push your body beyond where it comfortably wants to go. I have concentrated mainlyon extending my distances but have used some techniques. Hill sprints are a good example. When I first started running there was no way I could run up a long hill. After sessions of hill sprints I can now run and chat going at a comfortable easy pace. Those short repeat bursts have aided my longer runs.
Cop-out - I would suggest that you concentrate on your speed over short distances, recover and repeat, rather than just knocking out the miles. This is going to be my tactic. As I say this is from what I've read, rather than what I've done!! My distances are creeping up and that will be time on my legs on the long Sunday runs and now I want to get the minutes per mile on the shorter runs ramped up.
It will be interesting to see how we all get on.
For those who have made significant improvement, how did you do it?
Cop-out -Forgot to say re tempo runs 'Runners World Complete Guide To Running' suggests running at 85-90 per cent of your maximum heart rate for 2-4 miles with warmup/warm down either side. This would be pushing you up by another 10 % against your stats.
Also well done for the improvements you have achieved. If I get below 9 minute miles over distance I'll be delighted!
The law of diminishing returns applies to running speed/ fitness levels.
Improvements come quickly early on but if the effort/ intensity of the training does not increase, you plateau quite easily. I'm looking over at a colleague right now who runs 10K once a week, every week, and has done for years. He'll never improve on that basis. And he wears big grey cotton jogging bottoms, 'cos i saw him out once.
The Jack Daniels book 'Running Formula' gives a good breakdown of the science of physiological improvement and training stress. His VDOT system provides a comparable benchmark of training speeds that give sufficient stress for you to improve, without over-stressing your body (injuries). You can find VDOT calculators easily enough on the inter-web.
As well as your generall fitness, you also have to consider your body weight as a factor to improving your speed. When I started running seriously in 2007 I weighed in at almost 12 stone. I am now down to 10 stone. Someone at my running club told me that 1lb in weight loss can benefit your speed by as much as 10 seconds per mile.
Not sure about those figures Brad. I use the BrianMac VO2 max calculator a lot which calculates vo2max from a race time. If you take as an example a 40' 10km runner and assuming they used 70kg as the weight (for arguments sake, can't find a statement of what it was), knocking a whole kg off your weight takes you down to about 39'30".They may well have based it on a lower weight than the one I picked but you get the idea.
VO2max from race times
Found this link for anyone interested in Hill Sprints
http://www.brianmac.co.uk/hilltrain.htm
Re speed/weight I found an article that said 1% of body mass lost will result in 1% increase in speed. Also that athletes are on average 15% lighter than the average weight adult.
How average weight was worked for women, was 100lbs for 5ft woman add 5lbs for every inch over that then subtract 15% total to get your ideal elite athletic weight. Needless to say I would have to return to the weight I was at 17!
I have all this written down in note form but can't for the life of me remember where I found it. Sorry.
Hi
Started runing again two year ago 17 stone and a mile was 13 minutes and a lungs trying to leave
now about 14 stone and can maintain 9:30 minutes a mile over 6 miles
can do a one mile sprint of 7:45 minutes
trying to work to 9 minute miles over 10K
I think in all the talk you need to consider age I am 43 now and when I look around at work I think i am quite fit.
Certainly I agree as you drop weight speed increases. If nothing else not having a belly wobbling around in every direction other than the one your runing helps.
In my army days I could run 6 minute miles but i was in my early twenties and 13 stone.
The mile used to be the stanard by which we compared fitness and from experience its a good rule of thumb to long for a sprint but not into endurance distance.
I have found interval training on a treadmill incline as helped build leg stamina and speed.
OMG, I've lost weight this year and am now a size 12, but on that calculation I would still have to lose another 2 stone
.
For the past 3 years ive done the same 5k race on boxing day, its great to see if you are improving .
2008 (My 1st race ever) - 21:06 , 6:47 m/M
2009 (same race ) - 19:16 , 6:12 m/M
2010 (different 5k ) 17:36 , 5:39 m/M
Hill sessions, track sessions , intervals ... Anything that makes your legs BURN . Oh and a nice pair of Uber-light race shoes really helped me.
www.marathonguide.com/fitnesscalcs/
This covers quite a few of the topics that have been popping up including the age/ time calc mentioned.
Time to get some rest - training again tomorrow. Trying out a tempo run.
The body weight discussion is really interesting, obviously the lighter you are the the quicker and easier you run, thats a given.
My half marathon time came down by just over 11 minutes with a weight loss of 20kg. My poor maths puts that at around 50+ secs per mile.
This has been fairly common for other distances as well.
The biggest improvement for me has been during speed/interval sessions where using a race predictor i should be looking at an extra 5mins off my half time, my endurance base is obviously not allowing this to happen just yet.
I lost the 20kgs over about a 12month period, simply by exercising, I like my food to much !!
Current weight is 79 kgs
HM PB 1.32
Target weight 68kg
Target HM 1.28ish
You can use the WAVA scale to adjust your performance for age. I use this WAVA age adjustments calculator
which lets you put in adhoc distances too. WAVA is also used to grade your races on Fetch provided you supplied your dob.