What am I doing wrong?

Dave928

Ok a bit of a rant but if anyone can be bothered to read to the end and provide any help I'd be more than grateful.

I'm 43 I've been running on and off for 20 years not too seriously. Didn't run last summer but started again in September. Did 50 miles in 3 weeks then a 5k park run to see where I was at and managed 21.54 which I was pretty happy with. 

SInce then I've again been running on and off and have done 430 miles since. I get shin splints easily so I started a rigid mileage programme in April, only increasing my mileage by 10% per week and running 4 times per week. The last 5 weeks I've done between 19 and 25 miles per week. This is aimed at a 10k next Friday evening.

So, to see how I've improved since my last race I did the park run again this morning. After 8 months, 480 miles (190 in last 3 months), 88 runs, 6 pounds in lost weight, I've improved by the huge margin of 13 seconds. I was hoping to do under 21 minutes, and with continued training under 20.

Aggghhhh. I feel like all the effort has been almost completey wasted. How can I do this much and see so little improvement? What am I doing wrong? I've been looking for excuses. I've had a cold all week. I've got continuing pain in my sciatic nerve. I did 12k last night. But I don't think these did any real harm. All I can think of is maybe my runs are a bit too one-paced and I don't do enough intervals. Anyone help?

Stevie G

Mike, first of all, 13secs over 5k is a big margin! Trust me i'd be delighted with taking 13sec off my 5k

It sounds like you've only had 5 weeks of consistent training, as the rest has been "On and off". It's this "off" that you can't afford, as it stalls your progress.

I reckon a couple more months of getting a consistent 25-30miles a week in (following your gentle safe progression) and then doing another park run will see you take more time off.

After that, you can see what speed work to add, as you'll have a better base to handle it. Adding it now off so little mileage, and so little time consistently training would I think be counter productive.

 

Dave928

So no easy answers then!

I guess I should stay positive. It's just that today's time was 57s worse than my pb which I set when I was doing much less training than I am now. That was 8 years ago mind.

Stevie G

Mike, there's 2 approaches to take.

One is to analyse your current week, work you out paces per different zones, ie easy, steady, tempo etc, and then devise a weekly programme where you stick to a certain pace for each run.

The second, is to simply have a couple of months where you build what is a very small mileage (19-25) upto what i'd call the minimum, (25-30)

I think that second approach alone would see you reduce your 5k time.

As you haven't had a consistent spell of more than 5 weeks, i don't think Option 1 is worthwhile at the moment. You'll steadily improve your 5k simply on more easy paced mileage. It's when you plateau that you need to get more precise....

 

alehouse

A number of things spring to mind, not least that it takes several races to get used to racing. However the big issue is consistency: if the on and off is due to the shin splints issue you need to have a regular daily, or more than once daily, stretching regime that will assist in countering this. (I ignored the signs and ended up with a serious Achilles injury).

Ballesteros

MikeR wrote (see)

I did 12k last night. But I don't think these did any real harm.

12k the night before a 9am 5k parkrun does not sound ideal for fresh legs if you were looking at using the parkrun time as a benchmark indicator. Also was it the same parkrun course and were the conditions comparable, or was it a mudbath this time vs nice and dry last Sep/Oct?

McFlooze

And if you haven't raced since Sept your pacing is probably off, your feel for what is hard and how much you can tolerate. Did it feel horrible all the way round? Did you want to vomit at the end? If not then you should probably speed up a bit. I bet if you rest for a couple of days before the next one and go fully balls out (and try and pick a dry day) you'll beat your time by a good few more seconds. And then up your mileage a fair bit.

Stevie G

Blimey McFlooze, how hard do you race if you judge the right effort on whether you want to vomit?!!

McFlooze

Only 5ks, Stevie. I'm not even very fast. Just more competitive than my ability sadly. Working on it though.



5ks are hard though. Much prefer a nice half marathon amble.

Stevie G

 I often bring myself into stomach enduced issues in hard training sessions...but in a race ive never pushed into the puking domain. A long lie down..yes, but never puking

10mile is a nice distance...if ever the phrase "comfortably hard" was apt, i think it's that distance. 10k and down is an uncomfortable pace, whereas half is long and harder to maintain...

McFlooze

The only 10 miler I've raced was the Spire 10 in Chesterfield. Comfortably hard is not the word. The first 4 miles are one long, long hill. With steep bits. Many men were broken. Then the downhill trashes your quads. Must try a nice, easy one.

Stevie G

if you're anywhere near London type area, Cabbage Patch.....Berkshire Maidenhead.

Those 2 are pretty fast.