Hi all, A quick question on what the best pace for my weekly long run should be? I've been building up distance and pace after a Deecember break now I don't want to over do my long run. If my target pace for the Half is 5min/km is 6min/km slow enough for the long run? Cheers all, TP
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It depends how realistic your target race pace is. Have you got any other race times to work from?
Hi,
My HM pace is probs around yours. I have struggled with long runs/injuries for ages, purely because I ran them too fast and then was way way overtraining.
These lovely people have shown me the light! Long runs are for endurance (ie distance rather than time). I listen to my body and I take it easy. I go at a pace that I either could do the occasional nose breathing or being able to sing/complete sentences.
my rule now is to do my long slow run SLOW (usually at least 10-15 mins over goal time) and live to run another day.
p.s I have seen great improvements in my times and endurance since doing this.
Tinpot, i think the maths means 6min/km is a bit slow.
5min/km = 8:03 min miles
6min/km = 9:39 min miles (1 and a half mins slower)
9:03 min miles (1 min slower miles) = 5:37min/km (roughly my race pace for HM :P)
i seen a few suggestions on long run pacing but it seems to be about a minute slower on the min/mile (which fits nicely in with Dubs 10-15 min slower as this would be 13 mins longer for a HM distance). so you'll probably find 5:37 more comfortable and useful. Though i suppose it also depends mostly on how you feel.
I think 1 minute per mile slower than hmp is probably at the top end of how fast you should run them even if feeling good but don't be too worried about dropping 30/40 secs further if your just not feeling it!!
TinPot - just to try and add something nobody else has said - my pace zones are quite specific for HMP, MP, 10k - all within 5 seconds - so for example if I set out to do 3*1 mile at HMP I would aim for them all to be within 6:30-6:35mins per mile.
However my Easy Pace Zone is 7:50 all the way up to 8:45min per mile. Some days I run at 7:50 per mile, some days I run at 8:45 - I don't worry about it provided it is within these boundaries because it is an Easy run - so give yourself a bit more latitude (a range) and just keep your running comfortable depending on how you feel on the day.
PS I would add that sometimes my supposedly Easy runs at about 8:30 pace feel like my worst runs of the week - no idea why!
Never say I don't listen to you - Im off to park run tomorrow a.m.
@Skinny Fetishist
My training last season was all heart rate based, Im new to pace based training hence my questions I suppose. And as I'm running more my pace is picking back up naturally, but the science supports taking it easy. The question is just, well - hiw easy?
My last 5k training run was at an avg 5min/km, climbs 30m at about 80% effort. Max pace 4:28.
My last LSD was 17k at 6:10min/km, climbed 63m, at a manageable 70% effort.
I haven't tested RHR or trained with the HRM in ages as I can't find the chest strap(!). Worth doing for the rest of my training, but don't think it's particularly useful for pace-based training.
I'm open to suggestion on determining the paces I use - I have a threshold test for cycling I'm going to try shortly, haven't seen one for running.
I'll have to find my old spread sheet comparing the methods. It's not the 220-age though, if that's what you mean. I appreciate my numbers don't correlate directly to percentages of max or max working heart rate, I started on absolutes and adjusted them to fit perceived effort.
I also use the concept of different rates for different activities - it being hard to raise ones HR as high as in running when swimming or biking.
Can I ask how you calculate that?