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how to get 10k down to 33:30
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Hi all
Current 10k pb is 34:48
My goal is to get a sub 33:30 10k
At present u run 35-40 miles a week comprising of
1 long run ~ 10 miles.
1 interval session (4 x 1k a 3:15km pace ~ 3 min recovery)
1 tempo run ~ 20 - 25 mins at 5:55 per mile pace
The others are just relatively comfortable runs.
I have 2 rest days a week, and only train once a day
Just after everyone's opinions ~ what do I need to do to get sub 33:30?
Cheers
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Comments
Way out of my league so happy to be shot down
But think your recoveries on the intervals might be too long
The speed of the intervals might need to be a little quicker
Not sure exactly what the tempo run is doing as its neither one thing or the other (being shorter and slower than target race pace) So might need to be quicker if its supposed to be an effort session
Might be tempted to mix the tempo/intervals up with soem shorter quicker intervals
More miles will do it, if you're already at 34:48 off 35-40 miles per week. I tend to run doubles just because I run to and from work, but it seems to work well for me.
Intervals - firstly, mix them up a bit, don't always do the same thing. Secondly, you're pretty much doing 4K of work at about 3K pace, and needing quite generous recoveries. That's fine, to a point, but if 10K is your focus, you need to do more reps - somewhere between 5K and 8K's worth is the sweet spot - at a slower pace. I like to alternate a 5K pace session for V02 max with a 10K pace session for more threshold + getting a feel for race pace, week by week.
Tempo run looks good, I would often go up to 30-35 minutes though (which will replicate the 10K more closely). It's also good to mix these up a bit, just to keep it mentally fresh if nothing else - sometimes straight tempo runs, sometimes a progressive one starting at marathon pace, sometimes break them up into longer reps e.g. 3K.
A long run longer than 10 miles is not generally considered essential, but I like to go to at least 12/13 if I'm specifically training for a 10K, and usually hover around 15 if I'm just in general training.
It's a bit light all around to be honest. Especially the track which is too slow and too low volume. I ran under 33.00 and we were doing 4-5x1M in about 4.55 in winter with a lap jog rec. But mile reps can be tough mentally if you try doing them solo.
Thanks for the replies.
When you do doubles. Would you for example do 5 miles am then intervals or hills pm?
So with intervals you think doing 6-8 x 1km reps at 3:20/km pace would be better? With 1 lap easy recovery?
I can alternate the above session with 8 x 800m @ 3:15 /km pace, on alternate weeks perhaps?
Cheers
Re doubles, I tend to do my intervals and tempos in the evening just because that's when I have time, so that usually means an easy run in the morning. I've heard people say it's of most benefit if you do them the other way round, but I'm not sure it makes much odds. Most of my doubles are 4m easy AM/4m easy PM, because it's just getting to and from work. Doubles aren't necessary at all at 40m per week, but it can certainly help to get the miles in if you run-commute.
Your suggestion definitely sounds like an improvement. I think 6-8 x 1K at 3:20 - 3:25 off 200-400m recovery sounds about right to me, unless you've already reached a level of fitness below your current 10K PB. Also 4 or 5 mile reps off a lap recovery at 5:30ish pace. Disagreeing slightly with the poster above, in that if you can do 5 of those at 4:55 pace you should really be looking at a mid 31 10K, that's an incredible session. I might be able to do 3 of those at most.
In short, work out your 3K-5K and 10K paces (based on current paces rather than your target) and mix up the sessions a bit with reps anywhere between 600 and 2000m, recovery time of about 50-80% of the time it's taken you to run the interval, and overall volume of fast stuff somewhere between 5000-8000m and you can't go too far wrong. Add in some shorter stuff (200s-400s) at mile pace nearer the race to sharpen.
I do train to target paces as well, but that tends to be in the couple of months before a main target race - so for my 10K last weekend I did the following sessions every two weeks leading up to the race at target pace - 6 x 1m, 1 x 2m + 4 x 1m, 2 x 2m + 2 x 1m, 3x 2m, all taken from a Greg McMillan article. In the in-between weeks I did 5K pace sessions - 600s, 800s, 1Ks. Worked for me.
However, I don't think you need to overthink it. 34:48 off the amount of miles you're doing is pretty good, and just upping those miles should see improvement anyway, even if it's mainly easy stuff.
What Dachs said!
If you start thinking about doing doubles, make sure the extra run is really easy, and start at no more than 4/5 miles. But really, if you add in one extra easy run per week (by dropping a rest day, e.g. extra easy run Monday after a long run Sunday), increase the overall volume of your quality sessions as suggested, and up the distance of your long run, that in itself would bump up the mileage and require adaptation over a few weeks.
Thanks so much h for your help. Seems as though there is definitely room for improvement. I agree that I need to improve the volume of my track sessions. I do them alone so by the time I get to 4 reps of 1km I am starting to struggle!!
Are you a member of a club? Amongst all sorts of reasons, I genuinely think that one of the major benefits of club membership is being able to train with a group of runners of similar standard, and it's the tough interval sessions that are particularly beneficial as you can definitely push yourself more in company.
No probs. There are a few good training threads on this forum with people around your level, so you can always lurk/join in and pick up tips that way. That's what I did. Good luck with it.
I'm in a club but due to my hours of work I do my training alone unfortunately