Hi guys,
First post here. Quick introduction: I'm 32 with a background in several sports but also a history of knee problems (I've had 4 operations)
I started going running a few months ago as much as a way of exercising the dog as anything. I found I quite enjoyed it and in the past couple of weeks, have started taking part in park-run events, with times of 18:56 and then 18:34.
I've caught the bug and now I'd really like to improve this. However, due to a couple of reasons (I play a lot of competitive tennis for one and my knees for two), I'm realistically restricted to one (two at a push) training sessions per week. Can anyone suggest an effective 5k training schedule based on 1 or 2 sessions per week?
I have done a search of 5k training schedules but they all seem to say 'Monday do this, Tuesday do this, Wednesday do this etc' which unfortunately isn't an option for me!
Thanks in advance, Ian
Comments
Interesting runners are advised to avoid sports like tennis as cross training due to strain on knees.
Yeah I'm sure the tennis isn't the best thing for my knees but it's my number 1 sport and I'd never pack it in unless I was forced to.
The only reason I mention both the tennis and my knees is because they affect the number of days I can train. If for instance, I have tennis Sunday and Thursday, my weekly schedule might be:
Monday - rest
Tuesday - train
Wednesday - rest
Thursday - tennis
Friday - rest
Saturday - train / parkrun
Sunday - tennis
If I was training twice in the same week (ie not doing parkrun), would you make both of these training sessions long gentle runs?
one long and one session i think.
try these sessions for 5k
pyramid set - 1 min, 2 min, 3 min, 4 min, 3 min, 2 min, 1 min, (1 min recovery between each)
tempo reps - 4 x (5 min hard, 1 min recovery)
tempo run - 20 min at pace
long run - 40 mins easy
track interval - 400m is approx 1 min so
pyramid set - 400m, 800m, 1200m, 1600m, 1200m, 800m, 400m
other session - 5 x 1200m, 8 x 800m, 12 x 400m
etc,
HTH
sorry the other session part is three sessions (not 1 !)
this i think is example of 5k pace sets if i remember correct.
Replace 1 or 2 of your rest days with easy 20 min runs on treadmill.
Your long run does not need to exceed 40 mins.
There is no need to smash out intervals on track if you have knee problems and tennis is your number 1 sport.
pyramid set - 1 min, 2 min, 3 min, 4 min, 3 min, 2 min, 1 min, (1 min recovery between each)
tempo reps - 4 x (5 min hard, 1 min recovery)
tempo run - 20 min at pace
long run - 40 mins easy
Thanks. I did a longer run (5 miles, 42 mins) last night. In both the 5k's I've done, I've found the last mile tough so I do think I need some longer runs to help with the endurance aspect.
By 'tempo', how fast do you mean? (relative to my race pace)
Replace 1 or 2 of your rest days with easy 20 min runs on treadmill.
I know this might be good advice for most runners but due to my knees, I genuinely need 3 complete rest days a week.
When I made the initial post, I wasn't asking 'how many days a week should I train?' but rather 'what would be best to maximise the benefit of limited training?'
There is no need to smash out intervals on track if you have knee problems and tennis is your number 1 sport.
Thanks. What would be your suggestion if not intervals?
Run a weekly Park Run or a 2 mile time trial as your weekly speed work out.
A tempo run refers to a run at race pace such as a 2 mile run at 5k race pace or a 4 mile run at 10k race pace.
Thanks, that's useful.
I tried a 4 mile tempo run this morning. I didn't know my 10km race pace but estimated it at 6:30 average mile (based on 5:59 average mile over 5km). I managed under 6:30 average mile but know for a fact that there's no way I could have maintained it for 10km!
It got me thinking though..................if you're training for a 5km, is it not best to run 4 miles at a pace as quick as possible, so that you're training as close as possible to your 5km race pace?
Or is there any reason for doing it at 10km race pace (which is obviously going to be slower)?
Got you, cheers
Hi Ian,
18:30 is pretty impressive given your background. Surely tennis is hard on those knees... maybe time to drop it and become a runner
I'd make the following observations
Edit
Nose Nowt, thanks for such a detailed response.
I agree with you that my aerobic base is weak and I do find long distances very difficult. I'm naturally quite quick (I spent 2 years in my late teens running the 400 metres competitively) but by the last mile of the parkruns, I'm dying on my arse and desperate to see the finish line!
I think this is because (up to last week), my training was all 5k or shorter, never further. I think you're definitely right that I need to focus on longer distances a bit slower than my 5k race pace.
On one of your rest days, could you fit in another aerobic exercise without knackering your knees? Swim? Cycle?
Yeah quite possibly. I did a lot of cycling last year, it might be an idea to get the bike out again.
Where I said do tempo runs one week and intervals the next, I would really focus more on tempo type runs 2 weeks in every 3.
Yeah that's my plan now, cheers.
This has been my training the past week or so since I made the original post:
Tuesday 17th: 5 miles, 8:20 average mile (very steady - just seeing how my knees reacted to running so far)
Saturday 21st: Parkrun, 7:15 average mile (my legs were very tired and achy from tennis the day before, but I fancied going anyway so took the dog and jogged round)
Monday 23rd: 4 miles, 6:25 average mile (all out, 100%)
Great. That 4 miler. It's really good to have at least half a mile at a gentler pace than going 100%! And if you're ever doing a serious attempt at a 5K time trial/park run, it will make quite a difference to jog a mile first, then do some hundred+ metre runs approaching race-pace to get all those physiological systems turning over.
http://www.runningfastr.com/5k-training-plan/18-minute-5k-training-plan/
Hope you find useful.
Cheers,
Matt