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- 6-8 x 1000m @ 10k pace off 2min rest
- 4 x 1mile @ 5k pace off 4 min rest
- 8 x 400 @ 5k pace off 2 min rest
- 20min tempo (slightly slower than 10k pace)
5k pace is 6:15
10k pace is 6:37
I'd do one of these sessions a week along with my usual easy running and the long run at the weekends. Depending on how I'm feeling I'd chuck in a medium effort steady run too.
Cheers
Accepting the different recovery periods I would still say that 8*1k at 10k pace off 2 mins is way easier than 4*1mile at 5k pace off 4 mins (which sounds like a puking session).
Similarly 8*400 @ 5k pace off 2 mins is the easiest of the lot and 3 miles continuous at just slower than 10k pace sounds pretty tough.
If I was to have a go at scheduling the sessions over the next 4 weeks then maybe
Week 1 w/c 01/04 6 * 600 @ 5k pace off 2 mins
Wk 2 w/c 08/04 30 mins 1 mile 10k, 1 mile MP & repeat till time runs out (about 4.3 miles)
Wk 3 w/c 15/04 6 * 800 at 5k pace off 2 mins
Wk 4 w/c 22/04 8 * 1000 at 10k pace off 2 mins
Wk 5 race week Maybe do your 8*400 at 5k pace on the Tuesday as a sharpener. Then taper.
Now everyone can slaughter my attempt and eventually you will finish up with a perfect schedule :-)
Thanks for the suggestions Skinny. I took the sessions from a video I saw online by a chap called Sage Canaday. DT, yes - now I think about it 4 x 1mile @ 5kp would be awful even with the rest. I wouldn't mind giving it a go though
A burst of these speed sessions could set that back. For some runners, these speed sessions seem to unlock things though so if you feel like experimenting, I'd do a 10k as soon as possible to get a baseline understanding of where you are before you do a block such as this.
My experience was as follows: Jan 2014 I ran sub 90 (injuring myself) and in early April a sub 41 min 10k. Then came a sub 40 in May. I thought I'd get serious and do a concerted block of the kind of sessions you describe but come July/August I was only a few seconds faster than in the spring over 10k, around the 39 mins mark. August, September and October my training involved only a weekly tempos or prog run and I hit 36.25 for 10k in November. I think the speedwork through May, June and July stalled my progress rather than accelerating it but it was critical to understanding what sort of runner I was.
5 or 6 x1km at 10k pace off 90secs would be a nice way in, and save the 8x1km for about a week or 2 before the target race when peaking.
If I were doing 8x400, I'd expect it to be 3k pace, and off 90secs. For a 5k pace session, I would expect at least 10 reps, but probably more like 12. And off only 1min too.
20mins "Tempo" is one a lot of people swear by, but personally I'd more favour 35-40mins at a step down pace wise. Medium hard job. Or at least doing tempo reps. Otherwise like Skinny love says, over 3miles slightly slower than 10k pace is a huge ask to step into.
But a nice progression is what you want. Starting say 5 or 6 x1km at 10k pace, and ending with either the 8x1k, or 5x1mile type sessions.
What I remember being a superb set of sessions back in the day, was mixing 10k pace with steady. The steady pace, that would normally feel a bit of an effort versus easy pace, suddenly feels like pure cigar out pace in comparison!
I have my tempo pace at 6:45. I will factor in your advice of the progressions.
(still gonna put the sessions into my watch though...muahaha)
Whatever I do I 'll be cautious about it and keep the reps low and make sure I've warmed up properly first. I'm going to hit my local track up too which will be a first for me.
How would you mix up 10k and steady? Could you pyramid it and do 5432345 mins @ 10k with steady recoveries?
Nice steady one today. Going to give the feet a rest tomorrow as the blisters still haven't healed properly since the HM. Then I'll do a quality one on Friday.
13.1 so far for the week.
DH -I think you'll be close to sub 40. I did a 19:00 5K and a 39:30 10K within a couple of weeks of each other when I first broke 40. A few months later I then ran a 90:06 half marathon which was a PB at the time. So I wouldn't necessarily say you need to have ran a sub 90 half to go below 40. As muddy says it depends on what type of runner you are...
I'm tapering and eating the carbs. I'm not that confident about Sunday's marathon due to inconsistent training and a lack of a couple of long runs. Sure it will be fine though...
I ran a hilly parkrun on Saturday in a touch over 20 minutes for second place, probably could have taken the tape if I'd tried a bit harder in the final mile. Nice route though.
Tommy, remind me, which mara are you doing? I would guess Manchester but I have Anderlecht in my mind and know somewhere in Northern Europe outside the UK is more your style.
Easy 14 this morning, being a reduced long run to take account of Saturdays relays. Will do a 10 mlr then on Sunday. It poured down the whole time. I had full on winter gear on but the last few miles were miserable.
Well done on that 14 miler DT - it was snowing on the school run !
I managed a little session for the first time in two weeks over lunch. Not much but 4.75m averaging 6.21 min/mile (20 mile pace
I might squeeze in a tiny run tomorrow morning to wake my legs up but that will be it.
DH - I think when I had a 1.31 half and a 19:45 5k I was still a way off a sub-40, although I did run a 41.06 on a hilly (2 Castles) course so maybe not that far off? Anyway, I never actually did it. I think you're still on a steeper part of the improvement curve than I was though so it may come soon. Not sure on sessions but I had my biggest breakthrough in terms of performance gains when I did some track racing (800m and 1500m) and suddenly realised that 5k pace felt EASY and 10k pace was practically jogging
Something about today's session felt very good. I set off far too quick but had my breath back quicker than I thought I would have. 6:20 felt very comfortable at times which isn't far off of my 5k pace so you could be right regarding the curve.
National rd relays yesterday which was enjoyable. I assumed the leg would be very similar to that i ran in September but it wasnt. Just over 5k and 217ft of elevation gain came in at 19.20 so 6.12 pace. I feel satisfied with that pace for such a lot of climbing. Finished week off with a very easy mlr of 10 miles this pm. Gives me 52 for week which os more than i feel like ive run.
Putting aside the under-performance, the positives are that my knee was absolutely fine (given I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to run again 24 months ago this is a massive win), I managed to run a marathon with no blisters and no toenail damage (this has NEVER happened) and I got a GFA for London. I suspect I will probably recover faster as well as it was more like a 18m MP and 8m "easy" session.
The course was flat as advertised but I found long stretches of it unbearably dull, that might just be where my head was at though. I've only done London and Paris before. Will get back to the shorter stuff for the summer.
Skinny - I agree, lots to build on. One of my resolutions post-injury was not to take the ability to run and race for granted and there's lots to be happy about.
How's your foot doing? Did you Parkrun this week?
Speaking of which, my target is changing by the day. Been struggling all round over the last few weeks, PF is painful, not feeling well, not eating properly and the chimp is back with a vengeance the little fu*k.
The plus is that i've lost a fair bit of weight but it doesn't seem to have helped with running. Just 5 miles last Tuesday and nothing for almost a week before that and we debated for 3 hours on Sunday morning if i should try a 20 miler. Eventually i won the debate and headed out but he was on my shoulder the whole way.
I knew i was in trouble at 8M and then had to detour at 14.5M due to a road closure which sent me down a bypass with cars bombing past at 60mph a few feet away, then after a few minutes it suddenly dawned on me that i was probably in some danger so climbed the embankment to get away from the road and tried to run on that but it was horrendous so i ended up capitulating at 16M when my pace dropped to 11:xx/M. Quads felt like i'd done 30M and PF probably the worst i've felt it. Wondered WTF am i doing !?
A friend who is running London kindly stopped in his car and picked me up saying he thought something must be wrong for me to be walking there ( it really isn't the sort of place for people to be other than in a vehicle ) He's going for 4.30 in London so that may be my revised target. Or i may just fold.
WELL DONE McF! The last bit doesn't sound like that much fun, but that is still a brilliant time after all the time you spent getting over your injury and especially if you had to take things easier after 18 miles.
Mcf, I have been there in a mara for those last 8 miles. Never does such a relatively short distance feel so far! There are a lot of positives for you though from the day which you point out.
Mace, sorry to hear of your issues. It would be a shame not to make the start line but if the pf doesn't allow it then so be it. If the treason comes down to you just folding because you've not done the training etc, then in your position I would just go for the 'parade' and plod it out.
Reading a brief report on the Rotterdam mara where Tommy was. Sounds like he got unlucky again with some surprise warm weather which seems to have ruined a lot of peoples day.
I met Bob at the rd relays on Saturday, however I didn't know it was Bob until I worked it out the following day.
I am on the 'yellow start' for London this year which is exciting. It is basically the fgfa start but they have changed the name! I had cause to speak with vmlm yesterday and asked why the name change. One of the 2 reasons I was given was the fgfa name offended people and they had complaints!!!! This isn't parkrun!!!
Last week training for me, session over lunchtime planned.