1

Help with 10k speed (Read 200 times)

Wing


Joggaholic

    I have signed up for a 10k, I have 4 weeks to prepare for it. I should've trained/planned ahead earlier but I messed up and thought the race was going to be in May. I've just "restarted" after a couple of fairly low volume months.

     

    This is what I normally do (am getting back into):

     

    ~40+ mpw, mostly easy runs

    1 day of intervals, usually something like 10x400s or 6x800s

    1 long run on the weekend (I used to run around 13 miles, but haven't gotten back into this habit lately)

     

    My question is if there is 1 or 2 workouts I can add or substitute in to help with my 10k speed? I'm not in shape for PR now, I just want my time to not suck too badly. Based on how I ran my 5k race last week, I am not optimistic. I know it is not realistic to expect much improvement in this short a period of time, but I do hope to carry on the workout to improve my 10k time this year, not just for this race.

     

    Thanks!

    npaden


      I'm not an expert, but last year when I was working on my 10K goal race I did pretty much what you are doing, but I added some longer intervals in there at goal 10K pace.  4 X 1 miles, 5 X 1,000s, etc.

       

      Earlier on in my plan I did some Tempo runs at HMP, but toward the end I focused on sharpening with some 200s mixed in with some 400s and 800s.  Also added in 6 x 15 second strides on about half of my easy runs.

       

      I made a knock off of someone's Hanson 10K plan that I used.  It's still in my log under training plans.

       

      Good luck!

      Age: 50 Weight: 224 Height: 6'3" (Goal weight 195)

      Current PR's:  Mara 3:14:36* (2017); HM 1:36:13 (2017); 10K 43:59 (2014); 5K 21:12 (2016)


      MoBramExam

        Similar to npaden's response:

         

        I would try to get in two or three tempo runs at HM pace/effort.  I'd go for about 40:00 minutes since that is about how long you will be racing when you run your 10K.  Work on focusing the full tempo time.  Train the brain.

         

        As for speed, little time for anything to really soak in, so short (200s or 400s) intervals for sharping.

         

        Good Luck!

         



        Wing


        Joggaholic

          Thanks for the suggestion. I don't run races and tempo runs enough to know what my HM pace should be, but I gave it a shot last night and did a 10k tempo. It was moderately difficult in effort in the last mile, and I felt that I could have kept the same pace for another 5k, but I would be spent if I did that. Is this the right level of effort for a tempo run? I could have pushed harder with my pace but I don't know if I should. I'm still trying to figure out how "comfortably hard" should feel like.


          Sultan of slug

            Supposedly VO2-max-type stuff gives you a quick payoff and lots of bang for your buck in the short term. I use Daniels-style intervals: Hard repeats (at 3k-5k pace) of 3-5 minutes in duration with equivalent-time jogs between repeats. You will certainly not be fully recovered between intervals.

             

            A staple of my current 5-15k training has been 5 x 1200m with 600m jogs between intervals. They wipe me out, but they started to become easier after just a few weeks to the point where I increased my pace.

             

            Daniels suggests sessions where you spend no more than 8% of your total weekly mileage at this VO2 max pace. So for a 40-mile week, you could run 5 x 1000m with, say, very slow 400m jogs in between.

             

            I think that even doing these for three weeks, and then eliminating them during your race week (or getting in a session on, say the Monday before your Saturday or Sunday race) would give you a boost. At the very least, they're great practice for the psychological rigors of racing!


            Future running partner.

              IMHO, i think that this next race can be used as just a test to see where you are currently at fitness wise, and focus more on the long term by picking a goal race that is about 9 to 12 weeks out. Looking at your log it doesn't look like you have cut back to much. You may not be logging the 60-70 mile weeks like you where, but the 30-40 is still pretty good to maintain most of your fitness. Last year I was in a very similar situation as you. I came from running 60-70 miles a week in the fall then from December through February I cut back a lot and even had a couple of weeks off due to injury. When I started back up in February I focused on getting my mileage back up and getting lean.Then in March I picked a race that was 8 weeks out and set a goal for that race to go sub 20 5k. Thats when I started to focus on speed work.  Don't concern yourself about the possibility of running a slower 10k this next one. That doesn't mean you don't have to rule out any speed work either, but the really hard long intervals at close to VO2 max can drain you rather than train you. I found its better to gradually work into those kinds of workouts. When its early in training for me I prefer to do striders, or few short hill repeats and sprint drills to work on speed. When my mileage is up to where I want it to be, I'll start to through in some repeat 200s at goal 5k to 10k pace with 200 recoveries at close to my normal run pace instead of a jog. I'll make this like an 8 to 10 mile workout. What I have found with this is that it gives me the ability to run at 5k or 10k race pace aerobically and makes me get really comfortable running those paces and it doesn't stress my body too much too early in training with heavy anaerobic work. When I get to about 9 weeks from my main race then I take those repeats and I start extending them every week, until they become specific endurance work. As this workout progresses it may finish with doing 5x1000s at 5k pace with a 200 jog for a final workout before a main 5k or 3x2000 at 10k pace with a 400 recovery for the final workout before a main 10k. If you want to get an idea of how I did this check my log from around February to May of last year. I was able to t make my goal this way.

              Blaf


                Read this article: http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/performance-page-best-10k-workout

                It worked very well for me. I had only 4 weeks too, so I did one workout every week instead every second week.

                Age: 52

                Runner since 2012

                Marathon PB: 3:40:32


                Future running partner.

                  Read this article: http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/performance-page-best-10k-workout

                  It worked very well for me. I had only 4 weeks too, so I did one workout every week instead every second week.

                   

                  I like it!

                  Wing


                  Joggaholic

                    Thanks, I'll try some of the workouts and see how it goes! I happened to have tried the 3x2miles a couple of weeks ago and it is hard...

                      I don't think I can hit those workouts. Think about the total volume of that workout, warm up  of 1-2 miles, 6 miles of hard running, a mile or so jog rest, and then a cool down, total about 9-10 miles, a hard workout for most folks not running a lot.   If I can do 3 X 2 miles at my HM pace, I'd consider it good enough.


                      Future running partner.

                        Thanks, I'll try some of the workouts and see how it goes! I happened to have tried the 3x2miles a couple of weeks ago and it is hard...

                         

                        The key is to work your way up to that. Like the article said, the first workout is more like 6 x 1 mile at 10 goal pace with 3 minutes rest in between. Over the course of several weeks you increase the difficulty of the workout by increasing the length of the intervals. But you also adapt as the workouts get harder. So that eventually the 3 x 2 miles doesn't feel much harder then the 6 x 1 mile. The 5k race pace 200's are also very important for getting you used to being comfortable at speed.


                        Future running partner.

                          I don't think I can hit those workouts. Think about the total volume of that workout, warm up  of 1-2 miles, 6 miles of hard running, a mile or so jog rest, and then a cool down, total about 9-10 miles, a hard workout for most folks not running a lot.   If I can do 3 X 2 miles at my HM pace, I'd consider it good enough.

                           

                          In order to do these kinds of workouts your mileage should be at least 40 mpw. Generally speed work like this should only be about 6 to 10% of your weekly mileage. Or it ends up being more of a strain rather then train.

                          Blaf


                            Good point EnjoytheRide.

                            My average mileage last year was 40 miles/week.

                            Age: 52

                            Runner since 2012

                            Marathon PB: 3:40:32