Speed work? (Read 689 times)

Hallo, Since I started running 18 months ago, I've done quite a few races between 10k - Marathon. So I guess it's time to try my first 5 km !!! Now, as life is complicated enough, I like to keep my running simple. I do 3-4 runs per week between 10-20 km, and a long run in the weekend of 20+ km. I just "run": No fartlek, no hills (unless I happen to be in a hilly country), no intervals & no tempo (except the days when I'm bored and decided to push a little bit). The thing is that my 5 km next month will be my first & last 5 km for a while (I kinda enjoy longer distances), and therefore it would be nice to do run decent time. My question is: is there any kind of "quality run" that I really, really, really have to do, in order to run a good time, or should I just keep doing whatever I've been doing so far? Thanks in advance Rafa

Yes, I agree with Mr R. I would suggest once per week a 20 min tempo or 2 X 12 min with 1-2 min recovery between at a hard but controlled pace. Shouldn't feel quite as hard a 10K pace but close. Should not feel "race like" but you are working. You should not feel fried after this work out. Warm up, do your work out then do the striders like Mr R suggests starting with 4-6 and working toward 12 as race approaches. Then cool down. This run bay be 6-8 miles. You can do these striders at a fast pace (not all out but fast) w/ full jog recovery. You can do these on another day per week also. You also can finish the last 2 miles of your long run at a faster pace if feeling good. Not killer but just a faster pace on tired legs. These work outs will sharpen you up without really hammering on your aerobic base. Good luck!

While I totally agree with TChuck and Mr. R that tempo run of approximately 20 minutes would be one of the best workouts; given the fact you will be trying a 5k in a mere month time and this be "the first and the last for a while", my suggestion would be to do a 1km tempo, or approxmately 4~5 minutes in length on the road. From my experience with myself and with others, this seems to work really well without taxing your body too much. A form of intervals/repetitions as well as, as suggested, tempo run of about 20 minutes in length would work best IF you have plenty of time and this being a part of a, say, 3~6 months program. But, realistically, if you do this type of workout, say, once a week, you probably have only twice or three times to try. If you never done this type of workout, it'll take two or three tries to start to get used to it. 1km tempo at projected 5k pace would be much easier to handle and will prepare you for the next month's 5k race without over-stressing your body. Do a few strides the day before to get the rhythm. Good luck and have fun. I personally LOVE 5k.

Definitely I'm too old for that speed stuff

Don't say that - cause I'm 56 - so if your too old, them I'm off the wall.......I sounds like you might have overdone it or that you already had an issue that was a little more exagerated when you started running faster......you can only do so much to increase your speed and expecially in a month......Your better course of action is to do your normal runs and then incorporate a little less speed work one day per week but less then 10% at first.......then build on that........AFTER you recover from you knee injury........