1

8 weeks to prep for 10K, should I focus on intervals or tempos, or both? (Read 141 times)


Mmmmm...beer

    I'm in my second week of recovery from my first marathon, and feeling great.  Next week I plan to get back to regular running and want to start focusing on a 10K that I have in May.  I'll have 8 weeks to train for it, and have never really done speed work.  I did a couple of tempos at the start of a Pfitzinger 18/70 plan for my marathon, but I didn't stick with the plan after that (or the speed work).  My plan is to get back to 50mpw, run at least 6 days a week, keep my long run capped at around 15/16 miles and add speed work.

     

    So my question is, should I focus more on intervals or tempos, or try to do both?  Alternate one each week, or go for both each week?

     

    I'll be doing a couple of 5Ks in April that I can use to gauge a goal for the 10K.  My next goal race after the 10k will be a half in October.  I think I read somewhere that intervals are better for shorter races and tempos are better for longer races, so would it be wise to focus more on intervals for the 10K and then afterwards switch my focus more to tempos for the half?

     

    Thanks!

    -Dave

    My running blog

    Goals | sub-18 5k | sub-3 marathon 2:56:46!!

      Congrats on your recent marathon!

       

      Given your lack of quality work, I'd formulate a plan with one weekly quality workout and a typical long run per week. Also add striders into your weekly routine 1-2x per week.

       

      MTA: Answering your question - do both. Tempos for next 3-4 weeks, then intervals for 3-4 weeks. This framework should get you to the starting line of your 10k with a little development from where you are today.

       

      Or just follow the RA maxim.


      Feeling the growl again

        I'd focus on tempos the first month or so, then intervals.

         

        Better yet, do both.  If you are really focused on the 10K, scrap the marathon-focused long runs and cap your longest run at about 80-90 minutes.  This may allow you to do both a tempo and an interval workout during the week.  You could work the tempo into that 90 minute run as a solid block or as tempo intervals mixed in even.

        "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

         

        I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

         


        Sultan of slug

          The key to your question is how many workouts per week you can handle. As Spaniel says, maybe cutting down on your long run would render it an "easy" or "medium" day and allow you to get in two additional quality sessions per week - one interval workout and one tempo workout.

           

          For now, I can only parrot Jack Daniels, whose 5-15k program has made me a lot faster over the past few months. Assuming you don't want to build your base any further and have eight weeks to devote to workouts, Mr. Daniels would suggest three weeks of speedwork and tempos, two weeks of intervals and tempos, and three weeks of tempos and mixed work. He actually lays out three workouts per week but two is more realistic if you haven't been doing speedwork and/or aren't 19 years old.

           

          So your mini-season would look something like this for 50 mpw. Prescribed paces can be found here and elsewhere.

          Weeks 1-3:

          - Workout 1: 200m-400m repeats at ~mile pace with equidistant recovery jogs - you should be pretty well rested going into each repeat. Repeats total 2.5 miles or less

          - Workout 2: Tempo intervals (1-2 miles each, 5 miles total) at a pace between your HM and 10K pace ("a pace you can hold for an hour") w/ rests of one minute per mile after each repeat. Daniels's tempo pace is harder than most people's definition of "comfortably hard," I think.

           

          Weeks 4-5

          -Workout 1: 800m-1200m at 3k-5k race pace (or 3-5 minutes hard on the road) with recovery jogs of similar duration (3-4 mins of rest for a 4-5 min interval). Interval distance should total 4 miles or less.

          -Workout 2: Tempo intervals, as above, or medium-distance runs with 20 minutes spent at tempo pace. Could also do some 40-60m runs at marathon pace

           

          Weeks 6-8

          -Workout 1: Tempo run - 20 minutes at that pretty hard tempo pace, or 30-40 mins at a bit slower pace, or 40-60 mins at about marathon pace, sandwiched into a medium or long run

          -Workout 2: Intervals as above - but a little less total distance at that hard pace - or mixed intervals and repeats. Nothing crazy.

           

          Take it for what it's worth. I find following structured workouts to be a lot of fun and a good challenge, especially if I've just spent a lot of time running nothing but easy-ish miles. But there's always the old "just run a lot, sometimes fast, and race often" type of approach.

           

          Good luck!


          #artbydmcbride

            two words.....Hill Sprints!

             

            Runners run

            bap


              Dcloafer, I'd argue that 2 speed sessions a week is too hard for someone with no experience of speed work. It's no fun to run on tired legs all the time and there's the risk of injury.

               

              Dto, speed workouts should be hard but fun. Schedule them in , do them, but don't overdo it. If you have tired legs then take it easy on your long runs. If you're feeling good then run the last 15 minutes of a long run hard, or charge the last few hills, recovering on the downside.

               

              Once you've finished the 10K you can look at honing your workouts to improve your times. For now, work hard but have fun with it.

              Certified Running Coach
              Crocked since 2013


              Sultan of slug

                Dcloafer, I'd argue that 2 speed sessions a week is too hard for someone with no experience of speed work. It's no fun to run on tired legs all the time and there's the risk of injury.

                 

                 

                You could be right, and I'd say it's best to err on the side of caution. I did injure myself doing this plan, but I was pushing the mileage to previously unknown heights while alternating two and three workouts per week (the third workout being a race or a hard long run). If dto is running mileage that's 30% off his peak, two workouts a week are probably doable if he reigns in the long runs.

                 

                Plus, the first phase of workouts isn't bad. The speedwork hurts the first time, but it's not that hard on your body because the idea is to be pretty much totally rested going into each repeat. Similarly, the tempo intervals ease you into it a bit. And you can always shorten the quantity of each session if you think it's too much.

                 

                But still, I agree: Proceed, but cautiously.

                npaden


                  One very easy thing to do is add some strides in some of your easy runs.

                   

                  I have a somewhat modified Hansons 10K training plan in my training log if you want to check it out.

                  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)

                    Congrats on your recent marathon!

                     

                    Given your lack of quality work, I'd formulate a plan with one weekly quality workout and a typical long run per week. Also add striders into your weekly routine 1-2x per week.

                     

                    MTA: Answering your question - do both. Tempos for next 3-4 weeks, then intervals for 3-4 weeks. This framework should get you to the starting line of your 10k with a little development from where you are today.

                     

                    Or just follow the RA maxim.

                     

                    +1

                    Runners run


                    Mmmmm...beer

                      Thanks everyone!

                       

                      What do you guys think of the McMillan 10k workout?  I was thinking of doing that, with intervals on the alternating weeks, and some tempos if I can handle two quality sessions a week.  I didn't think of cutting back my long run, it's become such an ingrained part of my routine, but that definitely makes sense so that I can do more speed work.

                       

                      http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/articlePages/article/39

                      -Dave

                      My running blog

                      Goals | sub-18 5k | sub-3 marathon 2:56:46!!

                      stshipley7


                        Dcloafer, I'd argue that 2 speed sessions a week is too hard for someone with no experience of speed work. It's no fun to run on tired legs all the time and there's the risk of injury.

                         

                        Dto, speed workouts should be hard but fun. Schedule them in , do them, but don't overdo it. If you have tired legs then take it easy on your long runs. If you're feeling good then run the last 15 minutes of a long run hard, or charge the last few hills, recovering on the downside.

                         

                        Once you've finished the 10K you can look at honing your workouts to improve your times. For now, work hard but have fun with it.

                         

                        I agree.

                         

                        Since you have time, perhaps you can see how your body handles 3 speed sessions spread out over two weeks. If you can handle that, you might try 2 speed sessions a week, but as stated above, you could hold off until after the race. You might find that too much speed work leaves your muscles feeling a bit sore and that the actual race would be rather flat with no pep. Also if you are going to tune up with a 5K or two, those races count as speed workouts (sorry to state the obvious).

                         

                        -STS