Late Season 5K Training Advice (Read 51 times)

Hello,

My current training schedule is as follows:

Saturday = long run between 10 & 14 miles. Pace is not easy, not fast about 9:00 to 9:50 average pace

Sunday = easy run 6 miles. Absolute recovery, easy pace do not even look at time or pace

Wednesday = 4 miles speed work. Either 1 minute / 1:30 off intervals or 2 miles of tempo pacing.

Gym Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday

5K races:

7/4/18 = 24:21 - 7:49 avg

8/18/18 = 23:13 - 7:28 avg

So struggled badly through a very hot and humid summer, also every single run and race was in between 80 and 90 degree, humid temperatures. Really hoping to focus on doing about three or four  more races in the cooler weather to try for my goal of a sub 7 minute mile average starting with one on 9/8 in Milton MA.

Can anyone offer any suggestions or changes to my current training to change things up but using the same three day cycle? Getting a bit bored with the current regimen but it seems to be working and would keep going with this if that is what is recommended. Remember I am very new to this so any advice is  welcome & appreciated.

Thank You,

Jay

Obviously, running more days would help but with that not being an option, I would suggest some minor tweaks that combined with cooler weather may give you a small to moderate chance of running at 7 min pace in a 5K

- Run last Couple miles of long run at faster pace on fatigued legs

- On Wed do some critical velocity work.(look up Critical Velocity pace)...work up to 6 x 800m at 10K pace effort with 75-90 sec jogs or work toward that. Focus on effort rather than exact pace and last rep should be faster than first. This work out also should not kill you. Then do 4 x 200m at 1 mile pace effort with full jog recovery. I would do this 2 weeks on and then 3rd week faster 400m intervals.

- Drop a few lbs

Good luck.