Running fast in training ? (Read 907 times)

OK, I'm a relatively new runner, but I can't grasp this running slow and easy concept. I want to run fast at the front of the pack, and it seems to me the only way I can get my body adapted to running fast is to actually run fast, and run fast often, maybe at least 2-3 times/wk. I know there is increased risk of injury when training this hard, but it seems that plodding along for 50 miles/wk at a slow pace can pound on your body too. So, for this year I really only want to run up to 10k's max distance, with >80% of races being 5k's. How many miles do I really need to run to gain endurance to do this? Is ~30 miles/wk with one long run of 8-10 miles/wk good enough? Am I better off doing mostly speedwork for the rest of the week in order to get faster? I want to be running 6 mm by the Fall and run a mile in 5:15ish. Current best pace is 6:52 for a 6k in Feb. with 5 mo running with 2 2-3wk breaks, 1 for injury and 1 for flu. Any suggested training schedules?? FYI, I've never run competitively, no CC or track in HS, so I don't know how fast I could run a mile when I was younger.

Yes, running fast can help you run faster but it probably isn't as much help as you think and you don't have to do that much of it to get all the help it's going to give you. You get most of the benefit (i.e. speed) from running in general at any pace (within reason) and since running fast puts you at increased risk from injury (and over-training), almost all training plans have you do the bulk of your running at an easier and safer pace and then add the minimum amount of faster pace as needed.

I ran my fastest 5k a week after running my first marathon.

Whether you're running the mile or the marathon, the same holds true for both -- speedwork is the icing on the cake. But you need to focus on the cake first -- base mileage. In HS, my X-country coach gave me a training program for the winter to get me ready for track in the spring (where I was racing "short" distances of 800m~3200m). I remember glancing through it and saying, "where are the speed workouts?" Then I noticed a note at the top that said, "No speedwork until you reach 40~45 miles per week." Now, the number may vary from person to person, but the thinking still applies -- build up those miles. Even though I was training for relatively short races, my coach knew better than I did that lots of easy miles would make me a lot faster than low miles with speed workouts.

Your misconception about training is shared by many beginning runners. A well balanced training program should consist of workouts intended to develop: (1) Aerobic conditioning - developed through running in the general aerobic zone, which is at a "comfortable" pace which enables you to hold a conversation using complete sentences. Heart rate should be 60-80% of HRmax. (2) Lactate threshold (LT) - developed by running 20-30 minutes at LT pace, which is the pace that you can sustain under race conditions for about an hour, or a "comfirtably hard" pace that permits conversing in phrases but not complete sentences. Heart rate should be in the trange of 85-90% of HRmax. (3) Aerobic capacity - developed by running 3-5 minute intervals at VO2max pace, which is about 3-5k race pace, with equal recovery time while jogging. Heart rate should be 95-98% HRmax. (4) Anaerobic capacity - developed by short intervals (50-200 meters) at a pace faster than VO2max with full recovery between them (up to 5-6 times interval time). Heart rate should be 100% HRmax. At least 75-80% of weekly mileage should be in the aerobic conditioning range (category 1 above). Experienced runners may devote up to 25% of their mileage to a combination of categories 2, 3 and 4 with the mix changing as a function of the race distance for which one is training. Many fresh-off-the-couch beginning runners should devote an even higher percentage of their mileage (up to 100%) in category 1 (aerobic conditioning) for at least several months to develop muscular and skeletal conditioning before attempting the more stressfull categories. Otherwise, the risk of injury to muscles, tendons and bones is increased. Other than to minimize the risk of injury, another reason "easy" aerobic conditioning training is important is that, except for sprints, all running is mostly aerobic. A marathon is 99% aerobic. A 10k race is 97% aerobic. A 5k race is 93% aerobic. Even a 1-mile race is somewhere between 70-90% aerobic. The better developed one's aerobic base or "engine", the faster the pace can be sustained for a given distance or the longer a given pace can be sustained. Unlike in sprint events, being able to maintain a pace is more important in long distance racing than is raw speed. That's the reason so many runners experience very fast 5-10k racing shortly after a high aerobic mileage marathon program, as a couple of other posters mentioned. (For my similar exxperiences, see http://mysite.verizon.net/jim2wr/id99.html.) To respond to your specific questions....you should continue to gradually build your mileage base (as high as 40-50 mpw) over the next few months with most (80%) of it in the aerobic conditioning zone (category 1) and 20% mostly in the LT and VO2max areas (categories 2 and 3). It sounds like you are serious about this and, based on your 6k last month, are starting at a relatively "advanced" level. If you want to train optimally to try to reach your goals, I suggest that you become a student of the sport by buying a good book to guide you. A couple of excellent books for this purpose are "Daniels' Running Formula" by Jack Daniels and "The Competitive Runner's handbook" by Bob Glover. Better yet, get both....they complement each other nicely.

By the way, Jeff, what are you tapering for?

Ouch.

OP is not my question, but I like reading these for the advice.

(3) Aerobic capacity - developed by running 3-5 minute intervals at VO2max pace, which is about 3-5k race pace, with equal recovery time while jogging. Heart rate should be 95-98% HRmax.

Is this (3-5) X 1 minute intervals, or is this n repeats of intervals lasting 3-5 minutes?

As anecdotal evidence, I ran my fastest 5k in the midst of marathon training.

Ditto to what he said - except it was a 10K for me.