How often do you do speed work? (Read 1197 times)

A typical moderate program will have one speed workout per week (5k-10k pace) intervals, one tempo run per week (30-60 min @ approx. half marathon pace) and one long run per week. Personally, I find the interval stuff makes me more prone to injury, so I'm trying to do the tempos and long runs once per week, and the intervals less often. The physiology is that there are 3 ways to become a better runner. 1) Improve your VO Max - this is done through interval work 2) Improve your lactate threshold - do this in tempos. 3) Improve running economy - long runs. However, this is only after you've built your aerobic engine, which makes you much better all by itself and can be done through a lot of easy miles.

speed is addressed by Daniels as a % of weekly miles not to exceed x and I believe my interval work was not to exceed 10% or 6 miles and tempo is less than 5%??? it is all fuzzy so don't quote me on it... my point is that the recommendations for speed work are such that they are a small percentage of your weekly miles... and if you are only running say 12.8 miles in a week or say 20 miles in a week then the amount of speed work you will be doing is going to be very very small... 5% of 12.8 miles is only a bit over 800 meters... My personal opinion (and wish I would have know this before) is to forget the "speed work" until you get a consistent base (another debate) and running 5 days a week... and just do strides after one of your workouts 1-2x per week.

Define : speedwork. Depending on your definition I might be doing it 4 times a week, or perhaps not at all. And if your log is accurate you're a long way from needing to worry about speedwork. Build a big base first.

And if your log is accurate you're a long way from needing to worry about speedwork. Build a big base first.

Everyone has their own opinion of how much of a base. My opinion is a minimum of 20 MPW for a minimum of 12 weeks......at which point you can start 'thinking about it' and maybe doing 2 miles (MINIMUM) of intervals one time per week....... A lot of people will say that you need a much bigger base (and there are good reasons for thinking so). I base my number of the fact that I started doing speed work at this base 10 weeks ago and am starting to really feel a difference..............the number I gave you I belive to be MINIMUM MPW for considering speed work.. Again lots of peope have great reasons for advising you to have a bigger base....and they are propably right.....

Define : speedwork. Depending on your definition I might be doing it 4 times a week, or perhaps not at all. And if your log is accurate you're a long way from needing to worry about speedwork. Build a big base first.

I will reiterate what Mikey wrote and add that before you begin to think about doing serious speedwork you should spend some time working on leg strength either by running hills or in the gym.

My first glance thought that the question was How often do you do speed at work? So not very often. I haven't done speedwork at all this year. Hope to do some next year.

Depends entirely upon the season, but I definitely recommend building a base first. The majority of your improvement is going to come from running more miles more often. Speed work is just for getting that extra few seconds to a few minutes depending upon your distance. When you do start with speedwork, start with low volume (pickups and striders) and be sure to get plenty of rest afterwards. If you don't recover, you can't improve, and if you aren't getting paid it isn't worth the risk for the minimal rewards of continual speedwork without adequate recovery.