"Intermediate" Training Plan (Review Mine) (Read 107 times)

(ALL 5K)

PR 18:53 HS 2003

got back into running last quarter of 2013.  PR 20:32

did some light training early this year, back into racing and consistent training in August PR 20:57 (last week)

current schedule

Sunday (day after race) - coach basketball, 4 hours of running up and down the court.  GPS doesn't work inside so I have no way to quantify this but I can tell you it's HARD especially on tired legs.  That being said I think it feels much harder than it actually is, I consider this mostly an "OFF" day.

Monday:  7k @ 5:30/K, relatively flat (road)

Tuesday:  run to gym 7.77K @ 5:30K lots and lots of long gradual uphill, 15 minute cooldown on elliptical at same pace, lift legs

Wednesday:  7k @ 9:30/K run/walk (with wife)

Thursday:  variable easy day, usually the same as Wed.

Friday:  OFF

Saturday:  5K race at 9AM.  been pretty consistently somewhere around 4:30/K

We have been doing a charity 5K every Saturday since August, breaks up the monotony of training and keeps an accurate way of tracking my progress.  I have the same work/school obligations everyone else does so cutting 2hours out of my schedule to work out is a task like it is for us all.  In HS we used to run races on Tuesdays and Saturdays for the year (XC, winter track, spring track) but the more I'm learning post-HS the more I realize those programs were a joke, especially in preparation the day before and day of a race.  Cut out nearly all alcohol, really changed my diet, sleep, etc. for the better.  Stretching like a madman, thinking about everything I put in my body and when I do it, etc.  Went and saw several Dr. been putting off to work on my biomechanics and strike better/safer, new shoes and inserts, proper running gear and GPS, etc.

Been doing a lot of reading, I'm really trying to dip back into the sub-20 by the end of the year.  I have two races, Nov. 15 and Thanksgiving Day that are big, big races where I really want to push and do well and make the attempt there.  Some of the reading I have been doing is suggesting 3 day abstinence tapers and 6 week breaks in between races but I feel like for me a race is a good workout at speed and really gives me incentive to push and not take it easy like it can be on a long, slow run by yourself.  Other literature suggests I should be running 30-40 miles per week (48-64 km or relatively 16-32k more than I'm doing now if you don't count race/sunday).  Still others suggests for those with little time and running with runners of vastly different levels (me and wife) the best idea is to hit the track and do speed work (we have access).

So I guess I know I need to toss in another HARD workout in somewhere, either hills or speed work, where would you do it?  Or would you opt to add in a long, slow run (and at what pace given what I've written, I feel like 5:30 is certainly not conversational pace but I could maintain that pretty much infinitely).  Any suggestions on what we should start with for either (ex:  6x800, pyramid, etc.) and build up from there (or if long, slow how far and what intensity?).  Is it true that I can substitute track speed workouts (SO BORING) with hills and get the same effect, only better with less joint pounding (really beneficial to me since I'm combating degenerative joint disease)?  Something like hills or track would be great so my wife and I can continue to run together and push each other both working at different speeds (whereas a 20k long, slow run would not be so practical as 7K is her personal training best distance so far of run/walk 9:30/K).  I want to see her keep doing well for herself and if she stops doing it, likely i will too.

I feel like my last race (post HS PR 20:57 I finished way too hard the last 800 because I left too much in the tank because we didn't know the course (distance too far to go practice it before hand) and afterward felt I could have gone 20:30 in ideal situation that day.  It was very hilly in the first half and I didn't feel the normal quad tired hills can suck out probably because my one run a week is so so so hilly it felt great but the back half was relatively flat and I think I took it too easy expecting more hills.  I'm realistic, I need to stay injury free for life and work and have no delusions I'm going to be some 16 minute race winner someday but getting down near my HS times just by doing everything smarter would be great.  Will taking off of racing every Saturday and working out (running or gym?) help me reach the goal of sub-20 at one of these races I really care about or is the competitive nature of the 5k races pushing me as an effective really hard speed day and I should keep them up?  For the races I really care about, is extending my "OFF" days (which all of us with lives know are not really OFF) to maybe thursday + friday going to help all that much?  It's getting cold and any excuses now not to train are not good.  Every race we have done on a Saturday if I ate really good Thurs/Fri/Sat and just took Friday off I've felt really sharp and legs ready to work on Sat morning but all these pro books are suggesting 2 and 3 day tapers.

was there a question?

Cliffs:  should I run more (distance) to increase my aerobic base or run more (intervals, speed, hills,etc) to increase my explosiveness to chop off another minute?

 

is there anything else I can do at this point outside of running to get faster (supplements diet change my rest periods etc)

Not cliffs, but do both. One great piece of advice I've read that HS kids should do between seasons is to focus on both ends of the speed spectrum. Use the off-season to build a strong aerobic base. Run lots of miles including a weekly tempo and 10K paced intervals/fartleks. But so you don't lose tough with the speed developed in the prior season, continue to do short bursts of speed (including short hill sprints).