Basic speed, or, why am I so damn slow?

That's your problem, son. You THINK that, because you read it in a book or off some dumb website, but you don't KNOW what happens when you run 12 x 15 secs all-out with 50 secs recovery.

Hell, you even posted in reply to yourself using the Really? handle.

You're right, I cannot teach you anything. Nobody can. You're stupid and nothing can save you.

Bye now!

Fucked in the head said:

Hey trainer,

If you think that anyone can do the following without building up large amounts of lactic acid, you are the dumbest ass on here. If you think this improves speed, you're even dumberer!

Trainer said: "Measure a distance that will take between 10sec - 15sec to run at full-pace, then do 12 reps, with a walk back to the start between each (50sec). This is ATP training. You generate little lactic acid but run at maximum effort."

WHATS YOUR PROBLEM - LOSER? I read sites most days and I know that half of what I read is crap. Your crap is included.

I really dont think you have tried 12 x 15 secs all-out with 50 secs recovery. Its not that hard. If you do have LACTIC ATTACKS then I feel sorry for you. Know more should I say. (Fun runs etc - stick to it)

What happens when you run 12 x 15 secs all-out with 50 secs recovery? - you ask. You gain POWER. Week by week. It wont happen overnight skippy but it will happen. Try it chump. If you react again with fury then I know your doing the training. Dik Fuk!

touche lebron. Actually I'm too lazy too read really long posts. I should perhaps adjust my statement to read "lydiard convert" or even more appropriately "van aaken" convert since I think that would most appropriately describe what I have in mind at this point. i've just recently started reading these boards so I wrote "letsrun" convert only because I had noticed that the founders seemed to push a long term / high mileage approach and I seem to recall them casting some doubts on the worth of all these speedwork elites are prone to do these days. In any case perhaps your're right and I used incorrect the incorrect term -- I'll stick with "van aaken" convert or a mutation thereof.

In any case, you won't catch me on the track doing 200's any more, I guarantee you.

Racer-1 has possibly left the longest post ever...who actually finished it all?

Evil Kneivel wrote:

You need to do some consistent Yoga and eat lots of Tofu and Yogurt. Do this for three months and you will run sub-5.

I'm not sure how you were able to get in here using my name. Back in the days a lot of guys would use my name to try to pick up chicks. I won't tolerate it.

Everyone knows you're not really me by writing that crap. I don't eat that kind of shit or do yoga. I eat red meat and drink Wild Turkey whiskey. Closest I've ever come to yoga was when I did a yoga instructor from Menlo Park.

You fans don't be fooled by this imposter.

In addition to all the running advice already offered, you might want to do some upper body and abodiminal exercises. You need the upper body strength to counterbalance increased leg strength when you start doing speedwork.

an interesting read about critical velocity and its relation to marathon times:

http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0815.htm

also. what are malmo's heels?

once a week do some basic speed; usually I'd recommend 60s, but you're a little beyond the normal age of beginners, so do some 200s with gear changes. Brisk 120m, 400m effort 80m. About 6-8 of those.

another day per week alternate 800/1500/5k specific work:

8x150m @ goal 800m pace w/ sufficient rest

16-24x200m @ goal 1500m pace with 90s-->60s rest

8-10x800m @ goal 5k pace w/ 1:1 rest

another day should be long LT 40-60min worth

then a long run and the rest just getting out the door

i didn't see this was 16 mos. old until just now.

Very, very slow wrote:

Background....31 year old male, running about 5 years now. Peak around 60mpw, most often more like 50mpw. Often injured, but have been healthy for the last year. 5'11", 160 lbs, not a huge fatty.

Problem...cannot run faster than 5:20 for the mile, 2:30 for the 800, or 68 seconds for a quarter. Yes, I am very, very slow. My 5k pr is around 6:00 pace (18:30ish). I mostly run 5k's, so generally feel that 50-60mpw should be sufficient. However, I have not gotten faster in 3+years. Could I just be this slow forever?

I have decided I lack basic speed...I was always the slowest kid in school, ya know? Any ideas on how to work on basic speed...throwing miles at this problem has not seemed to help...though I realize 60mpw seems low for many of you...this should be sufficient for me to race occassional 5k's.

"not a huge fatty" in other words you could lose some weight? Probably a lot more than you will admit to I would guess.

Weight loss makes a huge difference.

Go and run marathons.With a 5k around 18:30 you should be able to set sub 3hrs as your goal. If you can achieve that you are in the top 2% of Marathoners.Yes; there are a lot of liers out there.

So what is better for a distance runner with untrained speed... the 200m workout progression posted by JK about ‘joe’, or the short hill sprints and 50m sprints with full recovery recommended by others?

What are some good examples of how this speed work fits into early-mid and race season?

Bump