7 miles a day, 5 days a week, 16:XX 5K

At least 6:30 pace.

I'm also curious about this. Granted, I'm much younger than the OP, but I've been on this training schedule for a couple months now...not quite running 6:30s everyday, but probably close.

I broke 15 a couple years ago, but then did no running for several months before starting this up.

Is mid-16s really realistic off 5 days of 6:30ish pace, 7 miles (no long run, no workouts)?? With my limited knowledge, it seems like breaking 17:30 would be a struggle...

After taking time off its not realistic.

But this guy was running for a long time before. He really just needs to maintain his fitness, stay healthy, and be rested for race day.

I would suggest strides too just to keep speed up if you are able to do it when healthy.

it takes talent to run well off of that schedule

personally, i think doing the same thing every day can only get you so far, and if you had been running 16:30ish off of legit training, then you won't run 16:xx off of this. you could run low 17s probably though

you could still add workouts that aren't running if they don't bother your hips

I think you need to be going a touch faster for 16xx or maybe a few days at 6:00 pace. I am 53, weigh 205, and row as a rule but trained 5 mos on 5days a week, 5miles at 6:35....and just ran 20:03 for 3.5mi or 5:44/mi I think I went through 5k in 17:30. Tempted to lose a bit of muscle weight and see if I can get to mid 16s for 5k. 5 day a week tempo runs are pretty optimal for older/heavier guys who can't take the mileage.

London12 wrote:

I think you need to be going a touch faster for 16xx or maybe a few days at 6:00 pace. I am 53, weigh 205, and row as a rule but trained 5 mos on 5days a week, 5miles at 6:35....and just ran 20:03 for 3.5mi or 5:44/mi I think I went through 5k in 17:30. Tempted to lose a bit of muscle weight and see if I can get to mid 16s for 5k. 5 day a week tempo runs are pretty optimal for older/heavier guys who can't take the mileage.

London -- if you were seriously taking a shot at a mid-16 5K how would you tweak your current 5M X 5 days/week training? Would you still only run 5 days a week?

yes, you can do this. Simply use those other two days for long/intense pool runs.

Wondering if anybody has tried this with any success? I've recently taken a new job, plus night school, and I just don't have the time or desire to run lots of miles any more.

Think this is what you're looking for:

I run 7 miles a day 5 days a week.

I have great success.

2 days running 1 day off, 3 days running 1 day off, repeat.

I am 45 years young.

I am still under 16 min for 5k.

When I was around 25, I ran 16:30's and my training was 50-60 min per day about 5-6 days per week. The pace was easy, around 7:00 with some days in the mid to low 6's.

At 43, I think you could run sub 17 on 35 miles per week. It won't be easy, but it's possible.

Yes. I was 30-35 mpw on 5 days with an occasional cycling 6th day and other sports (surfing, flag football) and went 16:42 on that plan @ age 42.

I upped the mpw this last year to 40-50 on 6 days and got down to 16:20 and 4:18 (1500). This increase was only in season though; I still took a few weeks off entirely and had build-up weeks @ 20-30 miles.

For the OP (if you're still reading this old thread), no real average daily pace, but my easy runs are @ 8 min pace, medium - 7ish and my tempos around 6s.

Back in 2008, I was basically running 5 days a week. I would normally run between 40-55mins per run(6-8+miles). At the time, I was working 45-hours a week at a physically demanding job, so I didn't have too much time or motivation to run specific workouts. In absence of specific speed/interval training, I would make at least 3 of my runs a tempo run(6:00 or faster pace). Occasionally, I would do some ~200m strides for leg turnover. I actually loved this routine and it kept me in 16:30 shape.

I have cut my miles down with a lot of success. No more easy day 7 mile easy runs. I try to go as hard as possible with workouts and the easy days as light as possible with cross training.

Mon 20 min tempo 6:00 min pace 6 miles total

tue 2 to 4 miles at 6:45 to 7:00 pace. 10 min elliptical, 20 min weights

Wed 8 X 800m on grass or trail, 7 miles total

Thur repeat Tue

Fri hill sprints 6 x 45 second hills, 10 min tempo

Sat Repeat Tue

Sun 6 x 200 at 800 pace, 1 mile at 5:20

Hard easy all year with 1 month easy running in the fall

No traditional long runs. Some workouts on trails are long tempos. 15 min warmup, 40 min progreesive tempo, 15 min cooldown. Total run 1 hour 10 min

10 years of masters running with one season shortened by injury.

Masters PRs

800 1:59

mile 4:30

5K 16:20

OP here.

Thanks guys for the input. I ran very light/sporadically most of last fall to let my hamstrings recover, which they have. I still have a few other things (possibly mild hip arthritis) which preclude me from running high miles.

Anyway, I have been doing the 5X7M thing since January. Most of it has been on the treadmill since it's easier to run hard there than it is outside in the cold/dark/ice.

Normally I'll run easy for 2 miles, then settle into a cruising pace of 6:40. A couple of days a week I end up near 6 min pace for the last few miles. Goal is to get my comfort zone down from 6:40 to 6:20. I plan on incorporating some more tempo/fartlek efforts in the coming weeks, especially when I can start running outside.

I supplement this by doing P90X with my wife every morning. I take it very easy on the legs/plyometric days, though.

I really enjoy training like this. Every run counts. Not sure how it'll translate into racing, but I'll find out in March.

2 X Around wrote:

Mon 20 min tempo 6:00 min pace 6 miles total

tue 2 to 4 miles at 6:45 to 7:00 pace. 10 min elliptical, 20 min weights

Wed 8 X 800m on grass or trail, 7 miles total

Thur repeat Tue

Fri hill sprints 6 x 45 second hills, 10 min tempo

Sat Repeat Tue

Sun 6 x 200 at 800 pace, 1 mile at 5:20

Masters PRs

800 1:59

mile 4:30

5K 16:20

Impressive. Age?

Depending on how hard you run your 800s, you are doing 4 hard workouts a week and 3 medium effort/high quality ones? I can barely walk for the 1st 10 minutes of the morning based on medium runs and 1-2 hard efforts a week. Can't imagine how I would feel on your schedule. No days off? What was the injury?

Bump

Ran in the 16xx range (16:10 to 16:54) from age 17 to 38, starting with a 16:22 XC in Boston's Franklin park in high school.

Low miles, about 25/week. Three hard days, two easy days. Average hard day either 5k a bit under 18, or 5 miles under 6:00 pace.

Became a dad at 44 and man that slowed everything down. Still managed a 17:47 5K that year, but was training too hard and picked up a minor injury.

Really slowed down by 50, best of 18:49

Of course now I wonder -- what if I'd really TRAINED???

i know this an old thread...but thinking of doing this for the fall.

any other examples of what has/hasn't work w/ this scenario?

I'm a masters runner who found this thread a while back while recuperating from various injuries. I have neither the time nor desire to run 70 miles a week anymore. Ran mid 16's at 40, didn't run much from ages 42-43, now 44 and getting back into the sport.

M- 2.5 ez, 5 steady w/ last few miles hard

T- off, weight training

W- 2.5 ez, 5 steady

TH- 2.5 ez, 5 steady

F- 2.5 ez, 5 steady w/ last few miles hard

S- off, weight training

S- 2.5 ez, 5 steady

Lots of steady paced running, with two hard days a week where I try to get down to 5K/10K pace. Finish every run with some strides and brief cooldown. About 40 miles/week.

My steady pace now is around 6:50. I plan on reducing that down to 6:20-6:30 in a few months. I feel great again.